Unlike the other engineering specialties, this branch of engineering is not restricted by specific skills. Industrial engineering provides you opportunities galore to work in profuse business areas. The most distinguished feature of this type of engineering is the suppleness that it offers which makes you fit to join any industry. The industrial engineers are demanded in a wide range of job roles. Starting from abridging a roller coaster track, to trimming an operating room and identifying waste and exclude them to increase productivity and efficiency comes within the purview of these engineering experts.
Companies are always striving to generate revenue and embark in the path of growth by resorting to continuous improvement and quality boost. This helps them to gain the competitive advantage in the business increasing demand for the engineers. These experts are highly sought after as they are adept in eliminating waste increasing productivity and improve quality. These professionals figure out solutions to do things in an efficient way. They master the engineering skills and gain deeper insights about the systems and processes to identify the dark areas. They work towards ruling out these weak areas that can be due to an extensive factor such as resources, time and energy to enhance production. Thus, they work to do some savings for the organization that makes them an essential part of the workforce. These engineers also enjoy exceptional growth if they portray the right skills and knowledge. They are often blessed with faster growth and promotion and secure their place in the managerial position.
Often, people tend to misinterpret this job role thinking it to be a part of manufacturing industry only. However, the fact is these professionals can find opportunities in the service sector as well. Traditionally, they are the part of the manufacturing entity but now there are recognized to have skills and techniques to be a part of the service industry as well.
Fundamentals to an Accomplished Industrial Engineer
You need the following basic elements in the right proportion to be successful in this career:
- A bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering or equivalent that covers the basics of mathematics, statistics, design, computer systems, and management.
- Proficiency in quality analysis and the metrics used to detect quality. Evaluating the product flow and monitoring the efficiency. An understanding of statistical tools and queuing theory will add value.
- Training new workers in the ongoing techniques used in the industry to run the industrial processes effectively. Hence, the expert needs to act as the mentor and be excellent in communication.
- These professionals need to be a good project planner scheduling the tasks on time and do the required changes wherever needed.
- A knowledge of different elements existing in the organization such as purchase, sales, plan, design, and finance is needed to become a proficient engineer in this area
- Good interpersonal skills need to be developed to manage teams and work efficaciously with other departments.
Responsibilities and Duties of an Industrial Engineer:
These professionals figure out solutions to do things in an efficient way. They enhance the productivity and quality of engineering processes. They contribute significantly by cutting down on the unnecessary cost while creating a better working environment for the employees. Industrial engineers can apply their abilities across multiple avenues to perform a range of activities that is necessary to streamline processes.
They perform a host of activities that include the following:
- These masterminds proffer svelte and efficient business strategies and practices while developing great customer service and quality.
- It is their core duty to ensure safety in the workplace. A safer work environment promotes productivity and leaves the impression that the organization cares about the employees.
- They design methods that aid the business to examine their process and grow in the path of continuous improvements. Their main objective is optimization and to extract more from the bare minimum that reduces waste.
- As already mentioned that they extract maximum from minimum possible, they also make optimal utilization of technology speed up the processes.
Where can these Experts Work?
The maximum hiring and demand of these experts are seen in the manufacturing and service sectors. The demand for these professionals is more in areas like IT, Finance, Sales and Marketing and Administration. They can also secure a position with the hospitals, railways, banks, airlines, and social services.
Thus, this is a resourceful profession that can have a diverse purpose. The job of an industrial engineer involves an array of problem-solving, analyzing and designing solutions that that can be easily acquired through specific education and certifications. The scope is huge in this area and these individuals are bestowed with a plethora of opportunities to carve a niche career.