ABSTRACT
The Hoffmann Manufacturing Co. is a well-established engineering company employing some 6,000 people, having an asset valuation of nearly £12 million and specializing in some 40,000 types, sizes and grades of ball and roller bearings. This chapter provides information on the operation of the factory system and on training needs in the factory. At Chelmsford 4,000 employees are divided between three factories; No. 1 concentrating on the small size long run items, No. 2 on the same sizes but smaller runs, and No. 3 on the larger bearings. Special demands for output come from planning and progress and each unit seeks help in its production problems from the specialist services. Even the fortnightly production meetings at which everyone is present consist largely of a series of one-to-one discussions between the Factory Manager and each of his subordinates in turn.
