What was lacking was one authority to
coordinate all the parts the process (R&D, drafting,
toolmaking, and production) and the organization control it
from laboratory Works. This haphazard approach production
.VIII-37
centralized control the production process apart from the
superintendent the Edison Phonograph Works who was unable to
55
keep track the many changes made his foremen.
The great number design changes Edison phonographs
made life difficult for the dealers, who often found out that
the "improvement" often led malfunction another part of
the machine. The lab
and Phonograph Works certainly had the personnel and resources
to continually redesign the phonograph, and they did!
The problem was organize these forces able to
make changes quickly and readjust all manufacturing
processes suit. many
cases dealers had overhaul and repair machines before they
could sold. The dealers were confused the continual
modification the product and many cases they were not
told about changes— they had find out for themselves by
examining the machine! Edison dealers had plenty complain
about: modifications that did not work, changes the machine
that made its operation difficult, and poor assembly. There was central authority or
position the Works lab that could administer engineering
changes, and organization that could integrate the job of
production engineering into the work several different
organizations
