The manufacturing sector of the United States economy is in the process of undergoing substantial and fundamental change in response to the rapid development of new products and new process technologies, and in response to increased pressures of international competition.

It is common consensus that over the past two decades the US competitive manufacturing position has declined relative to that of our major trading partners.  Also, it is commonly held that the problem is less the availability of appropriate technology (e.g., robots, artificial intelligence) than it is the shortage of knowledge about how to manage in the new manufacturing environment, an environment characterized by high technology, rapid product and process innovation, and ever-shortening product life-cycles.  The goal of the Manufacturing Management minor is to equip future managers with this knowledge.

Coursework in the MM minor builds on the strong analytical base of the BSIM program.  On this base is built an interdisciplinary set of courses in advanced manufacturing planning and control systems, manufacturing strategy, and the management of advanced manufacturing organizations.  Valuable background knowledge or applications are covered in a complementary set of courses in Industrial Engineering.

The vast majority of the graduates with the MM minor are expected to assume entry-level positions directly in the production or operations function of manufacturing firms.  However, these graduates will not be narrow specialists in engineering or supervision.  Instead, the notion is that MM graduates will understand how the manufacturing process interacts with other activities of the firm and with the firm's strategic goals.  They will not only be knowledgeable about contemporary manufacturing techniques, but be attentive to human resource considerations, to financial implications, and the market-driven competitive position of the firm.  In brief, the objective is that MM graduates have the skills to manage tomorrow's as well as today's factories, and, indeed, to contribute to the successful design of tomorrow's.

Visit the Dauch Center for Management of Manufacturing Management Enterprises (DCCME)

The Manufacturing Management minor prepares students to meet the challenges involved in the management of a manufacturing enterprise.  The three required management and OBHR courses in the minor provide a rigorous background in manufacturing planning and control systems, organizational behavior, and strategy formulation.  To complete the minor, the student must choose at least two additional approved courses in Industrial Engineering to ensure some exposure to the technical realities of the manufacturing environment.

Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Management Career Directions

The following career information is taken from the Peterson's Guide to Careers. If you would like to look into these career areas further, this would be an excellent place to start your research.

Production / Operations: The kinds of positions discussed here refer specifically to the management activities directly associated with production operations, including methods, equipment, processes, and personnel.

Production Planner: Sometimes called production engineers - design the production scheme, i.e., the flow of work and information. This includes such items as scheduling, materials specifications, machine usage, materials-handling procedures, control methods, and personnel training and supervision. Operations research, organizational skills, and human relations skills are especially vital in this area

Product Engineers: Handle test requirements and inspection to make sure the product is produced according to specifications.

Reliability/Maintainability Engineers: Concentrate on maintaining or improving the reliability of the design to ensure that the product performs the way it was intended to in the product development stage.

Promotions in the production / operations area may be made to manufacturing, production, or construction management and to engineering staff positions. It should also be kept in mind that job titles are named by the function performed rather than according to the academic background of the worker.

Research and Development: Research activity includes systematic, critical, and intensive investigation directed toward the acquisition of new or fuller scientific knowledge, with or without reference to a specific application. Development on the other hand, refers to the systematic application of scientific knowledge directed toward the creation or substantial modification of equipment, materials, instrumentation, devices, systems mathematical models, procedures, techniques, or processes. Development work may include the design, construction, and testing of pilot plants and preproduction prototypes and models. Product development and process development refer specifically to the development of new or improved products or processes; new product development is closely tied to the marketing function.