The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-19
GILBERT TALKS ON LOZIERS

How to handle the final testing of cars has always been a problem in automobile factories Seems simple. but is in fact a difficult matter to handle" says President J. M. Gilbert of the Lozier Motor com pany.
 'Of course the various inspections of parts and tests of motors, axles and chas- sis are made under the supervision of the dlHerent department heads These auto
 matically check each other Tt is the final test-the last inspection Of each finished car just before it is shipped-that causes trouble and heart purnings and harsh words at times So small thing as a screwdriver omitted from the tool kit of new car, may cause complaint from the recipient-it must not occur. sound, however inaudia ble; tight or loose door: a careless bit of l trimming; specl of dirt in the gasoline tank; wrong adjustment of oil or gaso- 1 line; smoke from the muffler-these things are considered of the utmost importance 1 by the Lozier folk.
 i. How to prevesv theni--how 10 check I carelessness or hurry or forgetfulness- | that is the problem.
 l "Of course we have systems-the most l perfect ever devised We think But sys- | tems cannot fully account for the human l equation. Still slips will occur | 1nasmuch as the sales department is the point of contact between factory 1 and ultimate user it Is the practice in most factories to allow the sales man. 1 ager to appoint his own final inspector
 Being wholly detached from the factory 1 1t Is considered that he will vigorously and mrecilessly check every error of the 1 production department. We tried that for a time but found that it did not work 1 to perfection. The sales department is al ways calling for cars-more cars. In other
 words, the sales manager is at the same
 time urging speed-and insisting on &C., curacy. The factory protests he can't l nave both. And when the sales inspector
 turns back a car because of some trifling defeet, the production department feels | 1t is the victim of uper-criticism, and there's controversy on between the two departments
 T hnally hit on plan that is working to perfection in the Lozier plants h. stead of entrusting the final inspection either to the production or the sales de- partment have appointed an inspector who reports only to the president. He is amenable to no others. is subject to or ders and can be removed only by the president
 It works fine in two ways. First it re-
 lieves the sales department of all worry and complaints. All the sales depart ment need know is that every complaint will positively be followed up and cor rected And that every car before ship ing must undergo a thorough test and in- spection. And woe betide the man who makes the same mistake or omission twice. The first complaint is made to the head of his department; and if it happens again the second complaint comes direct to me-and everybody concerned knows he will come on the carpet AS the only one who can say accu- racy before speed the president is the only one who can determine impartiaIlv
 when speed interferes-if it eyer does with accuracy.
 As l consider this a matter of the ut-
 most Importance. l appointed instead of mere mechanic a man who is an en- gineer-John Turcotte--who has been de-
 signer Perrh's right hand man and who
 knows Lozier cars from the ground up
 d Ike to see car get past Turcotte
 that isn't in perfect tune or finished to the
 last detail.
 Since the Inauguration of this plan.
 the complaints of whatsoever nature
 even loose top iron or the omission of
 tire Iron from a tool kt--has been re-
 duced to less than one day average.
 don't believe that record can be beaten-
 but if 1t can, the Lozier system will beat it.''