Why Is Automatic Assembly Line Necessary?

In 1913, Henry Ford’s first moving Automatic Assembly Line was a mechanical process that added parts to an object as it is moved through a system. It allowed for faster manufacturing time than by-hand created products. The Model T moved through a conveyor system as workers attached different parts to it. Using these steps increased efficiency and reduced costs as the car was created at a much faster rate, resulting in even more cars being created per workday.

Creating Specific Jobs for Specific Roles
Ford's idea to create an assembly line for his manufacturing transformed the auto industry from a skilled, artisan craft into a true industrial powerhouse. It allowed him to increase production at an exponential rate by streamlining the process. Instead of having to find and hire skilled auto builders who were able to build a Model T from the ground up, Ford created specific jobs around each area of manufacturing a car.

He no longer had to find one person who knew how to build an entire vehicle, but rather could hire unskilled workers and train them to do one specific part of the assembly of a car. Those new workers became experts in welding a frame, installing a steering wheel, or putting on tires. With such specialization, the workers were not only experts but also became much faster at each step of the process.

Why Sales Managers Need an Assembly Line
Much like the auto industry, traditional broadcasting companies were also founded in the early half of the last century. Our business models and sales structures were created almost 100 years ago. Has the technology that we use changed in that time? Absolutely. But, have we changed the foundation of our sales structure in that time? Not really.

Most sales organizations are still running the same basic way that we did 30, 50, even 75 years ago. We still look for salespeople that can do it all. They need to identify new prospects, set appointments, conduct needs analysis meetings, create presentations, present, close, manage clients, and collect payment.