The Role of Industrial Engineering within Base Civil Engineering.

The purpose of the thesis was to determine what role industrial engineering should play within Base Civil Engineering. During the past three years, there has been considerable concern expressed about the effectiveness of Base Civil Engineerings Industrial Engineering Branch. A detailed literature review of the development of industrial engineering from the Industrial Revolution through the 1970s was accomplished initially. The remainder of the thesis report was developed around a questionnaire entitled the Industrial Engineering Role Survey. The questionnaire was mailed to all Air Force bases having an industrial engineering department of four or more personnel. The population surveyed included officers and civilians holding the following positions at each base Base Civil Engineer, Chief of Engineering and Construction, Chief of Industrial Engineering, Chief of Operations and Maintenance, and Chief of Programs. The results of the survey revealed that industrial engineering is needed at base level however, its role should be changed. Some of the changes required in industrial engineerings role include deletion of quality control responsibilities emphasis upon the management consultant role and industrial engineering studies, and the acquiring of more professional industrial engineering staffs with less reliance upon technicians. Author