“Industrial and systems engineering is concerned with the design, improvement and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment and energy. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical, and social sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design, to specify, predict, and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems.” (www.iise.org).
Berdasarkan definisi formal dari Institute of Industrial and System Engineering tersebut, dapat diartikan bahwa Teknik Industri merupakan disiplin sains yang berfokus pada desain, pengembangan, dan instalasi sistem terintegrasi yang terdiri dari: manusia (man), bahan (material), mesin (machine), uang (money), metode (method), informasi (information), dan energi (energy).
Ilmu dasar dalam Teknik Industri mencakup: mathematical sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, dan beberapa prinsip teknik yang bertujuan untuk meningkatkan performansi dari sebuah sistem terintegrasi.
