132 THE BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL, JANUARY 1957 



spection of product after completion, and regulating inspection so that 

 critical characteristics received repetitive examination during the process 

 of manufacture and assembly. 



(3) A maintenance program for inspection and testing facilities which 

 provided checks at considerably shorter intervals than is considered 

 normal. 



(4) Inspection and operating records and reports that point out areas 

 for corrective measures. 



(5) Records of quality accuracy for all inspection personnel as an aid 

 in maintaining the high quality level. 



(6) Verification of all data covering process and final inspection as a 

 certification of the accuracy of these data and that the apparatus satis- 

 factorily meets all requirements. 



Selection and Training of Inspection Personnel 



The quality of a product naturally depends upon the skills, attitude, 

 and integrity of the personnel making and inspecting it. It was realized 

 that in order to develop the high degree of efficiency in the inspection 

 organization necessary to insure the integrity of the product, personnel 

 of very high caliber would be required. These employees would have to 

 be (1) experienced in similar or comparable work, (2) they would have 

 to be precise, accurate and, above all, dependable, (3) in order to reduce 

 the possibility of contamination and damage they would have to be neat 

 and careful, and (4) they w^ould require the ability to work in harmony 

 with other employees, often as a member of a "team," in an environ- 

 ment where their work would be under constant scrutiny. 



Most of the inspection employees selected to work at Hillside were 

 transferred from the Kearny Plant and had an average Western Electric 

 service of twelve years. They were hand-picked for the attributes out- 

 lined above, and the "screening" was performed by supervision through 

 personal interviews supplemented by occupational tests given by the 

 personnel department. These tests, which are in general use, are designed 

 to evaluate background and pl^sical characteristics, and they were 

 given regardless of whether the emploj^ee had or had not previously 

 taken them. 



The following group of tests is an example of those given inspectors 

 and testers of apparatus components: 



(1) Electrical — ac-dc theory and application. 



(2) Ortho-Rater — Eye test for phoria, acuity, depth, and color. 



(3) Finger Dexterity — Ability and ease of handling small parts. 



