Although the subject of industrial management in navy yards has been talked to death since the first departure from the bureau system was made in 1909, no solution of the problem has been accepted by the department as to the best type of management to put in force in all the yards. There are no two yards organized alike, and even where the manufacturing divisions have been consolidated into one industrial department, no common type of management is found. It is considered possible, however, despite the differences in organization, to approach ideal methods of accomplishing work in the yards that will be the same for all and it is proposed to discuss certain of these methods.
I. THE ENDS IN VIEW
There should first be defined the ends in view of the ideal system of management and it is considered that these should be,
(a) To secure the completion of work in the order of its importance, including the earliest possible completion of urgent work.
(b) To avoid starting work until it can be carried through continuously and without delays, due to lack of material or other causes.
(c) To lay out work ahead so as to keep the working force constantly busy, avoiding the necessity of fluctuations in the force as far as practicable.
(d) To perform work in an economical and satisfactory manner.
(e) To provide a method for the management to ascertain with the least delay the exact status of all work in hand and the best way to re-schedule it, necessitated by taking up more urgent work.
The above purposes to be accomplished are mutually dependent, and the first and last named are especially important for work on ship repairs. It is most necessary not only to complete repairs to vessels of the fleet as soon as possible, but it may be vital to ascertain in advance the date on which they will be completed. The cost of ship work has often to be subordinated to the time in which it has to be done, but good management does not postulate extravagance. Navy yards are primarily for the maintenance of the fleet and it is a military, even if not industrial, necessity to know exactly how all fleet work stands, what new work may be undertaken, and its time of completion.
II. MEANS OF SECURING THE ENDS
To secure the above stated ends the following means should be used:
(a) Plan all authorized work in detail by technical experts in a central office down to the point where the separate shop-planning offices can further plan for inside work, and to the point where the leading man thoroughly understands what is to be done on outside work.
(b) Analyze each job into the operations necessary for its performance, estimating the number of men and days required for each operation, and preparing a chronological schedule of the operations, showing the number of days after the job is started when each operation should be commenced and completed.
(c) Prepare drawings to accompany specifications of jobs when necessary.
(d) Obtain the material necessary for the job by the time it is needed.
(e) Set dates in advance for the starting and completion of each operation of a job, the dates being set according to the date of completion desired for the entire job and as the working force permits.
(f) Provide for constant supervision of work and men.
(g) Maintain a continuous record of the status of all work and the distribution and work ahead for the force.
III. DISCUSSION OF THE MEANS
Centralized planning of work is necessary to coordinate the operations of a job involving work by more than one shop force. But it is not necessary nor desirable to plan in the central office the parts of an operation performed in but one shop; each shop should have a local planning office of its own for that purpose and for the purpose of shop routing.
Centralized dispatching of both work and men is vital, for in no other way can the first three mentioned "Ends in View" be met. The work must be scheduled and the force distributed simultaneously. It is not possible to divide the function of dispatching among the shops for the dates set, for the various operations of a job must fit into each other, necessitating a coordinating central office.
No workman should be detailed to a job until it has been ascertained that he can proceed with that work, i. e., that the necessary preliminary operations have been completed; that accessibility to the work has been provided, including staging, if necessary; that pneumatic power, lights, etc., are at hand, if necessary, and that he is provided with the proper tools and detailed specifications for proceeding with the work. To accomplish this, the work must be planned out in advance and dates so set that the workman may begin when ordered.
The means provided may be grouped into the three functions of planning, dispatching, and execution.
IV. PLANNING
The function of planning includes preparations of the specifications, drawings, analysis of the work into the chronological operations necessary for its performance, estimate of men-days to perform each operation, schedule of number of days after the job is started that each operation should be started and completed, and ordering the material. The entire function should be placed under one head, but the duties should be carried out in three sections—planning, drafting, and material.
The planner examines the item of work to be undertaken, specifies exactly what is to be done, orders drawings, if necessary, lists the material needed, words the job order, analyzes it into operations, and schedules the operations.
The draftsman examines the work, in company with the planner, and should consult the latter freely. The planner should list the material called for by the drawing, in addition to all other material necessary for the job. Careful lined drawings should not be prepared unless necessary or for "repeat" work; dimensioned sketches should be used whenever possible.
The material clerk has the material listed by the planner checked to see if it is in store, and, if so, reserves it for the job. If not in store, he orders it to be delivered by dates set by the planner, who is guided by the completion date of the vessel, or instructions of the head of the planning department.
The job order to perform the work issued by the planning department should include the account number to which to charge the cost, the specifications of the job, the analysis by operations into separate shop orders, and the time schedule. It should be accompanied by the material list checked to show items reserved in store, and due dates for those not in store; and by the drawings.
No further planning should be necessary for outside work, but for work inside a shop, the shop order should be further planned out and material routed by the shop planning office.
V. DISPATCHING
The dispatching office should issue the shop orders with dates so set that
(a) The total outside force in any trade need not be increased.
(b) The total outside force in each trade is kept busy without necessity for discharges.
(c) The dates set for shop work may be met.
(d) The shop force need not be decreased or increased.
(e) The work in a given compartment is laid out logically, i.e., first work on decks or bulkheads, then piping, conduit, fittings, etc., and lastly painting.
(f) No interference occurs due to crowding in a compartment, working two gangs on one object simultaneously, etc.
The dispatching office coordinates the work of the various trades on the different ships—this coordination could not be accomplished if left to the shop-planning offices.
The dispatching office should contain the following mechanical aids to accomplish its work:
(a) Trade Board.—Shows the number of mechanics of each trade available to-day, and the number scheduled for to-day and each succeeding day.
(b) Progress Board.—Shows the number of men of each trade working on given operations each day.
(c) Tickler Rack.—Consists of a number of dated pockets, into which is placed one copy of each shop order when issued, according to date of completion.
(d) Job Order Rack.—A file of outstanding job orders arranged according to ship and job number.
Upon receipt of a job order the locality should be examined by the dispatching office to see that the job may be started and that it does not conflict with other authorized work. The trade board should be examined to see when the men-days required by the schedule will become available. If the item is urgent the date to start should at once be entered and existing work re-scheduled to allow the new work to be done at once. Setting the starting date automatically sets the completion date and the date to start and complete each operation—all the men-days required for the job are then entered on the trade board.
The shop orders scheduled should be issued five days, where possible, ahead of their starting dates, and when issued the mendays required should be entered on the progress board and a copy of the order placed in the tickler rack.
VI. EXECUTION
The actual execution of all outside work should be under the supervision of but one official—the outside superintendent, and he should also have control of the dispatching office. He should be assisted by a dispatching superintendent in charge of the dispatching office, and by ship superintendents, in charge of the work on the various ships—no two superintendents being assigned to work on the same ship.
The work is followed up on the ship by the ship superintendent to see that it is done properly and economically.
The work is followed up on the schedules by the dispatching superintendent, to see that it is done without delay and is completed by the dale desired.
The workmen are directly supervised by the leading men, quartermen, foremen, and ship superintendent.
Upon receiving a shop order for work the leading man should fulfill the following requirements before assigning it to his work men, unless the directions on the face of the order are sufficiently clear to show none of them necessary:
(a) He should personally investigate the work to be done and ask for further instructions at the dispatching office, if details are not clear or complete, and upon assigning a workman to the job, he should thoroughly instruct the man as to what is to be done; should inform him as to what tools are necessary, and should see that the necessary material has been delivered. Sufficient tools and material for at least half a day's work should be taken to the job when work is begun.
(b) He should ascertain whether the work can be proceeded with before sending a workman to the job; in particular whether free access be provided; necessary material on hand; dependent operations completed; and compressed air, light, staging, etc., provided if necessary. The dispatching officer will have provided the foregoing as far as can have been foreseen when issuing the shop order, but the leading man should make sure all have been provided, before sending the man to work.
The execution of work inside the shops should be supervised by the shop superintendent and the foremen, assisted by the shop planning offices, which should be organized to plan out all shop details; including providing material, tools, templates; laying out work, moving from machine to machine; and providing a work card ahead for every workman. Shop leading men should oversee the performance.
VII. PRACTICABILITY
The practicability of the foregoing methods have been demonstrated at the navy yard, Puget Sound, where they have been in more or less complete operation since July, 1911. Exhibits of the schedule, trade board, and progress board as used at that yard are here shown.