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What´s Total Cost Minimization?

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What is total cost minimization, and how does it affect our everyday lives? It is a very important process, that has a strong affect on the economy. The introduction of the assembly line had a tremendous effect on the process of total cost minimization. Without the assembly line, we would not be where we are today. The assembly line is also called progressive production. Two very important requirements for assembly lines to work, is that the product must contain interchangeable parts, and use conveyors to move the product along during production. This led to the assembly line being perfected in the automobile manufacturing industry. We are very grateful to Henry Ford, because he was one of the first people to effectively use the assembly line …show more content…

He built the Model T, and became one of the first American automobile manufacturers in 1908. He was always looking for ways to increase production speed, and lower prices of vehicles. Ford thought that bringing the work to the worker, was more effective than moving the worker to the work. He first discovered this when he had a Model T frame, pulled through the factory by rope, and assembled on its way. This significantly improved the manufacturing time, and led him to start using the moving assembly line. “By the year 1913, Ford introduced the first moving assembly belts in his plants.” After the moving assembly line was introduced, less skilled workers were required to do a task, and a large part of the task was automated. This led to the hiring of more unskilled workers for lower wages, rather than skilled workers. Tasks were broken up into smaller pieces, and a worker was only associated with one specific …show more content…

The wartime economy kept America busy, they now were manufacturing aircraft, ships, and tanks. Not to mention helmets, and many other supplies needed during war. It was also during this time that many African American workers, and women workers were hired in these factories. There had not been many African American, or women workers in factories before this time, because they were not seen as competent. They proved themselves during the wartime economy, and forever changed the structure of the factory workers. It is strongly believed, that one of the reasons the Americans won World War II, was due to them mastering the manufacturing industry. They were effectively able to produce weapons, and supplies, faster, and cheaper than any other

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