Book excerpt: Industrial engineering originated in the United States, and although the popularity of this discipline has grown worldwide, there is still little information available outside of the US regarding its practical use and application. Industrial Engineering Non-Traditional Applications in International Settings raises the bar and examines industrial engineering from a global perspective. Representing the best papers from the International Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIIE) conference held in Istanbul in June 2013, and developed by contributors from at least six different countries, this material lends their expertise on the international impact of industrial engineering applications and provides a thorough understanding of the subject. Focusing on two key aspects of the industrial engineering (IE) discipline, non-traditional settings and international environments, the book introduces applications and incorporates case studies illustrating how IE-based tools and techniques have been applied to diverse environments around the world. Each chapter represents a novel application of industrial tools and techniques. In addition, the authors highlight some of the more exciting developments and implementations of industrial engineering. The book enables both students and practitioners to learn from universal best practices and observe the international growth of the discipline. Consisting of ten chapters, this groundbreaking work includes content that: Presents applications in the area of natural resource development, or more specifically open-pit mining, to optimize the extraction sequence of blocks—an operation that can have a major impact on mining profitability Studies disasters and details where to best locate sites for disaster waste procession (multiobjective optimization is used to identify site locations and provide solution guidance) Examines factors affecting buying patterns and behaviors at private shopping clubs (Turkey is used as a benchmark and a technology acceptance model is used to study the buying behavior) Explores optimization methods that can be used to increase the effectiveness of the timing of traffic signals Discusses the Turkish banking sector and the measurement of efficiency of its banks (a topic that greatly impacts the emerging financial market) Applies quantitative models to study 29 commercial banks and 12 investment banks Industrial Engineering Non-Traditional Applications in International Settings explores the globalization of this expanding discipline and serves as a guide to industry professionals including systems, industrials, manufacturing engineers, design, production, environmental, and Lean Six Sigma engineers, and is also relevant to applied ergonomics, business scm, business logistics, and business operations management.