Formation of a production line to do the scene management experience talk

How Ford Motorcycle production step by step

If a device can save 10% of the time, or 10% increase, without it, it is equivalent to 10% Dona tax. If a person earns 50 cents an hour, saving 10% of the time means he earns 5 cents an hour. A man with a skyscraper knows this method if he knows how to raise his income by 10% and he is even willing to pay half his income. The reason he owns a skyscraper is that it has been scientifically proven that the use of certain materials in a certain way can save space and increase rental income. 30-storey building, its area is no more than 5 floors. And if guarding the old-fashioned building method, 5-storey building means that in vain lost 25-storey rental income. If 12,000 employees go 10 steps a day less, they save as much as 50 miles of excess movement and wasted energy.

Ford's production is to follow this principle. They are all naturally concluded in practice. At the beginning, we hired mechanics; as the scale of production expanded, it was clear that less mechanics were needed and there was no longer the need for so many skilled workers in actual production. Based on this I conclude a principle that will be detailed later.

Obviously, most people in this world, even though they are physically fit, have limited their mental capacity to live a good life. In other words, they rely on manual labor and they can not produce enough products for the society to exchange what they want. I have heard such a statement - in fact, I think many people think so: we learn from the work of technology. This is not the case. Yes, we put technology into work. When building blueprints, operations management, and production tools, we apply high-end technology that enables those who do not know technology to enjoy the benefits of technology. I will discuss later on this point.

We must recognize that people have different IQs. If every job at Ford requires technology, that factory can not be built. The required technical staff training for 100 years have not finished. If by hand, 100 million workers work together, can not complete our daily production today. No one hired 1 million workers. But more importantly, the price of the products that these people produce by hand is something that the public can not afford to buy. Even imagine how to manage such a large number of people, think about how big the factory is! How many people are not busy with production but are busy carrying products from other people? In such cases, workers' The maximum daily wage is 10 or 20 cents, because the salary is not paid by the employer, he just allocates finance. The real payroll workers pay for the product. Only by managing the production arrangements, the output of the product is possible to pay.

More economical production methods can not be implemented, but slowly implemented. For example, we are gradually making our own parts. T-car is our first production car. The assembly saves many costs and extends its economics to other departments. So, although we now have many skilled technicians, they are not responsible for production - they simplify the process and let others produce. These technicians, manufacturing tools, conducting experiments, installing and repairing machines, and developing models are really excellent. Indeed, good people like them should not be over-prepared for jobs that can be better accomplished by the machines they invent. The average worker has little skill to apply for; they learn to work in hours or days. If you can not learn in this period of time, then for us, this person is useless material. Many of them are immigrants, and all they need to hire them is that they have the potential to do enough work to justify the administrative expenses they need. They need not be particularly strong. We also have work that requires a great deal of physical strength, but such work is rapidly declining; other work is hardly any physical effort, and such work, if only physically energetic, should be met by three-year-olds.

If we do not go deep into the technical production process, we can not go one step by step to discuss the development of the entire manufacturing process in chronological order. I really do not know how to say this, because there are new things happening almost every day, no one can understand all the signs of trouble. I will give some examples of changes. From there, not only can we learn what will happen when the world is based on production, but also find that commodity prices are much higher than they should be, that wages are much lower than those deserved, and that there is still a vast area to be waned We develop. In this regard, Ford only took a small step.

A Ford car has about 5,000 parts - including screws, nuts and everything. Some parts are very large, while others are as fine as watch parts. When we first assembled, we just installed the car in a fixed place, and workers took all the necessary components and parts to make this place. This way can be described as similar to building a house. When we started making parts, it was natural that we had a dedicated production department in the factory. However, it is usually done by one worker from the beginning to the end. The pressure of quick delivery and multi-sales makes us have to improve our production methods so that workers do not have to squeeze in. The worker spends more time on materials and tools than the one he is working on without scientific guidance. He still receives only a small salary, because walking around is not a job that gives him a decent salary.

The first improvement in the assembly method is that we began to integrate the work into the workers, workers do not have to find materials and tools everywhere. Now all of our operations follow two major principles, which are that workers only take one step at most if they can; and that no one needs to bend over again.

The following is the assembly line production principles:

(1) Workers and tools are placed in the order of operation so that the transmission distance of each component is minimized as much as possible during the manufacturing process.

(2) The use of a production conveyor or other means of transport, so that when a worker has completed his steps, he simply needs to dispose of the parts in their original position - this position must be the most convenient place at hand. And, if possible, use the mechanics of gravity to move parts to the next worker.

(3) Use the sliding assembly line to transmit the parts to be installed in a convenient distance.

The benefit of following these principles of production is that the worker's movements are minimized, and one action can be accomplished with almost one action. To the layman, assembling the chassis is one of the most interesting and probably the most well-known aspects of operation, and for quite some time it is indeed a very important production process. And now we're shipping the parts for assembly only now on the market.

April 1, 1913, we conducted the first assembly line test. This test is the assembly of a turbomachine. Whatever we do, we start with a small trial, and once we find a better way, we immediately discard the old one. But before we make any major changes, we must make sure that the new method is indeed better.

I think this should be the first line in the world. We were inspired by the Chicago Food Packaging Factory where they used overhead trolleys to pack beef. We used the traditional method to assemble the flywheel magneto generator. A worker is in charge of all operations. He works nine hours a day, can complete between 35 and 40 finished products, or 20 minutes to assemble one. We split his work into 29 steps; this reduced the assembly time to 13 and 10 seconds. Next, we increased the height of the assembly line by 8 inches - already 1914 - and reduced the time to seven minutes. To further test the speed of work, we will be a single unit time-consuming down to 5 minutes. In short, the test results are: With the help of scientific research, one worker is now completing more work than four people did a few years ago. Pipeline assembly line established an efficient method of production, we now promote it to various departments. The assembly of the engine, formerly owned by one person, is now subdivided into 84 steps - these workers are three times as likely to do the same amount of work they used to do. Shortly thereafter, we applied this method to the chassis assembly.

Fixed-time assembly chassis, the fastest record is an average of 12 hours and 28 hours per chassis. We tested it, using a rope and winch, pulled the chassis 250 feet. Six assemblers walked along the chassis and picked out the parts they piled on the conveyor. This is just a rough test and has reduced the time it takes to assemble each chassis to 5 hours and 50 minutes.

However, you can not assume that these are all done in one go. We have to be cautious about the speed of assembly lines. When testing the flywheel's magneto generator, let's try the speed of 60 inches per minute, which is too fast. Then try 18 inches per minute, too slow. Finally, finally set at 44 inches per minute. The principle of our experiment is that we should not work in a hurry - work time should be a necessary time for workers to work, a little less than a second. As the chassis was successfully assembled using the assembly line, we began to take a closer look at the entire production process, using the mechanical conveyor for all assembly and calculating the assembly speed for each part. For example, the chassis assembly line runs at 6 feet per minute; the assembly of the front axle runs at 189 inches per minute. The assembly of the chassis is divided into 45 operating steps, or operator stations. The first worker secured four fenders to the chassis frame; the engine was installed in the tenth process, and so on. Some workers are only responsible for one or two small operations, while others are responsible for more steps. A worker installs a part, but does not take care of tightening - it may not work until the part has a few passes. The bolt on the person is not responsible for the nut; people on the nut is not responsible for tightening it. At step 34, the embryonic engine was fueled with gasoline; it had been lubricated before; at step 44, the radiator was filled with water; and at step 45, our car turned on John R. Street.

Engine assembly is also basically used this method. In October 1913, it took 9 hours and 54 minutes to install an engine. After six months, the time lag was reduced to 5 hours and 56 minutes because of the assembly line. Everything in the workshop can be transported. They can rely on hooks, hanging chain, completely in the order of assembly parts to send; they can be transported on the mobile platform; also reliable principle of gravity transmission. But the point is, in addition to producing the material, there is no need to ship or lift anything anymore. Manufactured materials are delivered in minivans or trailers that use a streamlined Ford chassis that's flexible enough to quickly access any aisles that need to be shipped. The workers no longer have to move or lift anything, and the entire task is handled by another independent department - the Ministry of Transport.

We started the assembly of the vehicle in a factory. Later, as we began to produce our own components, we began to implement departmentalization gradually, with each department responsible only for one job. The factory is now organized in such a way that each department produces or is responsible for the assembly of only one component. A department itself is a small factory. Raw materials or castings are shipped to these departments, made on a single machine, heat-treated, and any necessary processes before they become finished parts and shipped out of these units. It is the blessing of transportation, which can be organized in production. I thought that such a meticulous division of labor would not be feasible; but with the development of production and the increase of new departments, we would in fact be equivalent to changing from making cars to making parts. Later, we got a new understanding. That is, it is not necessary to bring all the parts to a single factory. In fact, this can not be called a new understanding - in the first repairer, I just think so. At that time I purchased the engine and about 90% of the parts and assembled it myself. When we started producing parts on our own, it was almost assumed that all the parts were to be made in one factory and it seemed as if the whole car was manufactured in one factory for any particular benefit. As the company grows, we do not hold that view anymore. If we rebuild any large factory, the only reason is that the production of a single part is already large enough to require a larger production space. I hope that with the development of time, the factory in Highland Park will only be responsible for one or two jobs. It does not have to be in charge of casting anymore, but it is taken over by the Rogue River plant. Now, we are tantamount to returning to the old model - except that we no longer buy parts from other factories, but from our own branch factories.

This development has extraordinary significance. It means - I will elaborate on this in a later chapter. - A highly standardized, highly-segmented industry that eliminates the need to focus on a large factory building, causing traffic, housing and other inconveniences, and these inconveniences limit Factory development. It is enough for a factory to have between 500 and 1,000 workers; in this way, there will be no traffic jams during commuting, workers do not have to live in dirty, messy residential areas, and accidents do not occur because of overcrowding. If too many workers live near the factory, the above problems are hard to avoid.

The Highland Park's factory now has 500 departments. Prior to Piquet Street, the factory has only 18 departments, the Highland Park plant before only 150 departments. This fully shows how quickly our parts and components production has developed.

Almost every week, there are some improvements in the machine or production process. And sometimes, these improvements stem from the contempt and challenge of so-called "best practices in the shop."

Ford Motor Management: 7882 process in good order

As I mentioned in the previous chapter, we will not refuse to come because of physical conditions. January 12, 1914, this policy came into force. At that time, we also set a minimum wage of $ 5 a day and an 8-hour working day. We further stipulate that workers will not be dismissed because of their physical condition - except infectious diseases. In my opinion, if an enterprise wants to fulfill its social responsibility, it should employ all kinds of people, just like all kinds of people in society. Our factory has been hiring disabled employees. For those with disabilities, there is a generous view that because they can not do their job properly, it is up to the community to take care of them and rely on charity. There may be some cases that can only rely on social relief, such as people with dementia. However, this situation is rare, but in the manifold variety of Ford's work, always find something for these people, and does not affect the production. We assign people with disabilities and those who have problems with legs and legs to specific jobs. They can do the same amount of work as men and receive the same amount of salary. It's not that we are biased in favor of people with disabilities - only we can prove they can earn full pay as well.

If we hire him because of the inconvenience of one's own legs, pay him a low salary, and have too little output, we really run counter to our philosophy. This may be granted to fish, but not to fish. The best way to do this is to give them the same productivity as a bodybuilder. I think charity will not work in many cases of this world - I mean donating charitable benefits. Business and charity must not be confused; the purpose of a factory is production, and it serves the entire community only if it does its best to produce it. However, most people, without investigation, arbitrarily believe that good health is a necessary condition for the best possible completion of their work.

In order to clarify the situation, I classify all the work in the plant and the machines and operations involved in it - whether it is light, medium or heavy, whether it is dry or wet, and if wet, Whether it is clean or dirty; whether it is close to the oven or the furnace; how the air flows; whether it is standing or sitting while working; whether the work environment is quiet or noisy; whether the work requires precision; Is natural or artificial light; how many parts to handle per hour; the weight of materials handled; and the different stresses that workers face. The results show that at the end of the survey, there were 7,882 different jobs in the factory. Of these, 949 were classified as heavy physical activity, demanding that workers be strong and strong, meaning that they should be made by healthy people; 3,338 jobs required people of average physical and physical strength.

The remaining 3,595 jobs do not need any physical strength, stature and then light, those who have the same strength to cope with. In fact, most of them are well done by women or older children. Again, we classify these lightest jobs and see how many workers are required to be physically fit. We found that 670 of these jobs were also workable for legless individuals, 2,637 for Legless Individuals, 2 for armless individuals, and 715 for single legibles. There are 10, blind people can operate. Therefore, out of a total of 7882 work, 4034 do not necessarily need to be physically fit to complete, although some may still require physical exertion. That is to say, the developed industries can provide paid work opportunities for people with disabilities more than those in the normal society. If any one industry or business, as we work on the analysis and research, the data obtained may be very different from us. However, I firmly believe that if the breakdown of work can be allocated to the maximum economic benefit, it will no longer be difficult for people with disabilities to find a job. They can work like normal people and receive full pay. Reluctant to accept the leg and leg of the people, regard him as a burden, teach him to do some trivial tasks such as baskets, or other manual labor with very low remuneration, do not want to help him make a living, In this way, it is actually economically wasteful.

When a person is hired by the Ministry of Personnel, it is in principle arranged for him to be fit for his job. If he does not work well after a period of work, or if he does not like the job, he will be given a transfer card and he will take it to the transfer department. After reviewing his situation, the transfer department arranged for him to do more suitable work for his abilities and temperament. If properly arranged, those who are physically weak can become good employees just as strong people do. For example, a blind person is placed in the inventory department and is responsible for counting the screws and nuts to be delivered to the branch. He had hired two physically fit workers before him. Two days later, the foreman applied to the transfer department for the transfer of the two workers to other departments, as the blind person could do his job as well as the previous work done by these sound persons.

This assistance can be further developed. Often, people take it for granted that if one is injured, one can not work and only receive a grant. However, after the injury there is always a period of recovery, the fracture is the case. During this period, people are physically strong enough to work, and by this time people are often anxious to work. Because, then lucrative work-related injury subsidies less than their earned wages. If this situation turns upside down, then the business will be tantamount to a burden, which will be reflected in the cost of the product, resulting in decreased product sales, thereby reducing job opportunities. This result is inevitable, need to keep in mind.

We tested people who were bedridden but able to sit up. We put black tarpaulin or cloth over the bed and let them tighten the screws on the nut. This work has to be done by hand, with 15 to 20 workers in the magnet department busy with it. The patient lying in the hospital is as good as the workers in the workshop and can receive regular wages. In fact, they account for 20% of the work done, which is more than usual in the workshop. Of course, no one has to work unless one wants to work on his own. But they all want to work. Work is not a time, so that they eat more fragrant, sleep more steadily, faster recovery.

It is not necessary to take special care of deaf and mute workers. They can do their job 100%. Workers suffering from tuberculosis - about 1,000 people, are mostly placed in the waste recycling department. Workers diagnosed with an infectious disease work together in an isolated shed and most of their work is outdoors.

A recent employee survey showed that 9563 of our employees were physically weak. Among them, 123 people are leg and leg inconvenience, or was cut off the arm, forearm, hand, 1 person lost both hands. There are 4 people completely blind, 207 people without vision, 253 people almost blind, 37 deaf and dumb, 60 people suffering from epilepsy, four legs or feet lost, 234 only one leg or a foot. Others have minor disabilities.

The time required to become familiar with each operation is as follows: 43% of jobs require less than 1 day of training; 36% of jobs require 1 ~ 7 days of training; 6% of jobs require 1 ~ 2 weeks of training; 14% Of work requires 1 to 12 months of training; 1% of work requires 1 to 6 years of training - this type of work is technically demanding, for example, tooling and cavity processing.

The entire factory is well disciplined but we do not have any trivial rules nor fair and open questions. In order to prevent any unfair dismissal, the dismissal was handed over to the Personnel Officer - but he seldom used the right. 1919 is the last year we keep the data. That year, a total of 30,155 personnel changes. Of these, 10,334 were expelled for unexcused absence from work for more than 10 days; 3,702 were dismissed for refusing to do their job or for an undue demand for transfer; 38 for refusing to learn English at our designated school; 108 for joining the army; 3,000 Were transferred to other factories; almost 3,000 returned home to work in the fields and do business; 82 women were dismissed as a result of work by their husbands - and we do not hire married women whose husbands have jobs. Out of so many people, only 80 are fired directly. 56 of whom were falsified and 20 were required to be dismissed by the Ministry of Education and 4 were unable to do their job.

We hope that workers will obey their demands, that the whole organization be highly specialized and that production be interlocked and that no one should be allowed to act arbitrarily. If you do not strictly abide by the discipline, the company will fall into great chaos. I think the business should work like this. Workers do as much work as possible and receive the highest possible salary. If everyone is allowed to act on their own, production suffers and wages shrink. If anyone does not appreciate our way, feel free to leave. The company's management of workers should be strict and impartial. There is less movement of staff in the department, which naturally benefits foremen and department managers. If an employee is unfairly treated, he or she can appeal and we fully support this. Of course, inequality is bound to exist. People do not always treat people equally. The weaknesses of human nature sometimes hinder the fulfillment of our good intentions. For example, foremen sometimes misread or even misused this wish. However, the company's intentions are indeed as I stated, and we make every effort to make it understood and implemented.