INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3323, 30 October 1919, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY.

An experiment i nredueing effort and at the same time increasing output, und.ertaken at the Derwent Iron Foundry, Derby, is described in a‘ I‘el7ol't '6O HlO Industrial Fatigue Board. In May, 1915, the iron foundry began to work for the Ministryof Munitions. ‘lts estimated capacity‘ for articles produced was 3000 weekly. The managing director began in August, 1915, to apply new methods, and these Were S 0 successful that by August, 1918, Ithe output was 120,009. During the period Alugust, 1916-1918, the value 5f the output increased fivefold, though the price paid by the Ministry had been reduced meanwhile by 13.3 per cent. Wilth the co~operation of the employees, their movements were stuldied, the best inethods adopted as the standard, and unproductive movements eliminated. Various jobs were analysed {to their elemental units, and each action was f«olloW'ed with a. st-op-_wr:l'tch in order to arrive at the best and quickest method of performing it. Tools and materials were zirranged In a standard manner, and thus alllliiil.ecessal'y movemerrts to obtain these eliminated. A standard set of movements for each process was established with a standard time for the en\plo_\fnlent of each. Such nlov.c--ments as could. be performed Simultane~ ously were combined. During training ‘typewritten instructions in each movement, with times necessary for its aceolnplisllment, were given to each student. The number of ‘elements standardised in the process of moulding al-one run into hundreds. Men were trained individuall_v_. rather ‘than in groups. As soon as trainin gwas; begun the hours of work were reduced from 54 to 48 hours per week. It was argued that a man who produced a greater

number of pieces is entitled to :1 hig'h.el- - per piece, and so the method of differential peacework pay was introduced. As soon as a man’s,=ouipuf. reached sixty per cent of sfhe sfanidard he began. _to receive :1 bonus. By this system one man increased his earnings 200 per cent over the sum received before the; new methods were introduced. In addition to the great increase of 011"fp11’r.,“=the system was found fo be less tiring. ”