WHAT DOES AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER DO?

Published: Feb 19, 2025 - The Industrial Engineer defines and measures production labor times using statistical methods to optimize shop planning, ensuring accurate part number-level timings. This position manages factory and work center capacity, providing metrics to production and planning teams to maintain required parameters. This role collaborates with cross-functional teams to design efficient workflows, update MRP routing times, and support materials management methodologies for streamlined production processes.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Industrial Engineer

1. Industrial Engineer Duties

  • Process Analysis: Conduct industrial process analysis optimizing the procedures and operations and improving the company’s efficiency.
  • Problem Solving: Generate distinctive options, ideas, and solutions to cross-functional issues.
  • Project Management: Simultaneously lead and execute assigned projects.
  • Strategic Vision: Provide strategic vision and implement solutions in the areas of supply chain, manufacturing, quality, and customer service.
  • Knowledge Development: Develop in-depth knowledge across multiple business units & technical areas.
  • Industrial Engineering: Apply Industrial Engineering concepts, techniques, analysis, and decision tools under general supervision to assist with the creation and implementation of processes to improve supply chain operations, achieve cost reduction and on-time deliveries, enhance scheduling performance, and improve quality.
  • Optimization: Utilize engineering methods (e.g., mathematical models, simulation, statistics) to support the design of optimal processes, identify and eliminate inefficiencies and non-value-added tasks, and ensure the maximum and efficient utilization of resources.
  • Risk Management: Manage, define and control the scope, cost, and timing of projects, and perform risk analysis using project management tools.
  • Coordination: Coordinate the efforts, and make sure each Process Owner accomplishes their tasks.

2. Industrial Engineer Details

  • Factory Layout: Responsible for the production lines and factory layout on existing and new factory.
  • Manufacturing Optimization: Optimize day-to-day manufacturing efficiency such as improving WIP control, process flows, handling system, production/equipment efficiency, etc.
  • Production Planning: Plan and establish sequence of operations to fabricate and assemble parts or products and to promote efficient utilization.
  • Statistical Analysis: Apply statistical methods and perform mathematical calculations or simulation study to determine manufacturing processes, staff requirements, and production standards.
  • Vendor Coordination: Confer with vendors, staff, and management personnel regarding purchases, procedures, product specifications, manufacturing capacities, and project status.
  • Layout Design: Draft and design layout of equipment, materials, and workspace to illustrate maximum efficiency, using drafting tools and computer.
  • Production Planning: Review production schedules, engineering specifications, orders, and related information to obtain knowledge of manufacturing methods, procedures, and activities.
  • Communication: Communicate with management and user personnel to develop production and design standards.
  • Process Improvement: Conduct studies and present findings to senior-level management regarding upgrades or changes for I.E and operations-related improvement areas.
  • Project Management: Oversee projects in his/her specific discipline. Will interface with clients, 3rd party vendors, internal department teams, etc.
  • Process Control: Enact process control procedures to resolve production problems or minimize costs.
  • Project Management: Effectively project manage the improvements identified and partner with manufacturing departments on implementation.
  • ROI Evaluation: Evaluate ROI/IRR on proposed CapEx spends with project justification.

3. Industrial Engineer Responsibilities

  • Time Measurement: Defines and measures production touch labor times at the detail part number level and, using statistical methods, manages times as needed to provide for the most accurate shop planning.
  • Capacity Planning: Measures factory and work center capacity and provides metrics to Production PMT and shop floor planning to help production ensure capacity and load stay within required parameters.
  • MRP Management: Uses MRP system to group part families and define template standards to more effectively communicate and control the flow of materials and products.
  • MRP Management: Manages MRP routing times to keep all parts up to date with the latest standards.
  • Layout Design: Drafts and designs layout of equipment, materials, and workspace to illustrate maximum efficiency.
  • Statistical Analysis: Applies statistical methods and performs mathematical calculations to determine manufacturing processes, staff requirements, and production standards.
  • Setup Time Management: Establishes, verifies and inputs setup times to ensure maximum efficiency.
  • Time & Motion Study: Conducts time & motion studies to establish standard cycle times for families of parts.
  • Process Improvement: Works on projects with the production engineering team to manufacture parts or products with maximum efficiency.
  • Economic Ordering: Calculates and recommends economic order quantities for applicable “make” parts.
  • Collaboration: Collaborates with material and planning groups to establish and support back flushing and other materials management methodologies.
  • Demand Integration: Responsible for integrating demand across the product lines to include capacity management and master production scheduling and mitigating schedule constraints that do not support end-item delivery requirements.

4. Industrial Engineer Job Summary

  • Safety Compliance: Complies with established safety directives.
  • Workplace Organization: Maintains a clean work area and ensures strict adherence to the 5S Standards.
  • QMS Adherence: Complies with established QMS procedures.
  • Industrial Engineering: Capable of performing all Industrial Engineer I responsibilities.
  • Demand Integration: Responsible for integrating demand across product lines to include capacity management and master production scheduling.
  • Resource Management: Identifies primary and secondary resources for work centers.
  • Time Management: Using highest velocity production as a goal, manages full span times by reducing non-value added time to a minimum.
  • Data Analysis: Provides data on a regular basis showing learning curve expectations are being met.
  • Training & Development: Provides on-the-job training for any industrial engineer-owned systems like process control systems or data collection systems.
  • Methodology Development: Supports the development of methods for inspection, testing, sampling, and training.
  • Methodology Development: Develops and is responsible for manufacturing time standards and methodology.
  • Coordination: Coordinates the work of other Engineers and Manufacturing Specialists.
  • Continuous Improvement: Constantly reviews and evaluates equipment, technology, processes, and manufacturing methods to identify return on investment opportunities to reduce labor cost or improve yield.

5. Industrial Engineer Accountabilities

  • Schedule Management: Works with Program Managers or Production Manufacturing Team Managers to ensure schedule and contractual integrity.
  • Mentorship: Mentors and may train junior-level Industrial Engineers.
  • Financial Planning: Develop management control systems to support financial planning and cost analysis.
  • Process Development: Works with customer-released or KUAS-released drawings and/or CAD models, engineering BOMs, and other engineering specifications to develop, implement and improve manufacturing processes.
  • Ergonomics: Designs, coordinates, and validates workstation layouts with an emphasis on ergonomics, single piece or small batch flow, visual aids, Poke Yoke (mistake proofing), 5S, and zero defect policies.
  • Training: Supports training as needed for new or revised process implementation.
  • Inventory Management: Works with the materials department to develop inventory requirements by station including buffers and safety stock levels, rack/bin sizes, and replenishment methodology such as Kanbans.
  • Equipment Design: Reviews and designs in-process handling equipment for the safe and expeditious transportation of parts, inventory, and/or tooling.
  • Demand Integration: Responsible for integrating demand across product lines to include capacity management and master production scheduling.
  • Process Optimization: Develops, implements, and improves manufacturing and industrial processes to effect maximum product throughput and optimum resource efficiency.
  • Engineering Coordination: Coordinates engineering changes to existing product lines and manages new product introductions.
  • Work Standardization: Sets work standards, and workflows, defines resource requirements for assigned programs.