A Study of Disruptive Technology Impacts on Industrial Engineering Professionals under the Context of Thailand 4.0

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of disruptive technologies on the industrial engineering profession and learn how to deal with such disruptions. The study uses questionnaires to collect data from 8,149 individuals practicing industrial engineering at the Associate Engineering level and Senior Professional Engineering levels. After that, the sample is calculated using the Taro Yamane method with a confidence level of 95 percent. Then, the main reasons for the impact of disruptive technology on industrial engineers were analyzed using the Affinity Diagram, and the problem structure was clarified using the Relations Diagram. The main cause was analyzed to find a solution with the help of a Tree Diagram. Finally, the matrix diagram was used to find the correlation of solutions by comparing 11 technologies that will affect global change, according to research by McKinsey Global Institute. The result of this research shows that disruptive technology directly impacts the work of the sample, affecting Decision Making and investment in industry and technology rather than replacing people. Therefore, industrial engineers should further explore technology and engineering such as Big Data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and maintenance engineering. This also includes improving one's language skills and ability to collaborate with others.