INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM IN INDUSTRY 4.0 IN A SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT

With its potential to change significantly the knowledge and skill-set 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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:South African journal of industrial engineering 2016-12, Vol.27 (4), p.101-114
Main Authors: Sackey, Samuel Mensah, Bester, Andre
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Automation
Core curriculum
curriculum
Data collection
Education
Engineering, Industrial
Factories
Industrial engineering
Industry 4.0
Internet
Literature reviews
Productivity
south africa
Studies
Trends
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Summary:With its potential to change significantly the knowledge and skill-set 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.
ISSN:2224-7890
1012-277X
2224-7890
DOI:10.7166/27-4-1579