From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Setup of a new subcontract office in Glasgow, based on learnings from the Belper office.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27\3\ Scan195 | |
| Date | 3rd October 1939 | |
| To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls}1/JH.3.10.39. GLASGOW & Sft{Mr Swift}/CH's Subcontract Office. Yesterday I visited this office at Belper to get a line on how to run a similar office at Glasgow. CH. was very aware that when Crewe, Glasgow & Austin get going there will be a shortage of good subcontractors and hence possible unpleasantness between the assembly firms as to procedure of work outside. This does seem a very serious problem as CH. already gets considerable work done in Scotland. The attached chart shows the routine of the paper work in the Derby subcontract office. Provided the progress card is kept up to date (which it is said to be) and entered up immediately every G/R sheet arrives it will provide a good history of the position of each part. Whenever a fresh order for the same part goes to a subcontractor a new card is started on a fresh SC number. It is therefore possible at any time to check material at subcontractors although this is not done. Outside engineers who report on new firms (generally suggested by the Air Ministry) send in a hand written report on ordinary paper. There is no filed record of the machine capacity of each subcontractor. CH. said they used to have more paper giving reports from the outside inspectors of the position of work.in hand but have found this unnecessary. The late high spots do not vary and are well known. It is the duty of the members of CH's. staff to know the position of their jobs and urge them when necessary. Improvements suggested for Glasgow :- (1) Filed record of machines at subcontractors. (2) Progress cards to have running total and ± columns. (3) checked once a week and shortage list supplied to department manager. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Gry.{Shadwell Grylls} | ||