Introduction to the Industrial Engineering Department

The history of industrial engineering dates back to the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. With the expansion of industrial factories, the need for management and managerial thinking became increasingly evident as individuals sought to enhance both production capacity and quality. In this context, scientific methods for analyzing and interpreting processes, as well as conducting experiments and empirical validations in the design and manufacturing of tools and machinery, gained prominence. Consequently, scientific management emerged as a professional approach and methodology, shaping the foundation of modern industrial engineering.

Some of the early pioneers of industrial engineering include:  Samuel Colt, a trailblazer in assembly line production;  Frederick Taylor, who introduced scientific management and time-and-motion studies;  Harrington Emerson, who outlined his process improvement methods in the bookTwelve Principles of Efficiency;  Henry Laurence Gantt, who developed the Gantt chart for organizational management; and  Henry Ford, who implemented the assembly line for automobile manufacturing.

In its early days, industrial engineering was primarily focused on increasing operational efficiency and profitability. Since then, continuous inventions and the development of new machinery and resources have introduced new challenges in advancing technologies and optimizing their use. Today, industrial engineering deals with the development, improvement, and integration of complex systems, striving to optimize people, financial resources, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, processes, systems, and organizations. In other words, the core focus of industrial engineering is effectiveness, efficiency, adaptability, responsiveness, quality improvement of goods and services, and ultimately, profitability.

The  Industrial Engineering Department at Khatam University was established in 2012 at the master's level and currently offers six specializations. Each specialization and its related fields of work are introduced below:

1.  Logistics and Supply Chain Management
2.  Systems Modeling and Data Analysis
3.  Financial Systems
4.  Optimization Methods
5.  Production and Service Systems
6.  Engineering Management

Vision for 2031

The  Industrial Engineering Department at Khatam University will be recognized as one of the top five educational and research centers in industrial engineering in Iran.

Strategic Goals by 2031

• The quality of education in the  Industrial Engineering Department at Khatam University will be ranked among the best in the country from both students' and society's perspectives.
• Applied research and specialized services will constitute more than  50% of the faculty members' activities.
• Faculty members will achieve a minimum  H-index score of 20.

Key Programs for 2025-2026

• Establishing an  Industrial Engineering Research Center
• Developing an  internship program for students
• Creating  employment opportunities for outstanding students
• Launching a  short-term MBA program in healthcare systems
• Planning for the establishment of a  Healthcare Systems  specialization.
• Establishing a  Ph.D. program in Industrial Engineering
• Launching a  specialized journal on industrial engineering in services