Henry Ford

Ford proved that bringing work to the worker on a moving line could transform output and cost, an idea that runs through every conveyor and goods-to-person system in today's warehouses. At Highland Park, the moving line cut Model T assembly time from about 12 hours to roughly 93 minutes, and the car's price fell sharply. Modern fulfillment centers apply the same principle when conveyors, sorters, or mobile robots bring totes and shelves to stationary pickers and packers instead of having people walk. His focus on flow, standard work, and volume also influenced Toyota, which later adapted it into lean production.

• Conveyor SystemBelts and rollers that move totes and cartons
• Goods-to-PersonGTPAutomation brings stock to the picker
• ThroughputWork completed per hour or per day

• Frederick Winslow Taylor1856–1915 · Father of scientific management
• Taiichi Ohno1912–1990 · Architect of the Toyota Production System
• Eiji Toyoda1913–2013 · Toyota president and chairman

• Ford Moving Assembly Line1913 · Ford moves cars past workers at fixed stations

1. Highland Park: birthplace of the moving assembly line (Ford) fromtheroad.ford.com
2. Henry Ford (ASME) asme.org