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U.P. Los Baños Journal

U.P. Los Baños Journal, Volume 23 - Frontiers in Industrial Engineering

Guest Editorial: Frontiers in Industrial Engineering

As part of the celebration of the UPLB Department of Industrial Engineering’s 25th Anniversary, I have the pleasure to present this special issue of UP Los Baños Journal entitled Frontiers in Industrial Engineering. This 25th Anniversary of the department, which has a theme: “Forging Futures: New Frontiers Shaped by 25 Years of Milestones” recognizes the fruitful journey of the department. All featured papers for this Special Issue were research conducted by our students and faculty belonging in the Class of 2024.

The six papers featured in this Special Issue belong in one of the four research groups of the Department namely: 1) Management, Systems and Entrepreneurship; 2) Human Factors and Ergonomics; 3) Analytics and Information Systems Group; and 4) Circle of Operations Research Enthusiasts. With these, we see that the scope of research topics for Industrial Engineering (IE) has gone beyond the usual improvements in the manufacturing systems and processes. IE research basically focuses on production that involves maximizing capacity, inventory management, procurement processes and supply chain, and quality. All these are tackled in some of the papers in this special issue. However, there is a notable shift to include services and service organizations, small enterprises, government and education institutions. Ergonomics and human factors that mainly covers designing for the physical welfare of an individual, now considers designing products and services for mental health and wellness. More notably are the emerging research on online processes, information, and technological systems, that eventually provide managerial and policy recommendations addressing sustainability particularly concerning product disposability and collective efforts for environmental preservation. These papers definitely provide the milestones of the department showcasing its ability to evolve and go beyond the usual frontiers that serve to create meaningful practical and theoretical contributions.

I would like to thank the editorial team at the UP Los Baños Journal, especially to Dr. Maria Dalisay G. Maligalig, the Director of the University Publications Office, for the support throughout this special issue process. I would like to appreciate and recognize the contribution of all the anonymous reviewers who generously participated in the blind review process. Thank you to all the authors who submitted their papers to this special issue. I believe with these six papers, this Special Issue has achieved its principal aim, which is to celebrate the 25 years of the UPLB Department of Industrial Engineering by showcasing select and notable research outputs of the Class 2024. I hope that the relevant themes presented in this special issue have been effectively communicated and will be used to create further appreciation of the field of Industrial Engineering.

Marc Immanuel G. Isip, PhD

Guest/ Special Issue Editor

Department of Industrial Engineering, University of the Philippines Los Baños