Que.1.

Briefly Write the contribution of various industrial engineer / Management Gurus

towards the development industrial engineering.
Ans. Frederick Taylor: Known as father of industrial engineering. He worked towards the
improvement of industrial efficiency. He explained the implementation of efficiency techniques in his
book “The principles of scientific management” one of the most influential management book of 20th
century. His pioneer works also include Applying engineering principles to the shop floor.
He had four principles:
 Replace rule of thumb with methods based on scientific study.
 Scientifically train and develop employees rather than leaving them to learn on themselves
passively.
 Provide detailed instructions and supervision of each worker in the performance of that
worker’s discrete task.
 Divide task nearly equally between managers and works.

Prem Vrat: He guided 45 Phd thesis under him, 118 M.Tech and 65 B.tech major projects on
application of systems approach and management. His more than 477 research papers were published
in reputed journals. Hde also wrote books like Productivity Management: A systematic approach,
Materials Management: An integrated System Approach is read worldwide. He also received life time
achievement award by Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering.
Prof. R.P. Mohanty.: He worked on Total Quality Management. He introduced the use of analytical
hierarchy in process for evaluating resources for supply. Derived tools for selection of advanced
manufacturing technology. He received lifetime achievement awards from Association of Indian
Management Scholars, and IIIE. HE received award of Who’s Who in world, 2009 edition. Some of
his books are:
 Quality management practices
 Supply chain management
 Indian Case studies in supply chain management
 Advanced operational management
 Handbook on Total Quality Management
 TQM in service sector.

Eliyahu M. Goldratt: Israeli business management guru who worked in the optimization of
production techniques. He introduced the theory of constraints (TOC), The thinking process, drum
buffer rope, critical chain process management and other derived tools.
He was the author of various business novels and nonfiction works mainly on the application of
TOC to various manufacturing , engineering and other business processes.
Henry Lawrence Gantt: He was a mechanical engineer ND management consultant who is best
known for his work in the development of scientific management. His works are as follows:
 He created the Gantt Chart which is still accepted as an important management tools
today . It provides graphic schedule for planning and controlling the work
 Task and Bonus System : He linked the bonus paid to managers to how well they taught
their employees to improve performance.
.
Richard Muther (Mister Systematic): Richard was a American consulting engineer and faculty
member at MIT and author.
His contributions are as follows
 He developed fundamental technique used in plant layout, materials handling and other
aspect of Industrial engineering.
 He was the original developer of relationship chart and its companion space relationship
diagram.
 He also created Mag count method of measuring the difficulty of handling any solid
materials prior to knowing how it will be moved.
 He developed industry standard color code used to classify industrial space and related
work symbols.
John Tregoning: He was an American mechanical engineer ,inventor and business manger from
Lynn, Massachusetts ,knowns for writing one of the very first books on factory operation in 1891 and
as early systemizir of management.
He came into prominences in the 1870 after some of he is noted for his 1891 treatise on factory
management.
Flenry Ford: Founder of the automotive industry company bearing his name , is possibly the most
famous industrial engineer of all time. Ford exemplifies the definition of an Industrial engineer. He is
best known person as an entrepreneur who installed the first moving assembly line for the mass
production of an entire automobile. His innovation cut the time it took to build a car from more than
12 hours to 2 hours.
Alphonse Chapanis: He was pioneer in the field of ergonomics. He authored the first ergonomics
textbook, Applied experimental Psychology: Human Factor in engineering design. In addition, he
created and implemented safety improvement in the aircraft cockpits which are still used today. His
research also contributed to the design of the standard telephone touchtone keypad.
Tim Cook: he is the definition of successful industrial engineer one who optimize complex system
and eliminates waste from those systems. A career in IBM and Compaq allowed his to develop an
expertise in handling the supply line. Cook then moved to apple where he reduced the no of OEMs
key suppliers from 100 to 24. He negotiated better deals with partners and convinced many to locate
next to apple’s plants.
Further Cook closed 10 out of 19 apple warehouse, cut inventory from one month to 6 days and
eventually brought that number down to 2 days’ worth of inventory as a result the time it took to build
an apple computer was eventually cut from 4 month to just 2 month.
Lillion Gilbreth: she is considered to be the mother of modern management. She was an American
psychologist, Industrial engineer, consultant and educator. She was described in 1940 as a “genius in
the art of the living.” She was one of the first female engineer to earn a Phd. contributed to IE in the
field of Time and Motion Study
Carl G. Barth: He was an associate of Taylor , who developed production slide rule for determining
the most efficient combination of speed and feeds for cutting metals of various hardness, considering
the depth of cut , size of tools did in determining allowances.

Que 3. What is a functions of an Industrial Engineer/Department In a typical

business Organization?
ANS. 3 Industrial Engineering
Industrial Engineering is concerned with the design, improvement and installation of integrated
systems of men, materials and equipment. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skills in the
mathematical, physical sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering analysis and
design to predict and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems.
Role of Industrial Engineer

 Developing the simplest work methods and establishing one best way of doing the work
(Standard Method).
 Establishing the performance standards as per the standard methods.
 To develop a sound wage and incentive schemes.
 To aid in the development and designing of a sound inventory control, determination of
economic lot size and work-in-progress for each stage of production.
 To assist and aid in preparing a detailed job description, and job specification for each job and
to evaluate them.
 Development of cost reduction and cost control programs, and to establish standard costing
system.
 Sound selection of site and developing a systematic layout for the smooth flow of work
without any interruptions.
 Development of standard training programs for various levels of organization for effective
implementation of various improvement programs.

Que.4. what are the qualities desired of a person in order to become an effective Industrial
Engineer?
Ans. “Successful industrial engineers must possess the ability to communicate effectively, for without
it you cannot sell your ideas. You must be able to manage projects and multiple tasks, for without
those skills you will be less efficient and of less use to your employer. You must be able to observe
others and understand why they are doing what they do, for without that change is an uphill battle.”
Apart from these one must possess the following qualities.

 Good math skills

 Strong time management skills
 Mechanical aptitude
 Good common sense
 A strong desire for organization and efficiency
 Excellent communication/salesmanship
 Creative problem solving
 Quantitative skills
 Technical competency
 Continuous drive for improvement
 Resourcefulness
 Listening skills
 Negotiation skills
 Diplomacy
 Patience
 Ability to adapt to many environments, wear many hats and interact with a diverse group of
individuals
 Inquisitive mind
 Continuous desire to learn
 Leadership skills
 Ethics
 Passion for improvement

Que .6. Explain Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs and its significance?
Ans . 6. Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier
model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.
Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to needs higher up.
From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological, safety, love and belonging,
esteem and self-actualization.
1. Physiological needs - these are biological requirements for human survival, e.g. air, food, drink,
shelter, clothing, warmth, sex, sleep.
If these needs are not satisfied the human body cannot function optimally. Maslow considered
physiological needs the most important as all the other needs become secondary until these needs are
met.
2. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, freedom from fear.
3. Love and belongingness needs - after physiological and safety needs have been fulfilled, the third
level of human needs is social and involves feelings of belongingness. The need for interpersonal
relationships motivates behavior
Examples include friendship, intimacy, trust, and acceptance, receiving and giving affection and love.
Affiliating, being part of a group (family, friends, work).
4. Esteem needs - which Maslow classified into two categories: (i) esteem for oneself (dignity,
achievement, mastery and independence) and (ii) the desire for reputation or respect from others (e.g.,
status, prestige).
Maslow indicated that the need for respect or reputation is most important for children and
adolescents and precedes real self-esteem or dignity.
5. Self-actualization needs - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth
and peak experiences. A desire “to become everything one is capable of becoming”(Maslow, 1987, p.
64).

Que. 7 List and explain the various productivity improvement techniques?

Ans. Productivity Improvement Techniques:
Productivity improvement techniques can be applied effectively in enterprises of any size, from one-
person companies to corporations with thousands of staff. Japan developed number of productivity
improvement techniques after World War II .The TPS comprises the following productivity improvements
components. Toyota, a giant Japanese automobile company was pioneer in development and application
of various productivity improvement techniques under Toyota Production System (TPS). Taiichi Ohno
developed the Toyota Production System (TPS) after World War II. Some of the selected Japanese
Productivity Improvement techniques are presented in this section as below.

1. JIDOKA: Jidoka is a Toyota concept aimed at describing the man-machine interface such that
people remain free to exercise judgment while machines serve their purpose. The jidoka system
shows faith in the worker as a thinker and allows all workers the right to stop the line on which
they are working. Jidoka is often referred to as „automation with a human mind‟. The jidoka way
of working consists of following three principles- Do not make defects, Do not pass on defects, Do
not accept defects.
2. HEIJUNKA: Heijunka focuses on achieving consistent levels of production. It is defined as
„distributing the production of different [body types] evenly over the course of a day‟ It
incorporates the principles of line balancing by attempting to equate workloads, leveling demand
out by creating an inventory buffer and replenishing that buffer. It believes in providing even work
load for all employees. Heijunka has the capability of reducing lead times by minimizing time
losses due to frequent process changeovers.
3. KAIZEN Techniques: Kaizen (Continuous improvement) is a management supported employee
driven process where, employees make a great number of continuous improvement efforts.
 Five Ss of Housekeeping: A structured approach to achieve clean and orderly work
place by fixing place for everything. Five Ss is an abbreviation for the Japanese words:
Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke. It means:
Seiri- getting rid of unnecessary items
Seiton- Arranging items (materials, tools, gauges) systematically for easy
retrievability.
Seiso- Keeping work place scrupulously clean.
Seiketsu - Scheduling regular cleaning and clearing out operations. Shitsuke -
Making all the above task meet agreed standards at agreed intervals.
4. Muda elimination: Muda means „Waste‟. Here muda elimination implies an „on going‟ and
systematic reduction or elimination of waste. There are seven kinds of major waste:
 Overproduction Muda, Stock Muda, Transport Muda, Defects Muda, Delay Muda, Motion Muda,
Over processing Muda. It helps to eliminate redundant processes or parts of processes, delete
non-value added activities, simplify motions, minimize fatigue, reduce wait time, etc.
5. Poka-Yoke: It is powerful and comprehensive method of „error proofing‟. A work process to
eliminate inadvertent errors to ensure quality products and services. It helps in defect prevention
and defect detection.
6. SMED: Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) is a technique of performing a set up operation in
lesser amount of time .It affects a machinery setup for change over from job to another in less
than 10 minutes expressed as a single digit. It helps in reduced Work-in-progress, better average
daily production, increased capacity and faster delivery to customers.
7. Total Productive maintenance (TPM): TPM is keeping machines in good working condition
through systematic maintenance of equipment so that they fail less frequently and production
process continues without interruption.
8. Just-In-Time: JIT is a management philosophy aimed at eliminating waste from every aspect of
manufacturing and its related activities. The term JIT refers to producing only what is needed,
when it is needed and in needed quantity. The aim of JIT in a factory is to reduce lead times,
minimise inventory, reduce the defect rate to zero and accomplish all of the above at minimum
cost. There are three essential ingredients to effective manufacturing excellence through JIT: (i) JIT
manufacturing techniques that aims to promote a rapid response to customer demand while
minimising inventory (ii) a total quality culture to pursue excellence in both the product and every
area of the business, including customer service, purchasing, order taking, accounting,
maintenance, design, etc.; and (iii) people or employee involvement in the development of the
organisation through its culture and its manufacturing and other business processes.
9. Kanban: Kanban is a manual production scheduling technique controlled by a process or machine
operator. Kanban means card in Japanese, ia attached to given number of parts or products in the
production line instructing the delivery of given quantity. The kanban card after all parts/products
have been used up is returned by the operator to 83 its origin. Production is controlled through
demand originating from external customer.
10. Process Oriented Management (POM): Traditional management focuses mainly on results and
individuals on their ultimate achievement. Kaizen management emphasis on process of achieving
the results. Managers in POM are judged by people centered skills as time management,
education and training, inter-team participation, communication and morale boosting.
11. Visual management: Visual management is the method of providing, in a clearly visible manner,
to both workers and management, information on the current status including target of the
various operations performed as well as various work pieces found at the work place.
12. Work Standards: Work standards represent the best way of doing a job and it consists of set of
documented policies, rules, directives and procedures established by the management for all
major operations to enable employees to perform their jobs without errors and to enable
management to minimize variations in output, quality, work-in-progress and cost. Three elements
of standardized work are takt time, work sequence and standard work-in-progress. The key steps
in implementing work standards are (i) identify the key issues in the current process (ii) map the
process (iii) improve the process (iv) implement the process and (v) sustain the process.
13. The PDCA/SDCA Cycle: The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle is an endless improvement cycle
which demands that each team Plans (establish a target for improvement through action plan),
 Does (implement the plan), Checks (monitor and evaluate effects), Acts (Standardises new
procedures or set goals for further improvement). Since every process is initially unstable, it must
be stabilize using SDCA (Standardise-do-check- 84 act) cycle. Thus, a SDCA cycle must precede
every PDCA cycle to consolidate gains into current process before raising the standard threshold.
14. Statistical Process Control (SPC): Statistical Process Control is the application of statistical
techniques to control a process and eliminate process variations due to assignable causes.
Statistical process control requires operators to do periodically sampling of the quality of their
own output, enter data into control charts, analyze the trend, and decide for themselves when to
shut down the process and when to make adjustments / corrections to the process to prevent
defects.
15. Suggestion Systems: Suggestion Systems- the fundamental to the Kaizen philosophy is the process
owned by employees through designed to benefit the company, inviting employees to suggest /
implement any idea, large or small, novel or mundane concerning any aspect of the company life.

Que 8. Define basic work content? What are the causes of excess work content? How to
reduce excess work content?
Ans. The basic work content of the product or operation:

Work content means, of course, the amount of work "contained in" a given product or a
process measured in "work-hours" or "machine hours".

 A work-hour is the labor of one person for one hour

 A machine-hour is the running of a machine or piece of plant for one hour.

The basic work content is the time taken to manufacture the product or to perform the operation
if the design or specification of the product or service provided were perfect. If the process or
method of operation were perfectly carried out, and if there were no loss of working time from
any cause whatsoever during the period of the operation.
The basic work content is the irreducible minimum time theoretically required to produce one unit
of output. This is obviously a perfect condition which never occurs in practice, although it may
sometimes be approached, especially in line manufacturing or process industries. In general,
however, actual operation times are far in excess of it on account of excess work content.
The work content is increased by the following:
A. Work content added by poor design or specification of product or its parts, or improper utilization
of materials
 Poor design and frequent design changes
 The product may be designed in such a way that it may require a large number of
non-standard parts causing a lengthy time of assembly.
 Excessive variety of products and lack of standardization of products or their parts
may mean that work has to be produced in small batches, with time lost as the
operator adjusts and shifts from one batch to the next.
 Waste of materials
  The components of a product may be so designed that an excessive amount of
material has to be removed to bring them to their final shape.
 This increases the work content of the job and wastes material as well.
 Operations requiring cutting in particular need careful examination to see if the
resulting waste can be reduced to a minimum or reused.
 Incorrect quality standards
 Quality standards that are too high or too low can increase work content.
 In engineering industries, insisting on sometimes unnecessarily tight tolerances
requires extra machining and a corresponding waste of material.
 On the other hand, setting tolerances too loose may result in a large number of
rejects.
 Deciding on the appropriate quality standard and tire method of quality control is
an important efficiency consideration.

B. Work content added by inefficient methods of manufacture or operation

 Poor layout and utilization of space
 The space used for any operation represents an investment.
 Proper utilization of space is an important source of cost reduction, particularly
when an enterprise is expanding and needs an increased working area.
 Furthermore, a proper layout reduces wasted movement, time and effort.
 Inadequate materials handling
 Raw materials, parts and finished products are invariably being moved from one
place to another throughout a production operation.
 The use of the most appropriate handling equipment for the purpose can save time
and effort.
 Ineffective method of work
 A sequence of operations may be well planned but each or some of them done in a
cumbersome manner.
 By examining the way a certain operation is carried out and devising a better
method, ineffective time can be reduced.
 Poor planning of inventory
 In every operation, raw material is usually ordered and stocked ahead of time and
at every stage of the operation an inventory of so-called "materials-in-progress" or
semi-finished products and various parts are temporarily stocked waiting to be
processed. These various inventories represent a tied-up investment.
 A proper inventory control system when installed can minimize such an idle
investment while ensuring that the operators do not run out of the material
needed.
 Frequent breakdown of machines and equipment
 Poor maintenance results in machinery and equipment that are often out of action,
and idle time ensues while waiting for repairs.
  Installing a preventive maintenance system and mounting maintenance campaigns
would ensure the smooth functioning of machinery and equipment.

C. Work content resulting mainly from the contribution of human resources Absenteeism and lateness
 Absenteeism and lateness
 If management fails to provide a safe and satisfying work climate, workers could
respond by absenteeism, lateness or deliberately working slowly.
 Poor workmanship
 If workers are improperly trained, the resulting poor workmanship can mean that
the job has to be done again. Losses may also occur because of wasted material.
 Accidents and occupational hazards
 If management fails to provide a safe and healthy place to work, accidents or
occupational illnesses can occur, with resulting effects on morale and increased
absenteeism.