Milford chronicle., 1943-02-05
GETTING THE JOB DONE

OOmellIneS we seem 10 take IOl
granted the mass production tech
nique as developed by the Ameri-
can automobile industry and its
current adaptation to the manu-
facture of the intricate sinews OF
war in ever increasing volume. 1t
is so easy to dismiss this impor-
tant development with Topsy's
philosophy of it Just growed. u
But. of course. there's so much
more to it than meets the eye. 1t
has come about only through the
most intensive research, engineer
ing. production planning and
through the application of man
agerial "know-how" evolved from
long and arduous experience.
Some additional light on this is
thrown out in a report by Alfred
p. Sloan, Jr., Chairman of General
Motors. on that company's enor-
nous deliveries of war materials
for the first IL months of 1912,
totaling nearl y$1 700 100000. With
production for November. the lat
est monthly figure available, at
an annual rate of nearly $3,000.-
100000, Mr.. Sloan explained that
from the very beginning of the de-
fense program our General Motors
war work has been directed almost
entirely to the manufacture of
weapons in the highly technical
areas. so that our management ex-
perience. engineering knowledge
and production 'know-how' could
make the most effective contribu-
ton to the all-out national effort
We thought il was only proper
that. instead of seeking TO make
those things which many others
might readily produce, we should
concentrate upon the more tech
nical items. Accordingly we have
undertaken the manufacture of
such items as complete airplanes.
airplane engines. prOpellers, air
plane sub-assemblies. tanks. can
non and guns, advanced types of
Diesel engines, and all manner of
delicate measuring instruments.
just to suggest the great variety of
new and difficult war articles in
the production of which we are
engaged in rather large volume.
Now, / would like to make a
point which. to me, is very i'm
portant. From the very beginning
of my experience in General Mo-
tors. we have developed and con-
centrated our management tech
nique on what we call a plan of
decentralized operations and re-
sponsibilities, with central coor-
dinated contrOl-a plan that l con-
slider a most important factor in
our General Motors war produc-
tion record.
In other words, the manage
ment of the individual plants
that is, all the operational activi-
ties-from the beginning TO the
end are at the plants themselves.
First of all, we have an executive
in charge at each plant. Under him
are engineers, production people,
accountants and others, all in
charge of their own particular OPP
erations there. OF course, behind
each and all of these are executives /
Vi lHe COlpOIdllOH WHO through 4
wide experience in diversified fields I
determine overall organization pol
icies.
These war production jobs
which have been accomplished |
within General Motors-complete
frompeacetime produc-
lion. making things that many of
)ur men never had seen or heard
If before, the making of things
hat never had been designed for
,ur mass production processes, es-
,ential to large volume-haye been
only because many
years ago we had adopted this
echnique of saying to a man:
Now, you are in charge of this.
This is your job. You are respon-
iible for it. We are going to help,
tut the chief responsibility for its
rests on you.
That makes it clearer how and
Why General Motors. a good ex-
lmple of American industry, is
,etting it's war job done.