Industrial Engineering Roles
In the Electronics Industry
Marvin Love
Jerome Lofton
IIE-IAB, September 2006
What Do IEs Do?
• Industrial Engineers are involved in
various industrial roles including but not
limited to the following:
– Quality
– Manufacturing
– Supply Chain Management
– Ergonomics
– Production and Distribution
– Program Management
Quality
• Resolve quality-related issues in all aspects of the
business.
• Work with the Product Realization Team to optimize the
produceability of new products during the design phase.
• Work with Production Team or Outsource Manufacturers
to ensure product quality is maintained during the
production phase.
• Audit company processes and procedures to ensure that
they are being followed.
• Coordinate and Facilitate 3rd Party Quality Audits.
• Provide refresher training on procedures for company
personnel, on Quality and Process-related issues.
• Manage and resolve issues with incoming material
through the Receiving process.
Manufacturing &
Production
• Participate in design reviews to ensure
manufacturability of the product.
• Determine methods for building product.
• Create documentation and work instructions for
production.
• Manage resources and maintain schedule
requirements to meet required ship dates.
• Process Optimization utilizing Simulation tools
(Arena, etc.).
• Facilitate and Lead 5S, Six Sigma, Lean, Value
Stream Mapping Projects.
Supply Chain Management
• Manage Supplier relationships.
• Managing and report on company Supplier Cost
/ Performance Indices to management.
• Audit Suppliers and ensure supplier processes
and procedures are being followed.
• Travel to suppliers to resolve issues.
• Coordinate first article Inspections.
• Work with Outsource Manufacturers to ensure
product quality, delivery and cost, is maintained.
Ergonomics
• Ensure Human Factors Engineering is
utilized in New Product Design.
• Ensure Human Factors Engineering
disciplines are utilized in production setup
and configuration.
• Ensure company Ergonomics policies are
defined to minimize causes of employee
injury and discomfort.
Distribution
• Process Optimization utilizing Simulation tools (Arena,
etc.).
• Facilitate and Lead 5S, Six Sigma, Lean, Value Stream
Mapping Projects.
• Manages distribution personnel and they’re doing their
job well.
• Develop methods and procedures for distribution activity.
• Create documentation and work instructions for
distribution.
• Manage resources and maintain schedule requirements
to meet required ship dates.
Program Management
• Develop proposals for new programs.
• Manage Product Realization team to
ensure program stays on schedule, on
budget, and meets performance
expectations.
• Coordinates a matrixed team of companywide resources to ensure accomplishment
of the above.
Counter-Point
• As Electronic Industry Companies become more
decentralized and they outsource more of their
“Operations-oriented” functions, there appears
to be a decline in interest for the value-add of
Industrial Engineering or Engineering in general,
as an essential role in the remaining business
functions.
• This trend warrants serious investigation given
its potential impact on the profession.