The demand for ISEs has grown dramatically over the past two decades for one chief reason: the need for organizations to raise their level of productivity through thoughtful, systematic improvement and optimization. Traditionally, ISE majors pursued careers in manufacturing, as they were hired to improve operations inside plants. While this is still a viable career path, the application of the ISE skill set has migrated outside the plant – to design and improve supply chains and transportation systems that connect plants.
As the application of ISE tools has migrated beyond the plant, these tools have also migrated to other fields. Methods in which to improve operations are not relegated to the world of manufacturing and its associated logistics. Any system in general can be studied and optimized — whether a manufacturing or service system. Hospitals are complex systems that are turning to ISE majors for optimization. Financial systems are looking for efficiencies as well as the mathematical modeling that is fundamental ISE knowledge. Telecommunications, electrical, and water distribution networks must be designed for efficiency, often with the help of ISEs. Even biomedical and biological systems are being studied by traditional scientists along with ISEs and their toolkit.