The Status and Challenges of Industrial Engineering in South Africa

Over the past 100 years, engineering has sub-divided into tens of disciplines in an attempt to deal with the different problems arising from the wide spectrum of human endeavours. One particular field, however, arose from problems relating to industry, interdisciplinary integration, growth, balance, and connectedness. This field is known as industrial engineering (IE). Yet the IE identity and role, although useful, often remains vague. This article presents a review of the factors that made IE what it is today, as well as the fields differentiating the skills. It begins with a brief historical overview of the factors that shaped IE. More importantly, though, the article focuses on the modern identity (made up of the values, roles, and duties) of industrial engineers in the 21st century. This is done by showing that the long-standing cliché of industrial engineers being 'jacks of all trades and masters of none' has actually become 'connected to all trades and masters of some' due to a significant evolution of skills and identity. An industrial engineering identity (IE-ID) tree model is developed by extracting concepts and elements from existing identity models to give structure to the IE-ID model. The model is then populated with questions and answers arising from the literature review. To conclude, the future utility of such a model is anticipated. OPSOMMINGOor die afgelope 100 jaar, is ingenieurswese verdeel in tientalle dissiplines, in 'n poging om verskillende probleme te hanteer wat voorspruit uit 'n wye reeks menslike ondernemings. Een van hierdie velde het voortgespruit uit probleme wat verband hou met bedrywe, interdissiplinêre integrasie, groei, balans, en gekoppeldheid. Hierdie veld staan bekend as bedryfsingenieurswese (BI). Tog is die bedryfsingenieursidentiteit en -rol steeds nie duidelik nie. Hierdie artikel sluit ŉ deeglike ondersoek in na dit wat BI maak wat dit vandag is (asook hulle onderskeidende vaardighede). Dit begin met 'n kort historiese oorsig van die faktore wat BI gevorm het. Meer belangrik nog, fokus hierdie artikel op die moderne identiteit (bestaande uit waardes, rolle, en plig) van bedryfsingenieurs in die 21ste eeu. Dit word gedoen deur te wys dat die cliché dat bedryfsingenieurs 'alles doen, maar niks bemeester nie' uiteindelik, deur ŉ proses van beduidende evolusie van vaardighede en identiteit, sodanig verander het dat hulle nou 'gekoppel is aan alles en heelwat bemeester'. ŉ Bedryfsingenieurs identiteit (IE-ID) boom-model is ontwikkel deur konsepte en elemente van bestaande identiteitsmodelle te gebruik om struktuur te verleen aan die IE-ID model. Die model is toe ingekleur aan die hand van vrae en antwoorde wat uit die literatuuroorsig gespruit het. Om af te sluit, word die toekomstige nut van hierdie model geantisipeer.

Section: St Century Employers Of Industrial Engineersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Industrial Engineering Identity: From Historic Skills to Modern Values, Duties, and Roles

Darwish

Dyk

2016

“…It is remarkable to note that production management is still a high-priority area of IE in South Africa [9]. This runs against the grain of Industry 4.0, where operations research that employs simulation and virtual plant models built on real-time data is the leading IE function.…”

Section: Implications For Iementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a recent excellent review of the status and challenges of IE in South Africa, Schutte [9] listed ten industry sectors where IEs in South Africa are employed, and nine IE sub-disciplines where IE-related research is carried out. However, his treatise was totally silent on any effects that the nascent Industry 4.0 could have on IE.…”

Section: The South African Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Industrial Engineering Curriculum in Industry 4.0 in a South African Context

Sackey

Bester

2016

With its potential to change significantly the knowledge and skillset requirements for industrial engineers (IEs), Industry 4.0 creates a need to reassess the place of IEs to avoid a greater shock than that caused by the information technology identity crisis of the 1990s. This article examines the likely impacts of Industry 4.0 on industrial engineering (IE) and proposes enhancements to IE curricula in South Africa. Research methods include a literature review, a study of IE curricula, and a questionnaire survey of IE programmes. Results indicate that several IE functions might become somewhat transformed, less visible, or downright diminished in Industry 4.0. Emphasis has shifted from traditional IE methods to data-driven functions and cyber-physical systems. The developing mismatch needs correcting by emphasising skills such as 'big data' analytics and novel human-machine interfaces in IE curricula. Only one university in South Africa has made progress towards the adoption of an Industry 4.0 infrastructure. The authors propose a set of curriculum enrichment items as the basis for reform. OPSOMMINGIndustrie 4.0 het die potensiaal om op 'n beduidende wyse die kennis en vaardigheid vereistes vir bedryfsingenieurs (BI) te verander. Dit skep ook 'n behoefte om die posisie van bedryfsingenieurs te herevalueer, om sodoende die informasie tegnologie identiteitskrisis van die 1990's te vermy. Hierdie artikel ondersoek die waarskynlike impak van Industrie 4.0 op BI met 'n voorgestelde verbeterde kurrikulum in Suid-Afrika. Navorsingsmetodes sluit in literatuuroorsig, BI kurrikulum studie, en 'n vraelys opname van BI programme. Die resultate dui daarop dat Industrie 4.0 sommige BI funksies ietwat sal transformeer, minder sigbaar maak, of selfs totaal verminder. Klem verskuif van die tradisionele BI metodes na meer data-gedrewe funksies en kuber-fisiese stelsels. Die ontwikkelingswanaanpassing vererger regstelling deur die beklemtoning van kurrikulum vaardighede soos byvoorbeeld groot datastel analise en nuwe mens-masjien koppelvlakke. Slegs een universiteit toon vordering in die aanvaarding van en implementering van Industrie 4.0 infrastruktuur. Die skrywers stel 'n stel kurrikulum verryking items as basis vir die hervorming voor.

“…There is a general voice from researchers advocating for application of lean techniques in any form of activity which include non-profit organisations' operations [4], information technology [26] and accounting services [7]. Despite Lean philosophy being an emblem of Industrial Engineering, the technique is yet to be fully adopted into the South African industry even though the discipline of Industrial Engineering had been existent in the country since 1961 [45]. …”

Section: Figure 2: Lean Manufacturing Research Output Chronology For mentioning

confidence: 99%

Lean Applications: A Survey of Publications With Respect to South African Industry

Dondofema

Matope

Akdogan

2017

South African industry faces immense global competition from developed countries such as Germany probably because of the adoption of lean manufacturing techniques by the latter. This study is a survey on publications concerning implementation and adoption of lean manufacturing in South Africa. To assess South Africa with regards to research publications on lean manufacturing, a benchmark exercise was conducted with Germany for the period 2014 to 2015. The study concludes by highlighting the gaps identified during this survey and recommendations. OPSOMMINGDie Suid-Afrikaanse industrie staar hewige globale mededinging vanaf ontwikkelde lande soos Duitsland in die gesig, waarskynlik as gevolg van die aanneming van lenige vervaardigingstegnieke deur die laasgenoemde. Hierdie navorsing is ŉ beskouing van die publikasies oor die implementering en aanneming van lenige vervaardiging in Suid-Afrika. Om Suid-Afrika te beoordeel aan die hand van navorsingsuitsette met lenige vervaardiging as die onderwerp, is ŉ maatstaf oefening uitgevoer met soortgelyke publikasies in Duitsland in die periode van 2014 tot 2015. Die navorsing lig die gapings só geïdentifiseer uit en maak aanbevelings hieroor.