Chapter 3: Taylor’s Illusion: An Historical Account of the Progression of the “TFW Virus”

I was interested in comparing SEAM with the classic factory systems of Frederick Taylor and the more contemporary Japanese lean factory system. To address the issue, I looked at the genesis of these approaches and also reflected on Vincent Cristallini's paper about how the Taylor-Fayol-Weber “virus” contagion spreads.

Basically, Taylorism's principles can be summarized as the search and analysis for the “one best way.” Taylor was notorious for analyzing the best way to perform a manufacturing operation. This best way included the best materials, the best tools, the best machines and the best sequence of the work using the least amount of time. He diligently worked at perfecting this concept throughout his career and it became the foundation of his book The Principles of Scientific Management.