The focus is on purposeful work systems in which people and technology work. Areas concerned include production planning and scheduling, computer-integrated manufacturing, control of Flexible Manufacturing Systems, robotic systems, materials handling and storage systems, facilities location and design, statistical quality assurance and control, and Total Quality Management. Students in this area typically have a bachelor’s degree in industrial or mechanical engineering, or another engineering field.

Production systems research is funded by such agencies as the National Science Foundation/Environmental Protection Agency, as well as such national and local corporations as Boeing, GE Transportation Systems, and the Erie County Medical Center. We often work in teams with faculty and students from our other programs, such as human factors and operations research, to solve problems beyond the expertise of any single discipline.