ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the plans for the Commentry-Fourchambault et Decazeville factory, where the day-to-day decision making meant that these plans changed regularly and focuses at the successive plans for the Decazeville site from 1892 onwards for its extension and growth in production. It also examines the overall corporate plans for 1898 and 1902 to understand how they were structured. Henri Fayol used plans as a means of dialogue to convince the board of directors. In 1898 forecasts were given for the coming five years and accounted for 45" of the document whereas in 1908 ten-year forecasts only occupied 25 per cent of the plan but were more precise than those of 1898, indicating tonnages, investments, cost prices, sales prices and profits. Fayol took planned investments in new technologies as a starting point and then calculated the financial consequences for prices and profits, where his main objective was to lower cost prices.