WHAT DOES AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER DO?
Updated: Aug 27, 2025 - The Industrial Engineer leads product transfers to suppliers by developing and managing detailed project plans, ensuring alignment with timelines, resources, milestones, and risk mitigation strategies. This role drives supplier process development, equipment validation, and quality system execution, including MPIs, PFMEA, engineering studies, and change management to ensure compliance and performance standards. The engineer also supports cost analysis, quality event resolution, and process optimization to enhance product quality and cost efficiency at the supplier level.


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 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 and 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 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.
- 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 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.
6. Industrial Engineer Duties
- Manufacturing Recommendations: Provide fact-based recommendations on manufacturing purchased items in-house
- Process Design: Problem solve and design processes through common methods, such as tooling, instructions, and equipment
- Prototype Development: Design prototype and test procedures for new manufacturing processes and improvements
- Production Support: Support the introduction of new production lines
- Lean Support: Support requirements for sustaining lean efforts
- Safety Resolution: Support the resolution of safety and QRQC actions in the plant
- Instruction Management: Create and maintain work instructions
- Performance Review: Present yearly manufacturing performance reviews and equipment capacity analysis
- Labor Standards: Assist with monitoring and maintenance of labor standards and reporting
7. Industrial Engineer Details
- Cost Estimation: Estimate labor, assembly fixtures cost, material movement cost, and material presentation costs
- Workshop Leadership: Lead manufacturing system design workshops and document savings or improvements from the workshop
- Equipment Design: Design, quote, and build assembly equipment, material movement, and material presentation for production
- Fixture Installation: Install assembly fixtures, material movement carts, and material presentation at or below the award of business pricing
- Lean Layouts: Develop lean layouts and material flow for efficient operations
- Operator Instructions: Develop operator instructions for assigned programs
- Employee Training: Train production employees for start-up and ramp-up
- PDT Support: Support the assigned PDT to drive lean processes
- Ergonomic Assessment: Conduct ergonomic assessments of the manufacturing process, including material movement
- Cost-Saving Support: Support North American plants in their cost-saving projects
8. Industrial Engineer Responsibilities
- Cost Analysis: Lead and perform analysis and recommend opportunities to reduce cost and increase efficiency of manufacturing operations
- Capacity Planning: Support capacity network planning for the manufacturing plants
- Labor Validation: Support and validate labor requirements for prototype and early production vehicle builds and provide feedback, root cause analysis, and problem resolution support for new product launches
- Lean Application: Apply lean techniques and concepts to product and process design throughout all phases of the product life cycle
- Project Leadership: Lead and manage product and industrialization projects
- Project Management: Apply project management skills and work closely with the plant and contractors to coordinate projects to their completion
- Timeline Assessment: Accurately assess timelines and delivery schedules and clearly communicate opportunities and risks to management, while providing clear direction to engineering teams
- Communication Management: Manage communication strategy at every level within teams, within the company, to users, and other audiences
- Process Optimization: Stay current on technological developments, generate new ideas and methods for optimization of system processes (continuous improvement)
- Workshop Support: Support design for manufacturing workshops by identifying waste and providing optimization ideas
9. Industrial Engineer Job Summary
- Constraint Analysis: Identify throughput constraints by performing capacity, simulation, and what-if scenario analysis
- Project Prioritization: Drive factory improvement project priorities using analytical tools
- Capability Coordination: Coordinate factory capability needs for yield improvements and new technology
- Project Support: Support factory development through project justification, design, and implementation
- Improvement Projects: Identify and participate in improvement projects to support constraint elimination, improve the product, or reduce cost
- Lean Six Sigma: Apply Six Sigma and lean principles to include the use of value stream maps, line balancing, and error proofing
- Manufacturing Support: Support manufacturing objectives for cost, quality, on-time delivery, and safety
- Strategic Roadmap: Support the 5-year strategic roadmap development and maintenance
- Process Optimization: Assist in factory and process life-cycle optimization
- Root Cause: Lead root cause analysis for product quality concerns
- Cost Control: Conduct studies about cost control, cost reduction, and inventory control through the application of lean principles
10. Industrial Engineer Accountabilities
- Work Analysis: Support analysis with the area management to establish and maintain daily work activities
- Part Presentation: Support analysis with area management, support staff, and material control to design and maintain part presentation requirements and procedures
- Equipment Acquisition: Assist in the identification of equipment, machinery, and facilities acquisition, including justifications and economic analysis to support operational, safety, and quality initiatives
- Tool Management: Assist in the development and maintenance of toolbox requirements and contents to include tool control, FOD prevention measures, and tool requirements matched to area tasks
- 3D Printing: Apply 3D print capability to assist in the resolution of technical issues (shop aids, protect the product, etc.)
- Business Analysis: Provide business case analysis in support of projects to include make or buy, MCR, engineering changes, and tooling requests
- Safety Support: Support all safety, sustainability, and ergonomic initiatives
- Layout Implementation: Implement plant layout, process flow, and material handling techniques
- Tooling Support: Support area management in generating orders or requests for tooling, including management of tool priorities
- Facility Improvement: Investigate, evaluate, and implement facility expansions, department rearrangements, new technologies and manufacturing techniques, and employee suggestions
11. Industrial Engineer Functions
- Function Analysis: Study functional statements, organization charts, and project information to determine functions and responsibilities of workers and work units and to identify areas of duplication
- Work Measurement: Establish work measurement programs and analyze work samples to develop standards for labor utilization
- Workforce Utilization: Analyze workforce utilization, facility layout, and operational data such as production costs, process flow charts, and production schedules to determine efficient utilization of workers and equipment
- Efficiency Methods: Recommend methods for improving worker efficiency and reducing waste of materials and utilities, such as restructuring job duties, reorganization of workflow, relocating workstations and equipment, and the purchase of equipment
- Plan Implementation: Confer with management and engineering staff to implement plans and recommendations
- Process Improvement: Recommend and implement methods of improvement based on leading-edge technologies and industrial engineering principles to improve operating performance and reduce waste, delays, and costs
- Operational Training: Teach, coach, and train to enhance operational execution and efficiency
- Installation Monitoring: Monitor installation and ensure proposal specifications and budget are met
- System Development: Develop and maintain management systems for cost analysis, financial planning, wage and salary administration, and job evaluation
- Productivity Measurement: Ensure effective productivity and production measurements are established for identified processes in the plant
- System Monitoring: Monitor the system and expand
- Method Enhancement: Analyze, recommend, design, and implement enhancements to existing work methods, flows, and processes to improve current capabilities
- Change Communication: Communicate with management on all changes in work standards
- SOP Development: Develop standard operating procedures (SOP) for methods and processes
- Project Management: Manage multiple engineering projects, ensuring on-time completion according to schedule and within budget guidelines
- Team Leadership: Lead and coordinate the activities of those assigned to project teams
- Technology Research: Research technology advancements and systems to develop cost-effective improvements to operating methods and procedures
- Operations Partnership: Partner with operations leadership to identify and improve based on their needs, delivering results for customers
- Employee Coaching: Coach, develop, and train plant employees, plant leadership, and corporate leadership on the management operating system and sustainability efforts
12. Industrial Engineer Job Description
- Cost Review: Review the costing sheet and provide the required data to commercial colleagues to achieve the savings
- SMV Development: Develop the SMV database for all product categories by using the GSD tool
- Fabric Analysis: Find out fabric consumption by analyzing mini and production markers of the products to ensure suppliers quoted the correct price for fabric
- Thread Calculation: Calculate sewing thread consumption by using the thread consumption software
- Garment Analysis: Analyze garment construction to simplify and reduce the SMV of the garments
- Data Management: Record and update the data database of SMV, fabric, and thread consumption
- Information Support: Provide all required information to commercial colleagues for negotiation and achieving savings
- Meeting Support: Attend the negotiation meeting with suppliers to support colleagues
- Report Follow-up: Follow up with commercial colleagues to update BFL and generate reports for senior people
- Cost Contribution: Contribute to cost savings by working closely with commercial colleagues, the UK team, and suppliers
- KPI Achievement: Achieve objectives and key performance indicators for industrial engineers
- Productivity Improvement: Work with factories to improve productivity and develop lean or IE tools
- Factory Support: Support factories in terms of machinery upgrading, implementing IE's system, and minimizing wastage
- Training Arrangement: Arrange required training programs for suppliers to upskill them
13. Industrial Engineer Overview
- Layout Planning: Under general supervision, plan for equipment layouts in plant office and production facilities, and establish standards to improve industrial engineering techniques.
- Technique Analysis: Analyze existing industrial engineering techniques and develop recommendations for changes to working methods that minimize costs and time taken, increase yields and productivity, and improve the quality and consistency of final products.
- Workflow Study: Conduct studies to determine the most efficient sequence of operations and workflow and recommend methods for maximum utilization of production facilities and personnel.
- Assignment Execution: Execute moderately complex and non-routine assignments.
- Engineering Support: Provide engineering service and advice to industrial engineering activities.
- Report Preparation: Prepare reports regarding reviews of production methods, equipment layout, and equipment and material utilization.
- Specification Analysis: Understand specific client needs or technical specifications, parts drawings, and other engineering data to develop new techniques and estimate time requirements for each step and the total cost of the project.
14. Industrial Engineer Details and Accountabilities
- Process Analysis: Conduct industrial process analysis, optimize the procedures and operations, and improve the company’s efficiency.
- Idea Generation: Generate distinctive options, ideas, and solutions to cross-functional issues.
- Project Execution: Lead and execute assigned projects simultaneously.
- Strategic Vision: Provide strategic vision and implement solutions in the areas of supply chain, manufacturing, quality, and customer service.
- Business Knowledge: Develop in-depth knowledge across multiple business units and technical areas.
- IE Application: 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.
- Engineering Methods: Utilize engineering methods (e.g., mathematical models, simulation, statistics) to support the design of an optimal process, identify and eliminate inefficiencies and non-value-added tasks, and ensure the maximum and efficient utilization of resources.
- Project Management: Manage, define, and control the scope, cost, and timing of projects, and perform risk analysis using project management tools.
- Task Coordination: Coordinate the efforts, ensure each process owner accomplishes the assigned tasks, and complete the project on time.
15. Industrial Engineer Tasks
- Database Management: Maintain various industrial engineering databases.
- Time Calculation: Be responsible for standard time calculation, lean manufacturing, capacity study, 5S, and process time utilization and reduction.
- Department Support: Provide support for manufacturing and other departments.
- Layout Planning: Plan a clean room layout for effective space utilization.
- Industry Support: Be responsible for the support of Industry 4.0.
- Process Optimization: Optimize and streamline manufacturing techniques and processes in the production area through methods and workflow design improvement, factory systems improvement, standard setting, and workforce training to ensure productivity, cycle time, quality, and cost reduction goals of the company are met.
- Headcount Support: Support production headcount and activities for improvement.
- Method Improvement: Be responsible for standard settings, method improvements, and systems and reports improvements to ensure that value-added work is performed in the most efficient manner possible.
- Layout Maintenance: Support maintaining the existing factory layout and future improvements, ensuring all regulatory and safety standards are met.
16. Industrial Engineer Roles
- Product Transfer: Lead product transfers to suppliers.
- Project Planning: Develop supplier project plans, including timeline, resources, milestones, action items, risk mitigation, and final project outcomes.
- Team Leadership: Lead core team members to execute project outcomes within the timeline.
- Status Communication: Communicate project status to key stakeholders.
- Equipment Delivery: Deliver the client-owned equipment and tooling qualifications.
- Test Validation: Support test equipment validation and gauge R and R.
- Cost Modeling: Support cost gap modeling to leverage stronger negotiations for optimal price.
- Process Development: Lead process development and improvement at suppliers.
- Quality Execution: Execute quality system requirements for supplier activities, including MPIs, change orders, PFMEA, engineering studies, verification and validation protocols, and reports.
- Event Resolution: Support quality event resolution.
- Process Verification: Support supplier process verification and validation.
- Drawing Review: Support raw material and part drawing reviews and changes.
- Project Reporting: Provide timely and accurate reporting on project activities.
- Quality Improvement: Evaluate and implement processes and programs to improve product quality and reduce costs at the supplier level.
- Parameter Assurance: Ensure supplier process parameters are capable of qualification, verification, and validation activities.
- Action Approval: Route and approve supplier non-conformances and corrective actions.
17. Industrial Engineer Additional Details
- Layout Planning: Plan equipment layout, workflow, and accidental prevention measures, and the respective processes and guidelines of production.
- Budget Management: Contribute to budget development and ensure adherence to agreed budgets in industrial engineering.
- Performance Improvement: Develop and implement performance measurement and improvement initiatives.
- Process Inspection: Perform inspections and investigations, and analyze technical manufacturing or logistics processes and sequences.
- Project Implementation: Plan, propose, and implement improvement projects on site or unit level, set the respective targets, budgets, and personnel resources, and steer the overall project process.
- Vendor Liaison: Liaise with other engineering functions or external vendors or service providers, and constantly monitor and approve respective services and work deliveries.
- Ramp-up Management: Manage the overall ramp-up phase of new production and test equipment or production launch of new products, and ensure life cycle support.
- Process Documentation: Ensure process documentation and train related manufacturing or maintenance staff.
- Time Studies: Conduct time and motion studies and derive time standards for production calculations.
18. Industrial Engineer Essential Functions
- Manufacturing Excellence: Drive manufacturing excellence by ensuring the optimal utilization of labor and other production inputs.
- Method Development: Analyze production and non-production operations and develop new or improved methods and standards.
- Labor Standards: Drive development and installation of direct and indirect labor standards and methods.
- Labor Tracking: Track labor, manpower utilization, and line balancing.
- Ergonomics Evaluation: Conduct job ergonomics evaluations.
- Cycle Analysis: Analyze the problem, process constraints, and conduct equipment cycle time analysis.
- Method Analysis: Analyze plant methods and standards.
- Cost Estimation: Prepare cost estimates of new or revised methods and standards.
- Layout Review: Review proposed changes in plant layout, processes, material handling, routing, and related activities.
- Time Studies: Conduct time and motion or MODAPTS studies and review employee proposals and suggestions.
- Line Layouts: Develop cycle line layouts for current and future models using ACAD.
- Job Methodization: Lead job methodization and process allocations.
- Change Coordination: Coordinate engineering changes and planning.
- Value Mapping: Conduct value stream mapping and process audits.
- Cost Projects: Develop cost-saving project proposals and write projects.
- Dispute Resolution: Interface with production supervision and the UAW to settle job disputes.
- Labor Planning: Assist production in planning labor allocations for mix and line speed changes.
19. Industrial Engineer Role Purpose
- Client Support: Resolve clients' questions or problems over the telephone or internet in the areas of system configurations and setup, product functionality, and bugs and enhancements.
- Support Liaison: Serve as primary support liaison between the company and the customer and document incidents in required tracking systems.
- Customer Communication: Keep customers informed of how and when problems are resolved.
- Issue Troubleshooting: Be involved in any additional follow-up, testing, and troubleshooting.
- Test Setup: Set up the appropriate test environment based on a customer’s system specification.
- Issue Referral: Be responsible for appropriate referral to other support and quality assurance areas.
- Version Testing: Assist in testing new versions of operating systems and environments by loading new versions and verifying compatibility with products, reporting any anomalies to development.
- Documentation Support: Assist with the preparation of technical documentation of product sub-systems.
- System Testing: Conduct unit testing and integration testing for functionality and limits.
- Application Support: Provide application support to clients.
- Knowledge Contribution: Contribute information to the support knowledge base.
- Workload Management: Manage workload effectively, following global support procedures to ensure the successful completion of tasks.
- Work Accounting: Provide an accurate accounting of work and time allocation.
20. Industrial Engineer General Responsibilities
- Process Evaluation: Evaluate and improve production processes by designing and conducting research programs.
- Efficiency Application: Apply knowledge of people, scheduling, efficiency, and logistics.
- Team Collaboration: Confer with other leaders of the engineering team and solicit observations from manufacturing and production technicians.
- Workflow Planning: Improve manufacturing efficiency by analyzing and planning workflow, space requirements, and equipment layout.
- Decision Support: Provide manufacturing decision-making information by calculating production, labor, and material costs, reviewing production schedules, and estimating future requirements.
- Report Preparation: Prepare product and process reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing information and trends.
- IE Support: Provide industrial engineering information by answering questions and requests.
- Regulatory Compliance: Maintain product and company reputation by complying with government regulations.
- Equipment Maintenance: Keep equipment operational by coordinating maintenance and repair services, following manufacturer's instructions and established procedures, and requesting special service.
- Database Management: Maintain product and process database by writing computer programs and entering data.
- Project Completion: Complete design and development projects by training and guiding manufacturing technicians.
- Team Contribution: Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results.
21. Industrial Engineer Key Accountabilities
- Supply Design: Design an efficient supply chain from production to the customer.
- Process Optimization: Optimize existing and future production procedures, ensuring a smooth and cost-effective flow of Pearl Crop plant operations.
- Improvement Training: Facilitate continuous improvement training, simulations, and cross-functional project teams.
- Quality Coordination: Coordinate and implement quality control objectives, and work with facility supervisors to improve production objectives with quality.
- Progress Reporting: Report improvement progress and issues through visual, verbal, and written methods to business leaders.
- Data Analysis: Conduct time studies, perform data analysis, and define the current state for both manufacturing and business processes.
- Forecasting Methods: Apply forecasting methods and perform calculations for seasonal production requirements.
- Statistical Application: Apply statistical methods and charts to determine inventory and staff requirements, and compare yearly and monthly improvements for both season and off-season.
- Waste Elimination: Participate and lead cross-functional teams to identify and eliminate the 7 deadly wastes.
- KPI Management: Collect KPI production records and lead weekly meetings with the leadership of Stockton, Linedn, and Ripon facilities.
- Layout Design: Design a layout of each facility, line by line, for each process, to illustrate maximum efficiency of inventory by using design software.
22. Industrial Engineer Roles and Details
- Quality Coordination: Coordinate and implement quality control objectives, activities, or procedures to resolve production problems and maximize product reliability and minimize costs.
- Contract Management: Follow the contract status, get the problem contacts weekly, and provide solutions with involved teams such as sales, CSRS, and production.
- Schedule Review: Review production schedules, productivity data, and the capacity of equipment.
- Utilization Improvement: Make recommendations regarding the methods for improving the utilization of personnel, material, and utilities.
- Process Improvement: Work with members of the organization, including customers and suppliers, to identify and implement process improvements using six sigma, lean, and kaizen methodologies.
- Progress Communication: Communicate improvement progress and issues through visual, verbal, and written methods to stakeholders and business leaders to develop production and design standards.
- Method Development: Develop manufacturing methods, labor utilization standards, and cost analysis systems to promote efficient staff facility utilization.
- Statistical Application: Apply statistical methods and perform mathematical calculations to determine manufacturing processes, staff requirements, and production standards.
- Cost Estimation: Provide the current estimations of production costs and cost-saving methods for management review.
- Capacity Analysis: Perform capacity analysis for seasonal needs before the season.
- Inventory Assessment: Assess inventory and conduct data analysis to finish the product inventory ahead of the following season.
23. Industrial Engineer Responsibilities and Key Tasks
- Automation Design: Plan, design, and implement robotic automation systems for high-speed, high-volume, automated, and semi-automated production of battery modules or cells.
- Process Maintenance: Improve and maintain existing process automation.
- Performance Improvement: Drive and execute improvements in the areas of safety, quality, reliability, and speed.
- Process Design: Design, develop, analyze, and document process designs that meet the cost, reliability, manufacturability, and safety requirements (P&ID, functional requirements, etc.).
- Drawing Preparation: Prepare detailed drawings of multiple views and apply mathematics and physics to compute load capacities, dimensions, material usage, and Bills of Materials (BOMs).
- Process Redesign: Develop updates and redesigns of existing processes and related equipment that are feasible to manufacture or modify, accompanied by analysis, supporting information, and recommendations.
- Requirement Communication: Actively communicate specific work requirements or needs to internal functions, such as purchasing and manufacturing, to ensure expectations are understood by engineering specifications.
- Design Research: Conduct research to test or analyze the design, operation, and performance of equipment.
- Design Documentation: Ensure engineering design and standards documentation is complete, accurate, and sufficient in support of manufacturing and quality assurance activities, and compliant with customer specifications and regulations.
- Supplier Interface: Interface with and provide product specifications to suppliers.
- Production Support: Work closely with maintenance and production personnel to support efforts that improve the performance of manufacturing systems, such as addressing process or equipment problems.
- Robot Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot robot malfunctions using knowledge of programmable controllers, electronics, circuit analysis, mechanics, hydraulics, and pneumatics.
- Safety Practices: Perform and drive safe behaviors in all tasks and areas.
- Safety Improvements: Initiate and drive safety improvements in the methods, machines, processes, and areas.
- Root Cause: Initiate investigations and corrective actions to problems with rigorous problem-solving (cause and effect, root cause analysis) methodology.
- Robot Programming: Program a robot for a series of manipulator arm-hand movements manually or by electronic instructions to a microprocessor or by setting up and adjusting the sequence by hand-held teach pendant.
- Technician Training: Train technicians and perform follow-up verification, materials, equipment (including cycle times), and operations.
- Automation Expansion: Create, sustain, and improve assembly automation functionality according to expansion plans.
- Benchmarking: Establish equipment benchmarks and comparisons.
24. Industrial Engineer Duties and Roles
- Process Improvement: Be responsible for identifying and implementing improvements to strategic site operations and processes to support the delivery of site goals.
- IE Leadership: Lead industrial engineering activities relating to clean room and equipment expansion programs and achievement of planned capacity.
- Engineering Methods: Apply engineering methods to deliver models and presentations relating to facility, capacity, and expansion planning and recommendations to management.
- Efficiency Measurement: Measure and report on efficiency data.
- Data Oversight: Maintain oversight of manufacturing data routinely collected to ensure necessary data is available to inform strategic decision-making.
- Analysis Implementation: Ensure outcomes of analysis are implemented to good effect.
- Method Development: Recommend and develop manufacturing methods and tools that support and promote improvements in the utilization of people, equipment, processes, materials, and utilities across all business processes.
- Process Standards: Establish, set, and maintain process standards and the capacity book, measuring performance to plan.
- Variance Resolution: Deliver solutions to address unfavorable variances.
- Waste Reduction: Identify and deliver improvements to reduce waste and improve process and system performance.
- Capacity Analysis: Analyze capacity requirements to achieve output, and propose labor and equipment resources to achieve business plans.
- Improvement Projects: Develop and lead continuous improvement projects, working cross-functionally to implement changes that deliver savings across the business.
- Communication Building: Establish effective communication and build partnerships with all functional areas across operations, providing linkage to customers, suppliers, and other process areas.
- Policy Compliance: Be responsible for compliance with applicable corporate and divisional policies and performing other duties by management.
- Team Support: Work with cross-functional teams.
- Initiative Support: Support all company initiatives as identified by management and in support of Quality Management Systems (QMS), Environmental Management Systems (EMS), and other regulatory requirements.
- Regulatory Compliance: Comply with regulations, other regulatory requirements, company policies, operating procedures, processes, and task assignments.
- Collaboration: Maintain positive and cooperative communications and collaboration with all levels of employees, customers, contractors, and vendors.
25. Industrial Engineer Roles and Responsibilities
- Layout Design: Draft and design layout of equipment, materials, and workspace to illustrate maximum efficiency, using drafting tools and a computer.
- Method Development: Develop manufacturing methods, labor utilization standards, and cost analysis systems to promote efficient staff and facility utilization.
- Standard Communication: Communicate with management and user personnel to develop production and design standards.
- Operation Study: Study operations sequence, material flow, functional statements, organization charts, and project information to determine worker functions and responsibilities.
- Data Analysis: Analyze statistical data and product specifications to determine standards and establish quality and reliability objectives of the finished product.
- Equipment Evaluation: Evaluate the precision and accuracy of production and testing equipment and engineering drawings to formulate a corrective action plan.
- Workflow Regulation: Regulate and alter workflow schedules according to established manufacturing sequences and lead times to expedite production operations.
- Project Assessment: Assess and implement continuous improvement projects in relation to current or future project planning.
- Policy Compliance: Abide by all company policies, including health and safety, quality and environmental systems, human resources policies, and the employee handbook.
- Code Compliance: Ensure compliance with all applicable codes, standards, and legislation.
26. Industrial Engineer Duties
- Capacity Planning: Lead mid to long-range focus factory capacity planning.
- Capacity Support: Support short-range focus factory capacity planning.
- Lean Activities: Lead lean manufacturing and lead time reduction activities within the focus factory.
- Vendor Discussion: Discuss with vendors, staff, and management personnel regarding purchases, procedures, product specifications, manufacturing capabilities, and project status.
- Quote Review: Review and verify quote standards every quarter at a minimum.
- Cost Estimation: Estimate production cost and effect of product design changes for management review, action, and control.
- Operation Study: Study operations sequence, material flow, functional statements, organization charts, and project information to determine worker functions and responsibilities.
- Method Development: Develop manufacturing methods, labor utilization standards, and cost analysis systems to promote safe and efficient staff and facility utilization.
- Utilization Improvement: Recommend methods for improving the utilization of personnel, material, and utilities.
- Workflow Regulation: Regulate and alter workflow schedules according to established manufacturing sequences and lead times to expedite production operations.
27. Industrial Engineer Details
- Process Modeling: Use in-house discrete event simulation software to model complex manufacturing processes.
- Schedule Development: Use scheduling software to produce customized schedules.
- Capacity Engineering: Be responsible for debottlenecking and capacity engineering of manufacturing facilities.
- Data Integration: Integrate enterprise data sources into the software.
- Client Support: Provide first-line client support for the models and software.
- Expectation Management: Manage project and client expectations.
- Algorithm Development: Develop algorithms for the design of experiments, display of data, optimization methods, efficiency methods, and scheduling methods.
- Result Presentation: Present results and make recommendations for clients.
- Software Debugging: Assist in debugging the software and developing product features and enhancements.
28. Industrial Engineer Responsibilities
- System Design: Design efficient systems that integrate workers, information, machines, energy, and materials to make products or provide services.
- Equipment Design: Design equipment to coordinate production planning to minimize production issues and costs while ensuring products meet quality standards.
- Route Development: Design, develop, and maintain manufacturing routes to maximize effectiveness, efficiency, and space.
- Safety Compliance: Ensure the company complies with all industry standards for safety while meeting design standards and guidelines.
- Project Support: Work in a support role on less complex projects.
- Standard Development: Develop standards for production and design by working with clients and management.
- BOM Control: Be responsible for BOM accuracy and control.
- Production Review: Review production schedules, engineering specifications, process flows, and other information to understand methods that are applied and activities that take place in manufacturing and services.
- Control System Development: Develop management control systems to make financial planning and cost analysis more efficient.
- Quality Control: Enact quality control procedures to resolve production problems or minimize costs.
- Planning Control: Design control systems to coordinate activities and production planning to ensure that products meet quality and cost standards.
- Client Communication: Confer with clients about product specifications, vendors about purchases, management personnel about manufacturing capabilities, and staff about the status of projects.
29. Industrial Engineer Accountabilities
- Product Review: Conduct new product review and feedback for improvements in manufacturability during the initial phases of design through implementation, and attend process review and safety and ergonomic buyoff meetings for new model processes and support budget development.
- Vendor Evaluation: Perform vendor searches and equipment evaluation to ensure adequate capability to produce quality product in required quantities at an effective cost to develop equipment, materials, and process performance requirements.
- Time Studies: Assist with standard time studies, line balance, workstation design, standardized work instructions, and manning requirements.
- Lean Promotion: Promote lean manufacturing operations with 5S, Poke Yoke, Kaizen, Kanban, TPM, SMED, and other initiatives to continuously improve upon own records.
- Process Analysis: Analyze new processes and equipment with the intent of achieving continuous improvement using pilot runs and new model launches, supporting and developing process flow charts and work instructions.
- Capital Requests: Generate capital investment requests (IRs) required for new process implementation and control expenditures to ensure compliance with timing and budget requirements.
- Process Compliance: Identify and comply with all health, safety, and environmental programs, policies, and procedures, and develop process documentation and train personnel on new processes, materials, and equipment.
- PFEP Management: Build, implement, and maintain PFEP (Plan For Every Part) for assembly lines.
- Material Flow: Implement pull signals, Kanbans, and identify opportunities with operations for improved line-side presentation and material flow and replenishment.
- Layout Design: Design layouts, zoning, and planning for efficient shopping and delivery processes in warehouse operations.
30. Industrial Engineer Overview
- Process Analysis: Perform a deep-dive study analysis to define the key processes taking place in the warehouses and plants.
- Project Scope: Project scope includes data analytics, warehouse layout and design, supply chain network improvements, storage optimization, and ROI cost justifications for recommendations and new technology solutions.
- Warehouse Optimization: Manage and drive warehouse optimization projects, which include involvement in the purchase of new warehouses, expansions, software technology, and optimizing current footprint and layouts.
- Productivity Standards: Determine warehousing productivity standards for processes and labour, which aims to improve plant efficiencies, quality, and standardize best practices to optimize capacity.
- Product Flow: Develop innovative ways to flow products through warehouses most efficiently and effectively.
- Quantitative Methods: Apply highly quantitative methods to warehouse operations with the intent of optimizing total delivered cost and maximizing service levels.
- Capital Projects: Manage racking equipment installation and facility layout capital projects, including budget, timeline, and external vendors.
- Data Analysis: Perform data analysis on inventory stocking levels and shipping and receiving activity to produce an optimal storage configuration design and product flow to maximize footprint and warehouse efficiencies.
- Parameter Definition: Work closely with the engineering and purchasing group in defining the parameters for the new warehouses, optimization of existing ones, and development of supplier RFQs.
- Task Force: Be involved in task forces (cross-department teams) that will manage projects and assignments and work closely with the unit managers and the warehouse managers.
- Personnel Training: Be involved in technical preparation and training of personnel involved in warehouse management as instructed by the corporate supply chain manager.
- Procedure Improvement: Be involved in periodically updating and improving procedures, instructions, and tools related to warehousing activity improvement.
- Cross Collaboration: Interact and cooperate with unit managers, warehouse managers, purchasing, IT, and engineering.
31. Industrial Engineer Details and Accountabilities
- Product Implementation: Implement new products and design changes into manufacturing facilities.
- Process Duplication: Ensure that there is exact duplication of products and processes between manufacturing facilities.
- Product Expertise: Become the product expert with a select product or group of products for all manufacturing facilities.
- Build Documentation: Document product builds and instructions using Dozuki software.
- ECN Review: Review and implement product ECNs at manufacturing plants.
- Quality Assurance: Ensure perfect quality assurance of all managed products and address manufacturing issues associated with these products.
- Process Monitoring: Monitor and evaluate processes to confirm the effectiveness of the manufacturing system and advise direction for improving to achieve the best production cost.
- Root Cause: Analyze production processes and solve the problem at the root cause.
- Ergonomic Improvement: Implement ergonomic improvements to increase productivity and reduce the risk of work incidents.
- Employee Training: Train shop-floor employees regarding LEAN manufacturing, ergonomics, and M-TM.
- Cost Improvement: Contribute to improving the project for the best production cost achievement.
- Process Startup: Support testing, evaluating, and starting up new products or manufacturing processes.
32. Industrial Engineer Tasks
- Process Improvement: Utilize industrial engineering techniques and lean concepts with the intent of improving process flows, reducing operational expenses, and improving productivity.
- Procedure Analysis: Analyze and challenge existing procedures in areas of responsibility throughout the facilities, make recommendations, and work with the operational management to integrate solutions.
- Management Support: Provide guidance and support to operational management by identifying progress opportunities, supporting the manufacturing way, and helping to manage the annual plan and progress plan.
- Process Development: Develop, implement, and improve manufacturing processes, tools, equipment, and work activities to meet and exceed the company's safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.
- Facility Planning: Perform facility manpower planning, productivity planning, machine capacity analysis, process effectiveness analysis, project management, expansion needs analysis, material flow analysis, develop and maintain engineered time standards, value stream mapping, process flow, and line balancing.
- Equipment Analysis: Use engineering expertise to review and analyze current automated material handling equipment and recommend changes and improvements that increase productivity and contribute to cost efficiency.
- Project Management: Use project management skills in key, high-level assignments involving design and development of new plant facilities, plant layout, production operations, and implementation of material handling systems.
- Work Measurement: Conduct work measurement studies using standard data, MOST, and other acceptable methods to establish operational and production standards.
- Instruction Communication: Communicate, direct, and delegate complex instructions on special projects to staff and demonstrate proven written and verbal communication skills in the execution of daily correspondence and methods documentation to supervisors, peers, and direct reports throughout the business.
- Feasibility Studies: Assist DC management on special projects by conducting feasibility studies and using conventional time study techniques.
- Standard Establishment: Establish production standards for various jobs in a DC environment.
- Priority Coordination: Coordinate the priority list with operations and conduct approval and training meetings with operations personnel.
33. Industrial Engineer Roles
- Technical Expertise: Use technical expertise to solve problems, generate ideas, and be proactive within the team.
- Knowledge Application: Develop and apply academic knowledge to undertake various activities across the engineering lifecycle, delivering to agreed performance targets, including cost and schedule.
- Design Development: Develop practical skills in engineering design and development for complex solutions, understanding key processes and technologies.
- Team Collaboration: Work closely with engineers across multiple disciplines to solve problems.
- Task Execution: Complete tasks to a high standard and in accordance with appropriate processes and procedures.
- Process Improvement: Take an active role in the engineering process improvement.
- Procedure Development: Collaborate with design, planning, and operations to develop standard production procedures that efficiently utilize materials, methods, and personnel.
- Production Review: Review production information to understand methods and activities in manufacturing, including production schedules, process flows, and engineering specs.
- System Analysis: Analyze and evaluate existing systems and processes, identifying value-added and non-value-added activities to solve design challenges.
- Solution Innovation: Conceive, design, and test innovative solutions based on analysis and organizational objectives.
- Employee Training: Manage and conduct employee training for productivity improvement projects and mentor fellow engineers and technicians.
34. Industrial Engineer Essential Functions
- Process Improvement: Identify, quantify, compare, and execute production process improvements to drive safety and ergonomics, performance, and quality.
- Operations Collaboration: Collaborate with the operations team to identify local improvement opportunities, lead concept development, prototype testing, engineering design, and collaborate with third parties on system build, integration testing, project management, implementation, and handoff to operations at manufacturing locations.
- Requirement Definition: Define future business requirements, define hardware (MHE) and software (WCS, WMS) requirements, and conduct financial analyses (ROI).
- Team Evaluation: Evaluate the existing team’s performance and skill set, and instill a culture of continuous learning and enhance the team’s capabilities.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate with stakeholder teams like warehouse operations, facilities engineering, IT application developers, supply chain automation developers, packaging engineers, production control, material planning, MHE vendors, and 3PLs.
- Lean Utilization: Utilize lean tools and methodology to drive performance improvements and minimize waste within manufacturing processes.
- Cross-Functional Work: Work cross-functionally to achieve success and support site-level improvement targets and macro plan milestones.
- Business Collaboration: Collaborate vertically and horizontally across the business to increase throughput, decrease days to manufacture, and improve efficiency.
- Facility Utilization: Establish methods for maximum utilization of production facilities and personnel.
- Production Support: Assist the production manager with production and quality activities.
- KPI Development: Assist in the development and monitoring of operational processes and key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Improvement Culture: Work with the production part team manager to create and execute a culture of continuous improvement.
- Variance Correction: Be responsible for executing immediate and proactive actions to correct financial, quality, and schedule variances.
- Report Presentation: Create and present reports to peers and management.
35. Industrial Engineer Key Accountabilities
- Material Flow: Drive efforts to improve material flow design standards and principles for the regional service parts and e-commerce distribution center.
- Operations Collaboration: Collaborate with the DC ops team to identify local improvement opportunities, lead concept development, prototype testing, engineering design, and collaborate with third parties on system build, integration testing, project management, implementation, and handoff to operations at various locations.
- Project Implementation: Implement the engineering team’s portfolio of network-wide project goals related to warehouse automation and facility and material flow design.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate with stakeholder teams like warehouse operations, facilities engineering, IT application developers, supply chain automation developers, production control, material planning, MHE vendors, and 3PLs.
- Project Management: Display high levels of expertise in applying principles of project management, preferably in alignment with frameworks from PMI, and lead the organization from the conceptual stage to launch and stabilization.
- BI Reporting: Develop reports and tools using BI applications to inform operational decisions, track performance and health KPIs, and automate repetitive work.
- Facility Planning: Work with facilities engineers to support the planning of new production factories.
- Standard Development: Support manufacturing engineers in developing standards and analyzing shop performance against targets.
- Process Simulation: Generate production process simulations for future production programs and perform analyses to identify resource constraints and required work schedules to achieve delivery targets.
- Team Leadership: Lead the Valley Forge Operational Excellence Teams (OET) in collaboration with OET teams across all space locations.
- Schedule Support: Support occasional weekend or off-hour activities to maintain production schedule compliance.