Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-12
STANDARD METHOD
FOR BELL SYSTEM
Telephone Company Has In
stituted Reforms to
Save Millions.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

ton on a vast. natlon-Wlde Scale 10
almost every phase OF IFS operations
and equipment. has effected savings OF
millions of dollars annually and has
reached a new level of efficiency in
business functioning was described
Thursday by H. S. Osborne. transmits
sion engineer of the American Tele-
phone & Telegraph Co, in a paper pre-
scented before meeting of the Amerl-
can Standards Association.
The Bell systems Standardization
has extended from the most compll-
Gated automatic switching equipment 10
lead pencils-with a saving of $4,000
annually on this last item alone-and
TO the phraseology used by operators
in answering calls. BY standardlzlng
the paper used in telephone directories,
Mr.. Osborne said, the system saves
100000 each year.
Standard Types Used.
An abstract of Mr.. Osborne's paper
follows
THE standard construction practices
Of the Bell system are based upon the
use all over the country of standard
types of construction material. This
Standardization of materials makes 1t
possible for the purchasing organlza-
ton to buy very large quantities OF a
relatively small number OF types OF
material with resultant large savings In
cost. Also with shifting OF needs men
engaged in construction work can
transfer easily from one part OF the
system to another. 1t is common prac-
tice, in cases of emergency due to large
storm damage or other causes, TO con-
centrate temporarily in one small area
construction gangs from NUMBER OF
different operating companies. IneSe
men have no difficulty with the work
in a new area because OF the UNIFORM
construction practices in use through
out the country. Furthermore, In Sc
we're storm emergencies the fact that
the material needed has been standard
lied makes it possible to obtain 1t
quickly in great quantities from the
many points where 1t Is stocked
throughout the country.
'Bv stocking standard units the de-
livery intervals on certain types OF CEN
trail Office and private branch eXchange
equipment have been greatly reduced In
the past few years. For example. the
delivery interval for certain private
branch exchange equipments was re-
duced from six months to one month.
Rendering of Bills.
lone of the routine accounting jobs
which lends itself to Standardization is
that of keeping the accounts OF GUS
toners and rendering bills for service.
The value of Standardization for this
routine work is readily seen in that, IN
the Bell system, accounts are kept with
approximately 100000 customers,
and more than 125 900 900 bills for ex-
change service are rendered each year.
More than l,250,000.000 charge tickets
are handled annually in order that
charges for service may be properly
made against telephone users. Nine
hundred million of these charge tickets
are for toll service, of which 100000
600 must be entered separately on ap-
proximately II 100000 toll service state
ments.
Telephone directories have offered
an important field for Standardization,
in spite of the fact that no two d.
rectories are entirely alike.
THE general arrangement OF ma
terial in the book is standard, standard
alphabeting rules are followed in list
ing names. standard page sizes uSeo,
standard sizes of space offered for ad-
vertising and standard types used In
printing In the clerical work of COM
pilation standard practices are fol-
lowed From this Standardization nave
resulted not only a uniformity in ap-
pearance and ease of reference. but also
large economies in compilation and
manufacturing cost 1t is estimated
that without the Standardization of dl-
rectory paper and the bulk purchasing
which this permits, the same quality OF
paper would cost the Bell system about
100000 more per year.
Reduction in Costs.
THE effect in reduction of costs can
be illustrated by the single item OF
black lead pencils. the purchase of
which on an average amounts at the
present time to more than Sl50,000
year. Prior to Standardization SIS dlf-
ferent brands were in actual use, while
at the present time only three types are
used, these providing range of quality,
with one OF these grades covering SO
per cent OF all requirements. The saw
ing from Standardization of black lead
pencils is estimated at $4,000 per year.
1T is not an eXaggeration to say that
the telephone service of today could not
be given without this high degree OF
standardization and simplification.
In the installation of telephone sets
on subscribers premises, numerous re-
quests are received for wiring plans by
which telephones may be switched from
one line to another, special ringing ar
rangementS may be provided, and ex-
tension stations may be associated with
the line. The extent to which Simpl-
fication in practice may be advantage
Gus is illustrated by the results from
a single operating company OF reVle"
some time ago of their wiring plans.
In this one company it was found that
whereas $40 different plans were IN use
the requirements could be met by 20
standard plans, and of these %, 10 tocK
care of all but few exceptional cases.
I'm the design of buildings for the
new manufacturing plant at Kearny.
N. j.. a uniform column spacing Is
maintained throughout all multi-story
buildings. A great many advantages
relating to occupancy have been realized
from this Standardization. An example
is a reduction in cost of approximately
so per cent in constructing and erect
ing metal partitions.
THE use of standards not only simpli
fieS the work of making the manu-
featuring layouts. but it also simplifieS
the introduction of the manufacture Of
new products in the shop, as the
operating people are already acquainted
with these standard processes and have
the necessary materials and equipment
already available.
Improvements in Design.
These plans do not rctard the work
of the development engineers in ef-
fecting improvements in design. I'M
pIONeluGIlIo cIlu C4ldll6So' lIONCNIl' az
made on an annual basis unless the
advantage of the improvement makes
it expedient to introduce it at once.
This facilitates the introduction of new
designs and minimizes tie effect on
stocks and schedules.
Before a completed equipment Is
turned over to the telephone company
certain standard final tests are applied
by the installers to assure its salts
factory performance. This insureS that
a certain circuit will be tested in the
same manner and must meet the same
requirements whether installed in New
York or on the Pacific Coast"
Westinphouse Electric.