The Business Man's Encyclopedia Vol. 1 Books 1 - IV
A. W. SHAW COMPANY, 1912

BOOK I

THE PROCESSING DEPARTMENT.

The managing of the Processing Department of a business is one of the largest problems of the industrial world. The different manufacturing processes which make up the work of this department, even in the making of an ordinary product demand the highest managerial powers. Processing begins with the buying of the raw material, the second step being the various operations which change it from the raw material to finished product. When the product is laid down in the shipping room for sale, the work of the Processing Department is finished.

The theory of the Processing Department is that all work shall be done upon orders. This is indeed the key to new manufacturing methods. No work will be done or material will be used unless there has been an order given for it. By distribution of the authority to order, the problem of the management of the Processing Department is supervised. For instance, the authority of the General Manager will extend over the various departments below him. Each employee beneath the rank of General Manager will be given so much authority as is called for by the needs of the business.

The foreman of the various departments having received an order from the management, will use their judgment up to a certain point, as to the department in which that material is to be worked up, the kind and amount of material that is to be used, and the number of employees who are to be engaged upon it. The routing of work therefore, is under the immediate supervision of the foreman and heads of the various departments and under the general supervision of higher authority. Such, in outline are the methods in use by all well organized Processing Departments.

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