154 The Stock Market Crash—And After
ments, work ahead of the plant, inventories of raw
materials and of finished product, costs and other
data.
“The figures in the monthly spaces represented
the quantities planned for each month. A light
line showed what was actually done during the
month, and a heavy line showed that cumulative re-
sult compared with the plan. If everything had been
done as planned, all the heavy lines would end under
a large “V”,
“This chart showed the chief executive that, al
though the orders had been exceeding the quota,
there was very little work ahead of his plant and
that he had on hand a stock of finished goods equal to
five months of normal sales. He, therefore, under-
took a more intensive selling campaign. The value
of such a chart lies in the fact that the chief executive
has before him absolute facts, and he does not need
to rely on the opinions or impressions of others.
“Similar charts are being used in government and
private industries by executives who direct a num-
ber of plants which make different products so closely
related that any lack of progress in one immediately
affects the others. From a single chart of this kind a
single executive directs the progress of iron mines,
blast furnaces, a rolling mill, a foundry and a large
machine shop.”
“Does this process of planning and coérdination
do away with preconceived notions?”
“As the scientific organization of a business enter-
prise progresses and the methods described are used