The Principles of Scientific Management

86 THE PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT In most cases (particularly when the work to be done is intricate in its nature) the “development of the science” is the most important of the four great elements of the new management. There are instances, however, in which the “scientific selection of the workman” counts for more than anything else. A case of this type is well illustrated in the very simple though unusual work of inspecting bicycle balls. When the bicycle craze was at its height some years ago several million small balls made of hardened steel were used annually in bicycle bearings. And among the twenty or more operations used in mak- ing steel balls, perhaps the most important was that of inspecting them after final polishing so as to remove all fire-cracked or otherwise imperfect balls before boxing. The writer was given the task of systematizing the largest bicycle ball factory in this country. This company had been running for from eight to ten years on ordinary day work before he undertook its reorganization, so that the one hundred and twenty or more girls who were inspecting the balls were “old hands” and skilled at their jobs. It is impossible even in the most elementary work to change rapidly from the old independence of individual day work to scientific cooperation. In most cases, however, there exist certain imper- fections in working conditions which can at once be improved with benefit to all concerned. In this instance it was found that the inspectors