Industrial Engineering is a branch of engineering dealing with the optimization of complex processes or systems. It is concerned with the development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, analysis and synthesis, as well as the mathematical, physical and social sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering design to specify, predict, and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems or processes. While the term originally applied to manufacturing, the use of "industrial" in "industrial engineering" can be somewhat misleading, since it has grown to encompass any methodical or quantitative approach to optimizing how a process, system, or organization operates. The various topics of concern to industrial engineers include management science, financial engineering, engineering management, supply chain management, process engineering, operations research, systems engineering, ergonomics, cost and value engineering, quality engineering, facilities planning, and the engineering design process.
Examples of where industrial engineering might be used include designing an assembly workstation, strategizing for various operational logistics, consulting as an efficiency expert, developing a new financial algorithm or loan system for a bank, streamlining operation and emergency room location or usage in a hospital, planning complex distribution schemes for materials or products (referred to as Supply Chain Management), and shortening lines (or queues) at a bank, hospital, or a theme park. Industrial engineers typically use computer simulation (especially discrete event simulation), along with extensive mathematical tools and modeling and computational methods for system analysis, evaluation, and optimization. In addition, the rapidly evolving information system is another promising area which requires industrial engineers to design and manage computer integrated systems to serve the society and the industries effectively and efficiently. Industrial engineers are trained to work on the integration of machines, staff, production materials, money, and scientific methods. While many current industrial engineers still deal in these areas, the scope of their work has become more general. Today's industrial engineers work in many more settings than just factories; in recent years, fields like energy and IT have become particularly reliant on the skills of industrial engineers. In today's global marketplace, industrial engineering is fast becoming international engineering. Global boundaries are diminishing, requiring industrial engineers to be fluent in foreign languages and customs. International travel could very well be the norm for engineers, as companies expand and conduct more and more business with foreign governments.

In an article published on MSNBC’s Careerbuilder.com website, industrial engineering tops the list of growing career fields. Management, scientific and technical consulting careers, in which industrial engineering falls, is anticipated to expand at a staggering 83 percent, making up about 31 percent of job growth in the professional, scientific, and technical services sector according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. The MSNBC article urges job seekers to focus on these growing industries when pursing employment.
“It’s not surprising to find IE at the top of the list,” said E. Joshi, Undergraduate Program Coordinator in Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Penn State. “In this profession we really take a systems-wide view of things, mixing technical tools along with business strategy to solve problems. Having employees who can look at the big picture is necessary for successful companies in this day and age and our students are well-equipped to handle the ever-changing workplace. It’s exciting to know there will be so many opportunities for them in the future.”
The Occupational Outlook Handbook accredits this growth to demand for the type of expertise that industrial engineers can provide that are necessary to meet businesses’ continued need for advice on planning and logistics, the implementation of new technologies, and compliance with workplace safety, environmental, and employment regulations.