What Do Industrial Engineers Do?

Introduction

Host: Jake Voorhees, from the One Percent Engineer Show
Purpose: Inspire engineers to rise to the top 1% of their careers
Contents: What industrial engineers do, history, tasks, modern tools, comparison to other engineering fields

Definition: Optimization of complex processes, systems, or organizations
Focus Areas: People, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials

Origins: Industrial Revolution
- Technologies: Flying shuttle, spinning jenny, steam engine
Innovation: Specialization of labor, interchangeable parts by Eli Whitney & Simone North
- Impact: Mass production, reduced need for skilled labor

Create Systems: Coordination of labor, materials, machines
Improve Quality & Productivity: Systems (physical/social)
**Overlapping Fields: **
- Operations research, systems engineering, manufacturing engineering
- Production engineering, supply chain engineering
- Management science, financial engineering
- Ergonomics, safety engineering, logistics engineering
**Examples of Work: **
- Flow process charting, process mapping
- Designing assembly workstations, strategizing operational logistics
- Consulting as efficiency experts, developing financial algorithms
- Streamlining operations in hospitals, planning distribution schemes
- Shortening lines at banks, hospitals, theme parks

Techniques: Pre-determined motion time system, computer simulation, mathematical tools
Approaches: Mathematical optimization, queuing theory, computational methods for systems analysis/optimization

Scope: One of the "big four" or "big five" engineering fields
Methodology:
- Traditional Engineering: Decompositional approach
- Industrial Engineering: Context within entire system, human factor consideration
Relation to Human Resources: Applies social skills, works with various types of employees
Focus Areas: Optimization of production systems (sequencing orders, scheduling batches, determining materials)
Math Basis: Discrete variable math (vs. continuous variable math in other fields)
Work Environments: Diverse - Hospitals, e-commerce, entertainment, etc.

PE Certification: Optional for industrial engineers but beneficial for career growth

Community Engagement: Encouragement to comment on preferences and future topics
Resources: Discord server, One Percent Engineer kit, sponsor links