Techniques of Industrial Engineering

Industrial engineer is the key person for a manufacturing industry. Industrial engineer always uses some techniques to make organization better and these techniques are as follow.

• Time study
• Method study
• Work study
• Work sampling
• Motion economy
• Value analysis
• Production, Planning &Control
• Inventory control
• Job evaluation
• Material handling analysis
• Ergonomics (Human engineering)
• Operation research techniques
• Lean tools.

Let us understand each term in short.

Time Study

Most of the time you will find an IE person has a stopwatch in his/her hand. This stopwatch he/she uses to do time study. With time study IE finds cycle time and then the standard time for an operation. On the basis of this standard time, industrial engineers came to know about capacity. With that capacity, IE sets a target for an operation. At last with achieved production and with target efficiency calculation can be done.

So with time study come to know about the following term –   

• Capacity
• Target
• Efficiency

Method Study

This is the technique in which the study & examination of existing method is to be done to develop the easier, more effective & better method for that same operation .For finding new method for any operation, time study of that same operation is essential. New method is develop after time study.

(Time study and method study are highly correlated with each other)

Work Study

Work study is combination of time study and method study.

(Work study = time study + method study)

Work Sampling

Work Sampling is a technique of getting data about utilization of machines or human beings through observations taken at random time intervals. With work sampling approximate efficiency or utilization can be calculated easily.

Motion Economy

This is the technique used to improve the manual work in manufacturing and reduce fatigue and unnecessary movements by the worker. This method is same as method study but here motions are observed in detail.

Value Analysis               

This is the technique in which study of production process is done. And then try to reduce the non value added time, non value added processes & unnecessary cost from that production.

Production, Planning & Control

This technique includes the planning of resources like men, materials & machines in production. Also proper scheduling and controlling of the production activities to obtain right quantity & quality.

Inventory Control  

It is the technique used to balance the inventory, as we know excess inventory is waste and by controlling inventory, the organization gets many advantages like- better production, productivity, quality and free cash flow.

Job Evaluation

This is a technique in which according to the skill of the operator right job or work for the right operator is to be assigned. Job evaluation technique helps to increase labour efficiency and to increase production speed.

Material Handling Analysis

Least material moment is required to get better production and productivity. Material handling analysis eliminates unnecessary movement of the material.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is also known as human engineering. Any new development in work station or work place should be done with consideration of ergonomics.

Operation Research Technique

Operation research is the problem solving & decision making technique. LPP, Simulation models, network analysis are the different methods used for this technique.

Lean Manufacturing

One of the latest and most important trending technique to reduce various types of wastages is lean manufacturing technique. Lean manufacturing means manufacturing without any waste. Wastages are classified in to 7 categories and these are TIMWOOD.  Leading organization are working on lean implementation so industrial engineer must know about lean manufacturing. Different lean tools can be implemented in lean manufacturing.

• 5s workplace organization
• Kaizen
• Kanban
• Andon
• Gemba.

These are few lean tools. More than 50 lean tools are there which can improve organization.