History and Development of Industrial Engineering

What industrial engineering is today and aspires to be in determined future by what

has gone before. Industrial engineering had its roots in the Industrial Revolution
(around 1750); it was nourished by individuals who sought to advance organization
and management principles at an early date; it emerged as a separate discipline
and was formulized in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s; and it
achieved maturity after World War II.

The Industrial Revolution resulted from the advent of new inventions, especially in
the textile industry, then steam engine, advances in metal cutting and the
production of machine tools.

These led to factories with large number of workers. With the growth in the size of
industries, came the beginning of management and management thinking.

The application of the scientific method of analysis, experimentation and practical

demonstration had been extended to the production of machine tools, more
complicated processes, and better products. Scientific Management as a
professional approach was yet to come, waiting on the works of pioneers in the
field.

Historians of science and technology might argue as to the beginning of industrial

engineering. The generally accepted beginnings relate to the work done by F.W.
Taylor, who was concerned primarily with concepts of productivity, even though he
did not refer to it in those terms. Prior to Taylor’s work, however, there were others,
whose writings referred to concepts that ultimately became associated with
industrial engineering, whose impact on Taylor is difficult to assess.