CIE study guide
CIE · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Industrial Engineer (CIE) credential is a professional designation for engineers and analysts who design, measure, and improve production and service systems. It is most relevant to industrial engineers, manufacturing and operations engineers, process improvement specialists, and operations analysts who want independent evidence that their skills span the full industrial engineering toolkit rather than a single specialty. The CIE study guide has 9 sections and about 3,019 words.
01Work Design and Methods Engineering
Methods engineering is the systematic study of how work is structured so that it can be improved before it is measured. Candidates must know the classic problem-solving sequence (define the problem, analyze the present method, develop the improved method, install it, and maintain it) and the charting tools used at each step: operation process charts, flow process charts, flow diagrams, string diagrams, and the two-handed (left-hand/right-hand) process chart.
363 words, about 2 min02Work Measurement and Time Standards
Work measurement establishes the time a qualified, trained worker needs to perform a task at a defined performance level with specified methods. Candidates must distinguish time-study methods: stopwatch time study, predetermined time systems (MTM, MOST), standard data, work sampling, and historical data.
341 words, about 2 min03Operations Research and Quantitative Methods
This domain tests the ability to formulate and solve decision models. Candidates must recognize problem types and their solution methods: linear programming (graphical and simplex), transportation and assignment models, decision analysis (expected monetary value, decision trees, utility), queuing, simulation, and network models (PERT/CPM, shortest path, minimal spanning tree).
369 words, about 2 min04Production Planning and Inventory Control
Candidates must master demand forecasting, aggregate planning, master scheduling, MRP, and inventory models. Forecasting: moving averages, exponential smoothing (F = α·actual + (1−α)·previous forecast), and measures of error (MAD, MSE, MAPE); higher α makes the forecast more responsive and more volatile.
314 words, about 2 min05Facilities Planning and Material Handling
Facilities planning covers location, layout, and material handling. Candidates must know layout types: process (functional) layout for low-volume/high-variety, product (line) layout for high-volume/low-variety, fixed-position layout for large immovable products, and group technology/cellular layouts.
308 words, about 2 min06Quality Engineering and Statistical Process Control
Quality engineering spans the cost of quality, control charts, process capability, and acceptance sampling. Know the four quality costs: prevention, appraisal, internal failure, and external failure; external failure is the most expensive and prevention is the least.
325 words, about 2 min07Engineering Economy and Cost Analysis
Engineering economy compares alternatives on a time-value-of-money basis. Candidates must know the factor notation and formulas: single-payment (F/P, P/F), uniform series (F/A, A/F, P/A, A/P), and gradient factors.
314 words, about 2 min08Human Factors and Ergonomics
Human factors applies human capabilities and limitations to work-system design. Candidates must know anthropometry (design for the 5th–95th percentile range; reach limits use the 5th percentile, clearance uses the 95th), biomechanics (NIOSH lifting equation, recommended weight limit, lifting index ≤ 1.0), and work physiology (energy expenditure, rest allowances).
352 words, about 2 min09Lean Systems and Process Improvement
Lean thinking focuses on eliminating waste (muda) to create flow and pull. Candidates must recognize the seven wastes: overproduction, waiting, transportation, overprocessing, inventory, motion, and defects (some lists add unused talent).
333 words, about 2 min