The superintendent the Works had responsibility for
tool design and manufacturing techniques. The work was carried by
Edison himself (when the mood caught him), and the managers and
foremen the Edison Phonograph Works. Peter Weber, who held
the post the early 20th century, carried out important work
. The numerous
delays were fatal the growing competition the phonograph
market where the competition often beat the National Phonograph
Company introducing new technology. Although
several experimenters worked phonographs, there was no
permanent position the laboratory devoted the production
engineering the phonograph.
Edison was not slow realize that organized and
effective production engineering was the key maintaining
high sales. The work product development was
consequently plagued with delays; time-consuming engineering
changes and the growing confusion the Phonograph Works made
it difficult innovate commercial schedules." 51
The more new designs were produced the lab, the more
production changes had made. The chaos the Phonograph
Works became steadily worse the early years the twentieth
century the Edison laboratory pushed forward with several
new phonographs. Yet the important job production engineering was
widely dispersed about the laboratory and Works.VIII-35
without red tape— that is, they could find their way though
the maze cubby holes and partitions that formed the factory
floor
