In the early 20th century, it took several weeks or months to produce a single car by hand. Workers performed multiple tasks that were dependent on each other, and the production of the parts of the vehicle was often of inconsistent quality. They also had to share the same space, often colliding while moving parts in a single room or performing individual tasks. Everyone could do anything, but little was accomplished on a daily basis. The process was terribly slow.
He who is everywhere is nowhere. - Seneca
But one simple idea revolutionized the flow. What if the process was split into smaller pieces? So, they used the conveyor belt in 1901 where the workers were stationed to perform specific tasks. No more multitasking, everyone performed simpler specific tasks within their working space, which significantly improved productivity. Not only did the speed increase, but the quality of individual parts improved by observing and fixing repetitive actions. The much more sophisticated version came to light in 1913, when Henry Ford applied assembly line techniques to mass production as we know it today.
When a company starts, it usually has one or two people who take care of everything - invoicing, promotion, planning, shipping the product, and so on. When the first employee is hired, many of these tasks are given to the employee. Not only do we believe that the new colleague would have a better understanding of the process, but also we can easily fulfill their 8-hour day with multiple tasks.
This may work at early stages, but it is flawed and should be discontinued. Why should one person, for example, have the responsibility of invoicing, packing, and planning? Or, to make it clear, I am going to exaggerate (or am I?), Why should an accountant in the office have the responsibility of packing in the warehouse, invoicing the clients, planning marketing promotions, etc.? Having your employees perform multiple tasks and be able to perform them individually is very inefficient.
Having a devoted employee who can and does anything in the company would make sense. They can replace or substitute anybody (in case of vacations, retirement), see the entire process (one person instead of multiple people), and can pinpoint its issues (single source). But the problem is obvious when the employee suddenly quits, has an excessive amount of tasks already, or is absent for whatever reason. In a hurry, you change the responsibilities of another employee, who is now unable to finish their own tasks. Too many dependencies and problems arise. Many startups or middle-sized businesses have positions where employees know and perform more than they need to, and the flow falls like a house of cards.
To avoid this:
- describe individual processes in the company (accounting, marketing, human resources, etc.),
- specify the duties and responsibilities for the employee in that position (what is the expected output),
- strip all unnecessary responsibilities of the employee (accountant is accountant, manager is manager).
Remember: if an employee is doing something they are not supposed to do, something is wrong and needs to be addressed. Not to mention, that you are also asking an employee for help outside of their duties."
ADVANTAGES
The point being, one should do one thing only. Here are a few advantages of assembly line or single responsibility:
Increased efficiency and productivity
Doing the task repeatedly becomes a habit and allows you to focus on other aspects such as quality and speed.
Better use of space
Not only physical but also mental space. Make instructions crystal clear and you eliminate distractions.
Improved quality
If an employee has multiple responsibilities, you may have things done, but the quality is questionable. Split responsibilities and improve quality.
Fluctuation of employees
Fewer responsibilities allows you to find a replacement for new employees much faster.
Greater flexibility
Easily modify changes in product design, production volume, or market demand. By dissecting the process it can be easily reconfigured.
Know-how
By not showing the full process, you also secure your know-how. Minimize the possibility of leaking information by splitting it into smaller pieces."
DISADVANTAGES
The assembly line is a form of a chain. Any major changes made generally mean that they need to be applied to the entire line. Also, a missing link in the chain (like an absent employee, unclear instructions) will put the entire process on hold if you have no backup.
By separating responsibilities, you may create more jobs too. Instead of having a guy-who-knows-it-all, hire by specialty. You do not need to hire full-time staff, but instead, find a freelancer or a one-time contractor.
CONCLUSION
Every big company is split into sections: administration, manual labor, management, accounting, sales, research, and all these sections are split into even smaller parts - where everybody has as few responsibilities as possible.
Simply, every position should have only one responsibility.
REVERSE
There is barely a situation where one person does all the work in business. Even artists, who create on their own, need specialists - business men, promoters, someone who builds the stage."