Industrial engineers need to adapt to remain relevant in the digital era. As organizations digitally transform, industrial engineers must become more flexible, agile, and dynamic in order to help organizations improve processes and maximize the benefits of new technologies. Traditional time-and-motion studies will be ineffective as decisions need to be made much faster. Industrial engineers should incorporate IT into process development and learn technical languages. Obtaining additional training in areas like business analysis and business process management software will help industrial engineers transform themselves for the new digital landscape.

1. Author: Tebogo Modise, Industrial Engineer, 13/02/2017
BACKGROUND1
DISCUSSION2
Digital Disruption: Is it time for a modern era Industrial Engineer?
• This forces Industrial Engineers to research better ways that will enable the
organisation become flexible, agile and dynamic in responding to their
customer demands.
• This means a modern Industrial Engineer should also be flexible, agile and
dynamic in support of the organisation. Real Time Work Study data should
always be available and ready for use when required by management
• As discussed above, Digital Transformation journey will enable this but
firstly, the processes will need to be improved by the Industrial Engineers
and automated by Information Technology experts, secondly there are
Business Process Management (BPM) softwares that are available but will
need to be customized to your organisation.
• The failure of IT projects to directly improve businesses operations/services
has always been attributed to the gap that exists between IT and business.
In the new era, this gap must be closed by the modern era Ind. Engineer.
The ever increasing digital disruption continues to put pressure on organisations. As digital technologies continue to disrupt and transform the world economy, many
business leaders are struggling to formulate a digital strategy to shift organisational structures, and eliminate the barriers that are keeping them from maximising the
benefits of the evolving digital technologies. According to Pierre Nanterme, CEO of Accenture, Digital is the main reason for over half of the companies disappearing
from the Fortune 500 companies list since year 2000.The utilisation of new digital technologies will ensure that organisations are flexible, agile and dynamic to
achieve customer demand. For this to be achieved, organisations will need to embark on a Digital Transformation journey to improve the way it is currently doing
business by automating their processes. This means, Industrial Engineering skills will be in high demand as most of the processes will need to be improved an/or
reengineered before they can be automated. Therefore, a modern era Industrial Engineer will form a very crucial part of the Digital Transformation journey in any
type of organisation.
But, what exactly is Industrial Engineering? What are the skills they need to improve in order to become this modern era Industrial Engineer? What do they need to
do in order to survive in a new flexible, agile and dynamic organisation? These questions takes us to the discussion below…
Industrial Engineers are generally responsible for the analysis, design, planning,
implementation, operation, management and maintenance of integrated and
complex processes and systems.
Digital Transformation will affect the efficiency and relevance of traditional
Industrial Engineer. To qualify this statement, we take a look at one sub-
component of Industrial Engineering below:
Engineering Work Study:
• Commonly used tool called Time and Motion Studies is used to physically
observe the process and measure the as-is process’ turnaround time. The
data would be analysed, solutions would be generated and implemented to
reduce the time taken and the turnaround time calculated and set as a
standard for the new (to-be) improved process. This is normally used to
calculate labour requirements and to set productivity targets in response to
customer demands.
• This normally takes a considerable amount of time (days) and in the new
modern era organisations, decisions need to be made quicker and faster.
Therefore this traditional work measurement tool will be considered to be
highly inefficient and ineffective as it will be seen as being reactive than
being flexible, agile and proactive in responding to customer demand.
• A modern era Industrial Engineer will need to incorporate IT technology in
the development of the processes and will also need to learn to develop
documents (BRS, SOPs) in a language that IT understand.
• There has never been the right time than now for IE’s to start improving
their Digital, Information and Technology knowledge and awareness.
• Obtaining a Diploma in Business Analysis and training in BPM softwares
will be important steps in their own Digital Transformation journey.
WAY FORWARD3