<p>Do they only work on efficiency and optimization, or can an IE degree be a means of getting into business related work because it is so close to business?</p>
<p>IE’s usually work on bettering processes related to industry. There are a few specializations at schools that offer IE that can be quite different, though the skills required are similar.</p>
<p>For example, I have a relative that got his MSE in IE and worked for Intel on very technical projects for a few years, and then ended up in management. He’s been successful and currently a manager for one of their plants in SE Asia.</p>
<p>I’m actually planning on doing graduate work in Operations Research, which is often offered in the same department as IE (for schools that do offer it).</p>
<p>I’ll let the people with experience in the field speak up and shed some more light on the field.</p>
<p>bump anyone else have input</p>
<p>It’s about process optimization and reducing defects for manufacturing facilities. Basically they work on improving the manufacturing processes so that defects are minimal, thus saving the company wasted resources. There’s a lot of statistical analysis that comes with that with program like minitab excel etc. Industrial makes for a good masters program, I’m not sure whether companies are keen to hire entry level in that field or not.</p>
<p>May someone give a concrete example, please? I never looked into IE and Operational, so I am also interested in learning about them too.</p>
<p>At my company the IE’s spend a lot of time on Kaizen events, which involve completely redesigning factory layout, work procedures, job responsibilities, factory flow, and methods to reduce waste and continuously improve quality.<br>
[Kaizen</a> - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen]Kaizen”>Kaizen - Wikipedia)
It is the number one priority in the plant, all the way to the CEO. They have come up with a lot of innovative ideas, and the other engineers (mechanical, chemical process, electrical, structural etc), supervisors, assemblymen etc all work with them to brainstorm new ways to accomplish things previously dismissed as unfeasible. </p>
<p>It’s pretty interesting work, because the IE’s get to work with different people and process areas all over the plant. They are great problem solvers, and are much appreciated by everybody they have worked with.</p>
<p>OMG someone on this forum
who isn’t a child and has an actual job!!!</p>
<p>There’s actually quite a few of them on this forum.</p>
<p>No one is answering my question. Do IEs ever transfer to the business world, or do majority/all of them work in manufacturing and factories. And when people say that IEs eventually go into management does that mean management of engineers or general management at any company, engineering or not.</p>
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<p>I sort of answered your question. The IE lean manufacturing methods (Kaizen, six sigma, 5-s, 5-whys, etc) are the top priority at the Fortune 500 aerospace company where I work, and the priority goes all the way up to the CEO. Everybody in the plant is required to take extensive training in the IE continuous improvement methods, and nobody gets promoted without it. This goes for every department including finance, IT, safety, design engineers, and plant management.</p>