Investigating an industry Book

INVESTIGATING AN INDUSTRY A SCIENTIFIC DIAGNOSIS OF THE DISEASES OF MANAGEMENT - 1914 - CONTENTS - PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PA GE V CHAPTER I. GENERAL C ONSIDERATION . S . . . . . . . I IV. THE A CCOUNTIN A G ND SALES D EPARTMENT . S . . 37 V. THE D OCTOR P S R ELIMINA R R E Y P ORT . . . . 52 I VI. THE, SALESMEN CONFERENCE . . . . . , . . 68 VII. THE D OCTOR O S P INIONS A ND RECOMMENDATIO . N S 82 VIII. PROPOSED R EORGANIZATIO O N F THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 IX. DUTIES O F THE FUNCTIONA C L O MMITTEE O S F THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS . . . . IOg APPENDIX-A NEW KIND OF FACTOREYX PERT-THE LEAK HUNTER . . . . . 117 PREFACE - THIS book is a reprint, with a few slight alterations, of a series of nine articles that appeared in Industrial Engineering, February to October, 1913. It relates to the application of the principles of scientific. management to all industrial problems, , including those of distribution and selling, and incidentally treats of some of the causes of the high cost of living - INTRODUCTION - MR. KENT is not attempting to put before the public a new idea he is simply elaborating an old one. In fact, his whole book is based on the old saying Look before you leap. In other words, find out all possible facts about an industry before making up your mind about it. Many intelligent people will tell you that they do investigate thoroughly any enterprise before going into it, yet not a few enterprises fail for reasons that could have been known beforehand. Everybody agrees that the prospects of a new enterprise should be very carefully investigated before it is gone into, but the failures from causes that could have been foreseen are sufficiently numerous to make it clear that as yet such investigations have not always included all the factors involved. The great value of Mr. Kents book is that he puts the subject in concrete form, and shows clearly what may de accomplished by proper work in this field. It is not to be expected that many readers will agree in detail with all of Mr. Kents suggestions, but they will set people to thinking. The fact that he so strongly insists on the application of the scientific method as far as possible to all business problems is of great importance, for in the past too many questions have r been decided by judgment, which is of ten another word for guess. . Before, however, the use of the scientific method can become universal, our leading men must appreciate its value, which they do not to-day. 3a any great extent. He also makes clear that it is not only ...