Introduction to Industrial Engineering
By Jane M. Fraser
Chapter 5
The IE Approach
Return to the Table of Contents.
How does an IE improve efficiency, quality, and safety?
In this chapter I’ll explain PDCA and DMAIC, two acronyms that explain the steps an IE uses, and the tools used in these steps. I’ll also explain five frameworks that will give you a larger view: systems thinking, lean operations, Deming’s 14 points, Six Sigma, and sustainability. These five frameworks will help you understand how to do the steps of PDCA or DMAIC within an organization. They help us think about
Finally, I’ll talk about fads. The tasks and frameworks for IE get repackaged and resold very regularly. Should we care? Should we do something about this situation?
This chapter has the following sections:
For each of the approaches in sections 5.1 through 5.6, I will also explain the tools an IE uses in that approach.