Bedryfsingenieurswese : geleenthede en uitdagings vir die toekoms

Abstract

The establishment and continuing success of a fonn of government based on the principles of democracy is critically dependent on a growing economy and a continuing increase in the standard of living of the respective populrJJion. The long tenn success of present initiatives in the political arena is therefore dependent on similar industrial and technological developments. The Industrial Engineering profession, and therefore the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Pretoria, is in this respect in a unique position and has a special task. responsibility, opportunity and challenge to make a significant contribution to the future prosperity of South Africa. This task is multi-faceted but one of the most important challenges consists of the identification, adaptation and implementation of those aspects of so called high technology which may be expected to make the greatest contribution to improved productivity. At the same time, the Industrial Engineer will have to acknowledge and handle effectively the constraints and problems caused by the special character of the South African labour force. At present the Department produces more than fifty percent of the annual graduate Industrial Engineers in South Africa and the most important present responsibility is to provide an appropriate education for the Industrial Engineer of the future. This task is very difficult but also challenging in the light of the present and expected accelerated rate of change and development in the political, socioeconomic and technological areas.