The young officer assigned to engineering duty on a destroyer is confronted with a maze of technical details. If he has received special training for this assignment, it is probable that the technical aspect of his duties has been stressed. Such circumstances are prone to engender a state of mind wherein complicated minutiae obscure the fundamental principles of successful organization and administration.
This paper purposes to present a system of basic principles which, if consistently pursued, should yield quick and satisfactory results. The simplicity of these principles is such that an adherent to them should never be in doubt of the direction in which his efforts will yield maximum results.
What Is to Be Done
The plant must be caused to operate reliably. The plant should operate efficiently. In general, efficiency is a corollary of reliability. However, it must be realized that readiness for duty and ability to operate under abnormal conditions often take precedence over competitive score. The conception of the term “efficiency” should include such synonyms as capability, potency, productiveness, and effectiveness.
Normally all other considerations should be subordinated to reliable and efficient operations.
How It Is to Be Done
First, consider the use of immediately available means. Have information. The engineer officer must be completely and continuously informed of: (1) personnel, individually and collectively; (2) work to be done and its progress; (3) operating conditions; (4) paper work.
How to Obtain Information in an Available Form
Personnel.—Keep the watch, quarter, and station bills according to present requirements. Also, keep an individual card for each man showing: (a) name, (b) service number, (c) years of service, (d) years to serve, (e) rating and date, (f) special training or experience, (g) mark in general ability, (h) general remarks as to his character, personal problems, status with regard to courts-martial, ability to hold higher rating, etc.
Work.—Find out what work is to be done by (a) reference to logs, inspection reports, etc.; (b) personal inspection; (c) daily reports from leading petty officers; (d) indoctrination of all personnel to observe and report. List all work. Do not neglect items because they are of minor importance or because they will last a while longer without repair. Note that the flow of all work, both by ship’s force and by other repair forces, depends primarily on the excellence of the work list.
Inspect daily for work progress.
Keep check-off list of who is on what job.
Operation.—Determine best methods of operation by (a) study of pertinent information in available bulletins and pamphlets; (b) study of own logs and records; (c) consultation with engineer officers of other destroyers and with staff engineers.
Ascertain that best methods are continuously in effect by (a) personal inspection; (b) frequent routine reports by leading petty officers; (c) study of logs and records as they come to hand.
Paper Work.—Keep paper work continuous and up to date by (a) check-off list; (b) rigid requirements of petty officers in log-writing and data-keeping; (c) careful supervision by storekeeper of all supplies, spare parts, etc. His ledger should show amount allowed, amount on hand, condition of what is on hand, expected consumption, normal time to replace, and usual place of issue. This data should be kept up to date by frequent inventory and the use of a chit system.
How to Use Information
Personnel.—Each major subdivision of the engineering department must be definitely placed under a single supervisor. The firerooms must be placed in charge of a capable man whose duties are fundamentally executive and supervisory. It is of utmost importance to note that the scope of his primary duties is so great that it cannot be allowed to suffer by reason of active participation in repair work. It is not desirable for this man to stand watch, but he should be available at all times. The engine- rooms should be placed in charge of a capable man whose duties are similar to those of the man in charge of the firerooms. The auxiliary station must be put in charge of a capable man whose duties are primarily executive and supervisory. The personnel attached to this station is relatively small. Therefore, the man in charge must take an active part in repair work so that the percentage of available man-hours be not disproportionately sacrificed. The electrical station must be in charge of a capable man whose duties are similar to those of the man in charge of the auxiliary station.
In addition to the above stations, competent men must perform the following duties: oil king, storekeeper, lathe hand, and main-generator repair man.
Work.—The sequence of the day’s work normally should be: (1) brightwork, etc.; (2) upkeep; (3) cleaning up. None of these three subdivisions may be neglected without harmful effect on the other two.
The engineer officer personally must assign all work. This should be done daily for the following day, after consultation with the leading petty officers. The work designated should be posted in such a form that each individual of the engineering department will read after his name his task for the day.
To properly assign work, estimates of man-hours must be made. Since not more than six type jobs exist in a destroyer engineering department, a little practice renders easy the accurate estimate of manhours.
Estimates should be made from the point of view that man-hours are to be suited to the work on hand rather than that the work on hand is to be apportioned according to available man-hours.
Continuous supervision of work must be exercised by leading petty officers.
The engineer officer must inspect each important job frequently and all jobs after completion.
The general priority of work should be: (1) little jobs by ship, and emergency jobs; (2) big jobs by ship; (3) tender jobs; (4) navy yard jobs. In this manner small jobs will not be allowed to pile up until they overwhelm the work load and complicate the work list.
Operation.—Regular periods should be set aside for the instruction of personnel. Instructions regarding the use of each piece of machinery should be posted adjacent thereto. These instructions should include not only the ordinary operations of starting, stopping, and handling casualties, but also pertinent data relative to speeds, pressures, combinations, etc., to meet varying conditions of power and operation.
Paper work.—A careful inspection of data found in logs and reports will frequently result in the detection of faults in operation and upkeep and will form the basis of many ideas of improvement.
Consider means of building for the future. Train personnel (a) by requiring petty officers to do so; (b) by regularly organized school and instruction. Training should be based on repairs and on operation, including knowledge of what is being worked for in the way of performance.
Give personnel reasonable hope of advancement in rating.
Do not neglect training beyond the requirements of your own ship.
Indoctrinate deck officers in methods by which they can assist in establishing good engineering practice and performance.
Keep the commanding officer fully informed at all times. Show him that you are working with him and abhor the defensive attitude.
The health and comfort of the engineer force should be a matter of concern. Living quarters and clothes must be kept clean. Rations must be satisfactory.
It is important that the engineer officer balance his mental attitude so that he will always be working on fundamentals. A few simple tenets followed consistently will help to establish such a balance.
Do not perform work that a subordinate can be caused to do with equal efficiency.
Subject the advice of subordinates to strict analysis.
Cultivate the inspection habit.
The product of available man-hours times the work to be accomplished cannot yield a constant competition percentage over a period of years.
There is no mysterious thing which, when found, will solve the problem of efficient and economical operation.
It is particularly difficult to start constructive action which will require continuous effort.
A few minutes’ consideration will render apparent the most important motif of the day’s work.
Action should not be taken nor permission given without consideration of the result.
Cleanliness promotes health in valve stems, pump rods, bushings, bearings, and glands, as well as in personnel.
The system of administration outlined above requires of the engineer officer from three to five working hours a day.