Assign to each foreman a package of work which he is able to perform. In order for a foreman to do his job properly, the demands on his time must be brought within reasonable bounds. Each foreman position was reviewed by the manufacturing manager and the human resources executive to make this determination. The span of control for each foreman is reviewed to ascertain whether he has too many people and cannot get to know each one or effectively manage and administer the group.

Additionally, if the number of hourly rated control-men or other senior hourly rates employees is not sufficient to free foremen from minor decisions such as quality checks, need for more parts, or ways to perform an operation, these people are added by upgrade from within the ranks. They are then clearly instructed in what they are authorized to do and not to do, and the foreman concurs in this delegation of authority.

Until the foreman development program can produce candidates, foreman trainees are assigned in areas of excessive work to supervise groups that required more attention than the foreman is able to give them. These trainees are more than just assistants who sat at the foreman elbow; they are assigned to direct areas of responsibility with full authority and accountability.

Specific goals are identified to improve services to the foremen. Where there is a deficiency in vital services-slow parts delivery, inadequate tool servicing, defective materials the responsible manager establish the specific steps to improve these services so as to relieve the foremen of the expediting duties which they have to assume to accomplish their basic production task. The whole area of materials control is carefully audited, and the best talent is assigned to make it more effective.

Relieve the foreman of responsibilities that can be performed more efficiently and more economically by others. One of the common complaints of foremen has to do with the necessity to process a large volume of clerical work such as timekeeping which can be done by clerical people if they are available. Foremen shall sign voucher sheets and exception payments, but not routine reports. Briefly, it is determined how much clerical help isreally required by each foreman, and provision is made to obtain that help.

Adjust current manufacturing practices and procedures to accommodate the new personnel being recruited. It is recognized that more managerial care and attention is required in recruiting and in manufacturing to make more effective use of newly hired employees. New practices are designed to get a more selective group of new employees into the factory and then, to give them more care and attention than previously.

Three specific measures are established. The first is development of an employment program to be administered by the human resources executive; its purpose is to acquaint new employees with factory work and working conditions, thus influencing their basic attitudes and attuning them to the demands of factory employment. This eventually become a one-day induction or employment entry program.

The second step is to hire a full-time counselor, reporting to the human resources executive, to work on the problem of absenteeism and its causes and cure. He spend his time following up daily and counseling with absentees to get them to realize the necessity for prompt, daily attendance. While this is normally the first-line supervisor responsibility, the high incidence of absenteeism couple with the stringent demands on the foreman time and the difficulties in communicating with disadvantaged employees needs the employment of a counselor for optimum handling. Absenteeism is cut from more than 4 percent to 3 percent and thus reduced a number of associated problems.

The third step is to train key hourly rated people in job instruction techniques and the specifics of assembling new models so they would be better prepared to train and assist personnel on the line as new models were introduced. Major improvement in quality and production results, with attendant reduction in scrap and rework.

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Category: Business
Keywords: Business, Organization, Structure, capital, Development, Credit, Sales, Communication, Resources, Em