15. Time-study clerk.—Since the function of time studies will be taken up later, it will not be necessary to say more here about the duties of the time-study clerk except that he must make such elementary time studies as are necessary in determining the best methods to be followed in the performance of each class of work.
16. Instruction-card clerk.—The man -Who holds the position of instruction-card clerk should have a high appreciation of the importance of detail. This office is often combined with that of the time clerk because so much of the work of the instruction-card clerk depends upon knowledge obtained from the time-study. His duty, clearly indicated by his title, is to prepare instruction cards showing the method to be followed in the performance of each operation, what tools are to be used, in what sequence the opera tions should be performed, the time to be taken for each operation, etc.
17. Route-file clerk.—When the route clerk has finished his sheet and diagram, he passes them over to the route-file clerk, whose duty it is to transfer the information from these route sheets to suitably sized slips of paper, tags, etc., whereby the route clerk's information can be carried to the storeroom, the shop and the various other places connected with the per formance of the work. For example, there will be an order on the storeroom for material from which the article is to be made, a tag to be attached to the lot or part, an order for each operation, for the inspection that takes place at the start of each operation, for the inspection of the work when it is completed on the lot, and for moving the materials from one place to an other.
These forms are made out for each unit into which the work has been divided by the route clerk. An envelop sheet, bearing its appropriate symbol whereby it can be easily recognized, is then prepared. In this are placed the operation orders, etc., pertaining to -that unit. The envelop sheet is then filed for the use of the record clerk, whose work begins as soon as the work on this job starts.
18. Order-of-work elerk.—Altho the route clerk has already shown how and where the work is to be done, nevertheless it requires another man to adminis ter the order of work to the employes in the shop ; the medium which he uses is the bulletin board.
As soon as the job is ready to be put into the shop, the record file is taken from its place and the various operation orders are removed and placed in the pos session of the order-of-work clerk. Being thoroly familiar with the work of the plant, he knows the ca pacity of both men and machines. He sees that the various jobs ahead of each machine are taken up and performed in accordance with their relative impor tance. In deciding this he is, of course, guided by the schedule furnished him by the production clerk, already mentioned. On the bulletin board, therefore, will be displayed notice of each job and of the ma chine to vvhich it is assigned. Furthermore, it can be seen at once whether the job is being worked upon, whether it is to be done next, as soon as the job under way has been finished, or whether it stands further down on. the list.
Besides having a good memory, this clerk must also be endowed with considerable tact, since he must se cure much of his information from the various fore men and inspectors in the shop. Thru his contact with them he keeps continually informed as to the best., worlunen and the capabilities of the various machineS,, as well as to the grades of work which each is capable, of performing. , 19. The eye of the superintendent—Without go ing into the shop, therefore, the superintendent can see in advance what machines and what men are occu pied. If for any reason the order-of-work clerk does not find work for some of the men, he must at once no tify the superintendent or whoever is the proper per son. It will also be his duty to inform the proper authority in case there are not enough men to handle the work which is already on the floor or which is planned for some particular period. The bulletin board referred to is the most important device in the planning department ; it will be described later, when the routing of an order thru the shop is taken up.
The order-of-work clerk is a very active person.