"Industrial engineering-IE is an engineering technology that studies the design, improvement and setup of an integrated system composed of people, materials, equipment, energy and information. It applies the expertise and technology in natural and social sciences such as mathematics and physics, as well as the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design to determine, predict and evaluate the results that this system can achieve. " According to this definition, industrial engineering is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary marginal science including natural science, social science, engineering and management.
In Japan, industrial engineering is called commercial engineering or management. In Japan, industrial engineering is regarded as a management technology, based on a certain engineering specialty, such as mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, chemical engineering, construction engineering, etc. The most basic thing is mechanical engineering, and machinery, electronics and information are the knowledge that must be learned and mastered.
The definition of industrial engineering by Japan Industrial Engineering Association is that industrial engineering is to design, transform and set up a functional management system with people, materials and equipment as a whole. In order to determine, predict and evaluate the results of the system, the principles and methods of engineering technology analysis and synthesis are adopted, and the expertise of mathematics, natural science and artificial science is also used.
China professionals define industrial engineering as: industrial engineering (IE) takes people, materials, equipment, energy and information as the main research objects, and comprehensively applies the theories and methods of engineering technology, management science and social science to plan, design, manage, improve and innovate it, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing costs and improving quality and efficiency.
This definition contains the following four meanings:
1. Professional knowledge and technology included in industrial engineering (changing with time):
Classic stage: general engineering, physics, simple mathematics, etc.
Behavioral stages: engineering, physics, simple mathematics, psychology, etc.
Modern stage: engineering, physics, advanced mathematics, operational research, system engineering, psychology, IT technology.
2. Production factors involved in industrial engineering: personnel, materials, equipment, energy, information, etc.
3. Replace "more productive system" with "more efficient":
Enterprise: production → customers
Customer: quantity → quality
4. Basic activities and functions of industrial engineering: planning, design, evaluation and innovation.
1) planning
Preparatory activities to determine the specific actions that the research object should take in production or service in a certain period in the future, including the formulation of overall objectives, policies, strategies and tactics and the formulation of various phased implementation plans.
2) Design
The preliminary work to create a specific implementation system to achieve the set goals includes formulating technical guidelines, norms and standards, optimizing selection and drawing blueprints.
3) Assessment
Evaluation is an activity to determine the effectiveness of the existing system, planning scheme, design scheme and performance according to certain evaluation standards. Including the formulation, evaluation and implementation of various evaluation indicators and rules and regulations.
4) Innovation
Improve the existing research objects to make them produce, serve and operate more effectively.