March 25. 1921 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



19 



a better foreman in his department and make for better co-opera- 

 tion with his fellow foremen. The plan is to provide him with a 

 stop wateh, a pad and pencil, then have some one assemble an 

 article made in the plant, carefully noting movements and time as 

 each operation is performed. The time required to perform the 

 individual step, or operation, is noted and when all operations are 

 completed the total time required to do the job is found. Com- 

 pare notes to determine if waste or lost motion have been elimi- 

 nated. It will arouse interest in the new method of fixing prices 

 if they are to do it, or the rate setter will meet with fewer objec- 

 tions, because the foreman can judge and satisfy himself as to the 

 correctness and ability of the workman to do a certain job. 

 Besides, it is of general educational value. Some contend that bad 

 work ia the result of piece work. It is to be admitted that closer 

 inspection is required because of it. However, if the methods are 

 properly worked out much can be done to train men to work care- 

 fully and conscientiously, making the preceding operation respon- 

 sible for any defect discovered. (This will be mentioned again.) 

 This will cut down inspection to a minimum. It is practical. 



The first and most important step in introducing piece work 

 methods is to make the organization thoroughly acquainted with 

 the intent and purpose of the new undertaking, for if not properly 

 understood by the worker the effort will meet with opposition. 

 Then, too, a small beginning should be made in various parts of 

 the plant so as to gradually accustom the workmen to the new 

 method of operating the plant, bearing in mind that not most but 

 best out of men makes for success. The man in charge of tnis 

 work must be honest, frank, and have the interest of both 

 employee and employer at heart; must understand manufacturing 

 in detail, both from a theoretical and practical standpoint. He 

 must he a diplomat, a mixer, to be able to meet the fellow who 

 sweeps the floor as well as the man who reclines in the mahogany 

 chair. Much depends on this man who is to introduce the new 

 plan of operation, and if endowed with proper qualifications his 

 efforts will meet with success. 



The foreman 's part in the system is deserving of much considera- 

 tion. He is the man who works directly with the producer; on him 

 depends much which will make the introduction of the new methods 

 a success. On the one hand we have a man who can get along with 

 his men but fails in production; on the other, a man who under- 

 stands production but fails in having the co-operation of his men. 

 Both are failures. The methods of management properly presented 

 and applied wOl tend to improve both, provided each is fair with 

 himself, allowing the new principle to act in the direction of their 

 respective weaknesses. 



The operator will often introduce false motions, simply to fool 

 the observer; for this reason, the man doing the observing must 

 be conversant with mechanical details, operations and motions, to 

 instantly detect such action. Often the operator will do this in 

 ignorance. In such a ease the foreman must be in a position to 

 suggest different means or methods of handling the work. 



Practical Illustrations 

 The laws or principles underlying common sense management, its 

 advantage and application can best be presented by illustration 

 from a successful operating system. The application of the fol- 

 lowing plan and methods grant that the organization is complete 

 and functioning as it effects the executive and sales division. The 

 sales department submits an order to the production, or planning, 

 department, showing delivery date goods are wanted. The plan- 

 ning department upon receipt of the order refers it to the bill of 

 material (Fig. 1) as to the parts making up the article. For sake 

 of convenience in manufacturing, assembly and shipment, the 

 article is arranged or broken up into bundles, bundles in turn into 

 part assemblies, the latter into piece parts. The parts are now 

 scheduled on monthly layout (Fig. 2), or on whatever basis of time 

 the article must be produced, in accordance with the delivery date 

 named by the sales department. It also shows the delivery dates 

 of the different departments. The piece parts are next referred to 

 the piece parts record (Fig. 3 & 3A) to determine parts on hand 



made up. For parts not on hand reference is made to raw material- 

 stock and purchase record (Fig. i & 4A). If material is not on hand 

 a requisition is placed with the purchasing department. The plan- 

 ning department, through the purchasing department, traces mate- 

 rial in accordance with the delivery date established by sales 

 department, and the schedule dates to factory by the planning 

 department on tracer (Fig. 5). 



0etting the Product Out 



In the event the article or articles manufactured are of sufii- 

 cient variety and quantity and made up of wood, steel and cast- 

 ings, it is well to place a man in charge of the different divisions, 

 making him responsible for the output. It is the division head's 

 duty to see to it that his department or departments are fully sup- 

 plied with materials to meet the schedule dates. The division sets 

 a date three or eight days in advance of the regular due date, files 

 same so as to come up automatically, as a precaution against some 

 emergency, so as to allow ample time to produce the part. For 

 example: It is required to produce a given article in 30 days. 

 He files the "follow up" for the twenty-fifth day, and on that day 

 he is reminded to look after that particular job, calls the foreman 

 and finds that for some unexplainable reason the job is side- 

 tracked. He issues instructions to have the job pushed ahead over 

 anything that may hinder its advancement, for completion by the 

 due date. This serves very well where no daily machine opera- 

 tion or piece part schedule is maintained. 



The heads of divisions must co-operate with one another in every 

 possible way. If one gets behind for reasons beyond his control, 

 he must advise the others and, upon conference, devise such changes 

 that will meet the final requirements. As long as everybody is 

 informed as to conditions, each can switch the preceding or follow- 

 ing work in such manner that in the end he wUl not have lost any 

 time. The successful operation of the plan lies in the co-operation 

 of these divisions. If nothing happens in the way of breakdown 

 of machinery, materials not arriving on scheduled date, man becom- 

 ing ill, or other contingencies, most anyone can manage such divi- 

 sion. But it is when these matters do not come through as orig- 

 inally planned that make for the test of having to meet the emer- 

 gency. It is the man who can extricate himself when completely 

 surrounded by mishaps and carry to conclusion the work originally 

 planned, who need not be concerned as to the successful opera- 

 tion of the method or plan — with such a man, delivery dates are 

 assured. 



Having disposed of the material not on hand contingency, atten- 

 tion is now directed to the raw materials on hand, by making up 

 piece parts production sheet (Fig. 6) from the monthly layout. 

 It will be noted that the production sheet is so arranged that it 

 serves for a number of years. This practice prevents writing the 

 ticket for each production season or fiscal year. The routing or 

 follow ticket is practically a copy of the production ticket, show- 

 ing the piece part number, the size of stock, how many to be made 

 and the machine routing, as well as delivery to section in finished 

 stock department, remaining with the piece part from the raw 

 material to final delivery to stock. 



The clerk or timekeeper in the factory office will post produc- 

 tion against the requirement or schedule. Any discrepancy upon 

 completion of the job is at once detected. It will show whether 

 the operator turned in more or less than called for. It is checked 

 upon completion of the job and returned to the planning office, 

 which applies the production against monthly layout and piece part 

 record. When all of the piece parts making up the parts are 

 assembled, bundles, or "whole," are received by the production 

 office as completed and applied against the different records. 

 Requisition (Fig. 7) is made out by the planning department on 

 finished stock department for delivery to assembly department. 

 Should the finished stock department discover a shortage, the plan- 

 ning department is notified at once by the return of the requisition, 

 or if a portion of it is delivered, showing the amount short of the 

 quantity to be delivered. If delivery is completed it is duly signed 

 (Continued on page 26) 



