Methods whose primary historical significance is organizing labor, workflow and quality across a manufacturing operation rather than shaping any one part. Belongs here: interchangeable parts and scientific management as the foundational systems of modern manufacturing organization, and lean manufacturing and Six Sigma as the quality- and efficiency-focused management methods that followed them. Does not belong here: methods for shaping or joining an individual mechanical part, grouped under Mechanical Engineering, even where an industrial-engineering method is applied on the same factory floor.
Facts
Comparison
Main Engineering Branch Field Founding Era Browse By
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Engineering
WikipediaIntroduction, traditional disciplinesQuote, Introduction, traditional disciplines
The traditional disciplines of engineering are civil, mechanical, electrical, and chemical.
2. Wikipedia: Industrial engineering
WikipediaHistory, 1901 term originQuote, History, 1901 term origin
The term 'industrial engineer' is credited to James Gunn who proposed the need for such an engineer focused on production and cost analysis in 1901.
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