Mastering the basics of Industrial Engineering

explore work study: analyze a job to identify the best method, then measure its time with method study and time study (work measurement) to link method development to performance.

Explore method study as a technique of systematic recording and critical examination of existing methods, building on the concepts of work study and time study.

Master the procedure for method study, a systematic recording and critical examination of an existing method to develop, install, and maintain a practical, economical improved method.

Learn how to select a job for a method study by weighing human, economic, and technical factors to focus the study, reduce wastage, and improve efficiency.

Identify a job for method study based on human, economic, and technical factors; then record information by breaking the work into operation, inspection, storage, transport, and delay, using corresponding symbols.

Explore observation, discussion, and recording as the first steps in recording information during method study; learn techniques using motion pictures, charts, and diagrams to capture past records and production costs.

Explore charts as a technique in method study to record and analyze the sequence of operations, inspections, transport, storage, and delays using time and non-time charts.

Study charts as method-study tools, comparing outline and flow process charts. Use two elements of work—operation and inspection—to depict a bird's-eye view and sequence of production steps.

Explore flow process charts, the complete-work, non-time-based diagrams that use operation, inspection, storage, transport, and delay symbols to map material, man, and machine flows.

Explore charts with a time scale, focusing on the multiple activity chart that records man and machine work on a common time scale to reveal idle time and improve processes.

Analyze the two handed process chart, recording left and right hand activities and elements of work with time for each operation, transport, and idle periods on a common time scale.

Explore flow diagrams in method study to draw a to-scale plan of the work area, map machine positions, and trace laborer and material movements to minimize movement.

Learn how to construct a string diagram, a scale model using thread to trace the path of material and workers, measure distances, and identify layout improvements to reduce travel.

Explore how motion pictures record micro motion elements to analyze a job, and apply the third oblique concept with Simo charts, cycle graphs, and chrono cycle graphs.

Group elements like operation and inspection in method study, perform critical examination by asking primary and secondary questions to decide necessity and alternatives, evaluate changes for time, safety, and economy.

Review basics of method study, including selecting a job, recording information, and critical examination to develop practical, economical method. Explore time study and work measurement to install improved method.

Explore time study and work measurement to estimate job duration using a developed method, including allowances for delays and the concept of a qualified worker at a defined performance level.

Explore work measurement with time study as the versatile method. Learn how a well-trained worker at normal pace estimates time for a task using the method from method study.

Define the study objective, verify the method and training, select the operator, divide the task into elements, collect data, and calculate normal time, total time, allowances, and standard time.

Determine the objective and required accuracy for a time study, to address bottlenecks or costs, then verify the standard method, ensure the operator is trained, and select a qualified operator.

Divide operation into small elements to improve reading accuracy and pacing, build a standard data bank, and identify the most difficult element for extra allowance; separate productive from unproductive work.

Define an element as a distinctive part of a group; there is no universal definition, and a sequence of elements forms a work cycle measured by multiple cycles for accuracy.

Explore the time study procedure by defining objectives, verifying standard methods, selecting operators, recording information, and dividing operations into small elements, highlighting a critical step in work study.

Explore time study fundamentals in industrial engineering, defining normal pace and rating factor, and learn to time and rate operators to derive normal time and improve efficiency.

Explore major rating systems in work measurement, including page, Westinghouse, system, objective, and synthetic ratings, and examine pace rating as a subjective time-study tool with factor ranges.

Apply the Westinghouse system of rating to assess workers using skill, effort, condition, and consistency factors. Combine these ratings to yield a final factor, such as 1.07, indicating 107% performance.

Apply objective rating by combining pace of movement and job difficulty to obtain the rating factor, using P × D, and consider body effort, foot pedals, eye–hand coordination, and weight.

Apply synthetic rating by comparing the predetermined motion time of elements with their average actual times, using a rating factor from a database to compute normal time for each element.

Calculate the normal time for each element by multiplying observed times by their rating factors in a time study. Sum element normal times to obtain normal time per cycle.

The lecture explains calculating normal time in time study, then applying delay, personal, fatigue (basic and variable), and special allowances (policy, small lot, training) to compute standard time with adjustments.

Compute standard time by applying element-wise rating factors and allowances to observed times for taking order, preparing, and delivering, then sum to obtain the overall standard time.

Learn production planning and control in industrial engineering, optimizing resources and making decisions on what, how, where to produce, and ensuring a smooth bottleneck-free workflow.

Learn how product life cycle influences production planning and how product design and development moves from synthesis to prototype, considering marketing, product characteristics, and iterative testing.

Explore how manufacturing systems adapt to changes in product type and quantity, covering continuous, mass, intermittent, job shop, process batch, and project manufacturing with real-world examples.

Forecast demand to plan capacity and materials in production, using quantitative or qualitative techniques, applying models including machine learning, and monitoring forecast accuracy.

Explore qualitative and quantitative forecasting techniques used to predict demand. Identify methods such as sales forecast opinions, customer surveys, Delphi method, historical analogy, time series, causal methods, and test marketing.

Explore qualitative forecasting techniques such as expert opinion method, historical analogy, Delphi method, customer surveys, and the sales force opinion method to predict demand when data is limited.

Explore the time series method in quantitative forecasting, detailing simple and weighted moving averages with monthly data examples to forecast future values.

Explore aggregate planning as capacity planning using demand forecasts to determine manpower, machine hours, and materials across a planning horizon, using standard units to measure capacity.

Outline long-term aggregate planning strategies—product life, product mix, and phase in and phase out—to align demand with capacity, staffing, and materials across product life stages.

Explore short-term strategies for aggregate planning, including level production, chase demand, peak demand, over time and under time, subcontracting, with inventory, hiring, firing, back ordering, and part-time options.

Translate the aggregate plan into specific end items with quantities and timing, assess lead times, and feed material requirements planning (MRP) for capacity planning and schedule evaluation.

Explore material requirements planning, detailing how master production schedule and bill of materials drive end-item and component scheduling, inventory control, and shop floor planning reports for efficient production.

Execute a parts explosion of the bill of materials using the master production schedule and inventory records, then offset by lead time to illustrate MRP calculations.

Explore active planning in production by detailing process planning—selecting operation sequences, machine specs, tooling, and process parameters to manufacture products efficiently.

Explore routing as the next step in active production planning and control, detailing the route sheet, sequence of operations, and how it links part specifications to machines and tooling.

Explore loading in active planning, comparing infinite and finite loading, using the master production schedule to assign jobs to work centers, and applying Gantt charts to visualize capacity and workload.

Decide start and end times for jobs in project-based and job-shop production, considering capacity, loading, and sequencing to optimize makespan and flow time using the critical path method and PERT.

Master n/1 scheduling on a single machine by applying priority sequencing rules: fcfs, shortest processing time, earliest due date, and critical ratio, to optimize flow time, lateness, and utilization.

Apply Johnson's rule to an n by two scheduling problem with two machines, aiming to minimize makespan, illustrated by sequencing jobs based on shortest times on machines A and B.

Apply Johnson's rule for three machines by reducing to a two-machine problem, yielding the optimal sequence 3, 2, 5, 1, 4 and a makespan of 51 with calculated idle times.

Explore facility location decisions for manufacturing plants, illustrated by Apple’s shift from China to India. Understand how proximity to market, raw materials, transport, climate, and laws shape site planning.

Explore facility layout design as the arrangement of equipment and spaces that enables prompt, cost-efficient production and adapts to changes in product, demand, or safety.

Explore the main types of layout in production—product (line) layout, process layout, fixed-position layout, and cellular layout—along with their advantages, drawbacks, and typical applications.

Explore facility layout methods, including minimizing total transportation cost, closeness ratings (systematic layout planning), and software-based location assignment for process layouts, illustrated with travel charts.

Explore the activity relationship chart method for facility layout design, using closeness ratings (A, E, I, O, U, X) to place departments based on interaction, safety, and equipment sharing.

Understand depreciation as the loss in value of an asset from internal and external wear, tear, and obsolescence, reflecting book value, salvage value, and its use to reduce taxable income.

Learn the straight line depreciation method, computing annual depreciation as d = (c - s)/n, with examples using cost, scrap value, and useful life.

Learn the declining balance method of depreciation, applying a constant percentage based on original cost C and scrap value S over life n, to compute depreciation and book value.

Apply the sinking fund method to calculate depreciation and fund replacement, using the cost of a 25,000 AC with 15-year life and 4% interest, yielding 1,250 per year.

Explore inventory control by balancing shortfalls and carrying costs, optimizing order size, safety stock, and levels to minimize costs while meeting demand.

Balance ordering costs and carrying costs to determine the economic order quantity (EOQ) that minimizes total inventory cost using D, S, and h.

Master the principles of statistical quality control to monitor and maintain product quality through process control and acceptance sampling, using tolerance limits and understanding assignable and chance variation.

Learn to apply control charts in statistical quality control by using x-bar and R charts to monitor process quality and distinguish variable charts from attribute charts (P, C charts).

Assess process capability by aligning design specifications with process distribution, and learn when CP, CPK, and CPk indicate capability or the need for adjustment.

Calculate CP and CPK for two cases: first mean 45.5, sd 0.9, 42–48 limits, CP ≈ 1.11, CPK ≈ 0.93; second mean 70, sd 2, CP and CPK equal 2.

The bathtub curve shows reliability over life, with early and wear-out phases; use e^{-t/theta} with theta as mean time between failures to estimate survival.

Explore reliability, quantify it with failure rate, mean time to failure, and mean time between failures, illustrated by a washing machine example and practical calculations.

Understand the scientific approach to project management, defining projects and applying planning, appraisal, implementation, and control, with PERT and CPM network techniques to optimize time and resources.

Explore network analysis for planning and control of projects, covering pert, critical path method, network diagrams, activities, events, nodes, and dummy activities.

Explore the critical path method (cpm) for project networks, identifying the longest path to determine duration using forward and backward passes, earliest and latest times, and updating the network diagram.

Explore the critical path method by building a network diagram, computing earliest and latest event times, identifying the critical path and project duration, and calculating total and free floats.