Return to 1965-1969

Vision 048

Our Division has been renamed
Production and Supply Operations
and we have a new department
called Production and Supply
Planning. Why the change? And
what is it all about anyway ? These
questions are answered by Mr.
Gwilym H. Peregrine, Controller
of the new Department, in this
article he wrote for VISION.
Basically the change was made to
simplify our Company organisation and
to give total responsibility for all
aspects of engineering, production and
supply to one Director-Mr. I-.
Wickstead.
Previously one part of the supply
planning function had been associated
with Distribution at Denham and had
acted as an independent link between
Marketing and Production, and the
other part of the supply plaililios function
had been located w thin the
Product ion Control dep.ii t mem at
Mitcheldean. The new orgaimailon
thus has two big advantages:
I. It brings together the Mitcheldean
and Denham supply planning functions
into a single new Department- Production
and Supply Planning-under my
control.
2. It allows that new Department to
talk on behalf of the Production and
Supply Operations Division-direct to
the Marketing Divisions.
Now ‘Production and Supply Planning’
sounds very complicated. What
does it mean? The answer is: doing all
the work necessary to ensure that our
operating companies have available to
them-at the right time and in the right
quantities-all the machines, consumables
and spare parts necessary to meet
the agreed company programmes.
Read quickly. that may not sound
PHOTOS A HAMBLIN
Mr. J. W. Evans is Supply Planning Manager at Mitcheldean.
2
very much-but think what is involved
over our ever-increasing product range!
Current products:
_ Agreeing the installation forecast
with Marketing.
Proposing and getting agreement to
the ‘new build’ and remodelling programmes.
Preparing schedules for action by
both Purchasing and Production to
ensure that all the thousands of different
piece parts are available at the right
time.
Keeping stock records.
Covering instruction for the issue of
all parts as required.
New products
D Co-ordinating plans v. ithin the Division
in liaison with Marketing Servicesand
then all the things which are covered
under Current Products above.
Spare parts (important for any company-
but essential for a rental company
such as ours!)
Forecasting future demand.
LI Regulating stock levels.
Placing ‘orders’ on Purchasing and
on Production.
Controlling issues, etc.
Consumables (drums, developers, toners,
etc.)
Forecasting future demand.
Placing ‘programmes’ on the production
units at Elstree (soon to ritoe to
Welwyn) and Venray in Holland.
I regard as the first objective the
welding together of the Supply Planning
Departments at Mitcheldean and Denham
into one team. At Mitcheldean the
Supply Planning Manager is Mr. J. W.
Evans: at Denham it is Mr. N. Middleton.
Both Jim Evans and Neil Middleton
report to me and I in turn report to
Mr. Wickstead.
At Mitcheldean the Supply Planning
Department has been operative since
November 1 and consists of the former
Production Control sections responsible
for Procurement and Spares Planning.
In view of the complex nature of this
planning operation a considerable
amount of work has already been put
46.440111
Mr. Gwilym H. Peregrine, Controller
of Production and Supply Planning.
on our computers-particularly at
Mitcheldean where much progress has
already been made in developing sophisticated
programmes to meet our special
requirements.
This use of the computer in Supply
Planning will be greatly extended over
the next few years. It is an invaluable
tool as it can do a great deal of the
routine work-thus leaving the planning
staff much more free to ‘plan’ in the
true sense of the word..
The Production and Supply Planning
Department stands on two good feet,
one at Mitcheldean and one at Denham.
Working closely with the Marketing
Division distribution operations and the
operating companies on the one hand,
and with Engineering, Production and
Purchasing on the other hand, its firm
objective is to do the best possible job
for the Company in the years ahead.
3
lieeping it all
under control
Production Control has been ‘split’
twice over in the last few months and
as a result no longer exists as a
department.
This apparently drastic action was
taken in order to streamline the control
of supply, manufacture and storage
activities within the Plant.
The first `split’ -when the provisioning
functions of the department were
transferred to Production & Supply
Planning-is explained in the preceding
article by Mr. Peregrine.
The second occurred on January 1
when the remainder of Production
Control was divided into two separate
functions: Stores & Stock Control
Department (headed by Mr. James H.
Cannon), and Factory Progress Department
(under Mr. Maurice M. Brain).
It is on these two sections, together
with Purchase Department, that the
Department of Production & Supply
Planning relies to a great extent for the
meeting of agreed programmes.
As Factory Stores & Stock Control
Manager, Mr. Cannon is a man with
millions to look after. His brief is to be
responsible for the receiving, safe storage
and control of all items needed for the
production and supply of Xerox machines,
as provided for by the Production
& Supply Planning Department.
When you consider that the 720 alone
contains 858 purchased and 843 manufactured
items ranging from a major
assembly to a wiring tag used at the
rate of 220 per machine, you get some
idea of what is involved!
Terrific growth
The stores which now come under his
control include: the finished parts stores;
four product stores servicing the 660,
720, 2400/3600 and sorter production
lines; two main tool stores; two main
raw materials stores; and consumables
stores-consumables meaning anything
from a piece of rag to a special glue
costing 230s. per 4 oz. bottle.
As you can imagine, there has been a
terrific growth in stores activity in the
past 18 months, and Goods Inwards and
Despatch, which are also Mr. Cannon’s
responsibility, have been correspondingly
busy. He told us that whereas in
1966 something like 150 lorries a week
were unloaded in Goods Inwards, the
figure rose to 190 a week last year.
In addition to these responsibilities
Mr. Cannon fulfils another important
function-that of Factory Controller of
Engineering Orders.
Such an order is issued every time
new or modified piece parts are required
-perhaps for a modification to an
existing machine or the introduction of
a new model-and it is Mr. Cannon’s
job to work out exactly when the
change can be conveniently and economically
introduced into the production
line, and to ensure that parts are available
at the right time.
Motivating Man
Mr. Maurice M. Brain, as Manager-
Factory Progress Department, is the
Plant’s ‘Motivating Man’. He is responsible
for seeing that when Production &
Supply Planning issue an order for the
manufacture of any part, it is produced
on time, whether it is made inside the
factory or by sub-contractors. Naturally
he depends a good deal on his senior
progress chasers-and ‘they’re the best
bunch of boys you could wish to have’,
he told us.
Another motivating aspect of Mr.
Brain’s work is the control of all internal
factory transport, other than goods
movements inside actual manufacturing
departments. For this he has the use of
ten different types of vehicles, varying
from forklifts and Rillas to the articulated
lorries used for conveying completed
machines from the assembly
departments to the Warehouse.
Distinct advantage
Mr. C. W. Hotchen, Chief Production
Executive, to whom the two new sections
are responsible, commented: ‘We feel
that the creation of a separate Progress
Department whose sole objective is to
concentrate on motivating the factory
and its suppliers, so that everything is
at the right place at the right time, is
going to be a distinct advantage.’
The ‘split’ has not resulted in staff
being scattered in all directions. There
is need for close co-operation between
the different sections and this can be
achieved by staff remaining in their original
Production Control locations.
FAR LEFT Jim Cannon discussses with
Maurice Brain the organisation of internal
transport with regard to the delivery of
parts to the various stores. LEFT Ken
Scrivens, Raw Materials & Despatch
Stores Supervisor, and his chief look at
the rearranged storage of bar material in
the old Heat Treatment shop.
PHOTOS, A. HAMBLIN
COVER PI U
Scaffolding r a emporary store for
raw and part machined castings,
recently erected in the old car park
adjacent to Building 29 (Project 9).
It will accommodate approximately
900 large or 2,200 small stillages.
5
CROSSWORD
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ACROSS DOWN
1 What a beauty! (5) 1 Where to go rock-hunting (in Dry-
4 How you mean to go camping. (6) brook perhaps). (6)
9 You always do this when you are 2 Fire a schoolboy. (5)
satisfied. (7) 3 Time goes both ways. (4)
10 & 13 Two girls in one ?-again what 5 Sat on by thrifty birds. (4 & 4)
a beauty! (8) 6 Blow up your favourite picture. (7)
11 Food for a Swiss drummer. (4) 7 ‘Most exasperating’ said the Judge.
12 Run over by a car in reverse. (7) (6)
13 See 10. 8 A common joint in the wood. (5)
14 This is strictly for the girls (or a
sculptor). (4)
13 The biggest natural obstacle between
Rank Xerox and Xerox Corpora-
16 Song of joy. (4) tion. (8)
18 Silly humble creature-always being 15 Lose your grip on the fixture. (7)
sat on. (3) 17 Little church singer after 25. (6)
20 ‘Abandoned gold-mine’ you cry! (7) 18 Collect a great lump. (5)
21 Party life-partner. (4) 19 Entertainer (at a smoking concert?)
24 Flower factory. (5) (6)
25 Sub-assembly songster, worldfamous
when followed by 17. (7)
22 How lettuce leaves hide a little
bird. (5)
26 Hopeful word-do you get it? (6) 23 Look here-what a prospect! (4)
27 It’s the thing to drink and drive as
as much as you like. (5) SOLUTION PAGE 15
6
He has a
Imay wii h
COM Wit ers
Dr. Pronob Sarkar A. HAMBLIN
A system newly developed by our
Computer Services Manager may make
it possible in future to write computer
programmes in plain natural English
instead of the customary ‘higher level
languages’ such as Cobol, Fortran, etc.
His suggested techniques are set out
in a thesis entitled ‘Artificial Intelligence
and Natural English’ for which Pronob
Sarkar was awarded the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in Science at
Bristol University on January 24.
In 1965/66 Dr. Sarkar was given
extended leave of absence by the Company
to study the application of computers
to industrial management at the
University, and his thesis was the result
of those studies.
Computer programming is as yet a
very specialised job because one has to
know the grammatical structure of the
computer language. Dr. Sarkar points
out that a natural language processor
can be combined with a compiler and
the enlarged version can create lists in
machine language from natural English
statements. When one considers that
the shortage of programmers is estimated
to reach about 20,000 in this country
alone by the 1970s, one can envisage
the benefit to industry of such a
development.
The use of a computer for calculations
with numbers is feasible, says Dr.
Sarkar, because everything is clear-cut.
But many of the problems which involve
decision-making can only be presented
in words, and one can imagine the
advantages to be derived by management
if a question can be put direct in
natural English to an ‘on-line’ file.
It is gratifying to note that one of
Mitcheldean’s departmental heads has
made such a valuable contribution to
this branch of knowledge-a contribution
that may open up other avenues for
studies in machine automatic translation.
Dancin g. thronah the sea %Olt
By the time this issue appears, the
Ballroom Dancing Club activities will
be well under way for the season, writes
club chairman Ira Griffin.
The past season was a gay and
successful one for the members. They
paid visits to Malvern Winter Gardens
and Park Hall, Wormekm . and a 42-
strong party of members and friends
attended a buffet dance at the Castle
View Hotel, Lydbrook, at the invitation
of Mr. and Mrs. L. Hunt.
The club acted as hosts on two occasions
when the West Gloucestershire
Education Dancing Class, Roy and
Sylvia Thomas Dancing Class of
Gloucester, and Mr. E. Price’s Dancing
Class of Ross-on-Wye were entertained
in our Ballroom.
The West Gloucestershire College of
Further Education Students Association
held a dance at the Rank Xerox Ballroom
recently and any profit from this
dance is being given to the Society for
Mentally Handicapped Children. The
Skyliners Showband proved their value
as entertainers on this occasion-they
provided excellent music, nicely
balanced, with a tempo correct for the
dances, the vocalists were a pleasure to
listen to, and all ages were catered for.
Surely this is a band worth booking
for one of our own functions.
7
Photo. in II. is ,n. and Ilnmblin
6 The 1967/68 departmental party season started in
December and extended into February. Parties pictured
are, from top to bottom: FAR LEFT Canteen, Goods
Inwards. CENTRE Design Engineering, 813 Dept.,
Maintenance, 2400 Dept. ABOVE 914 Dept., Production
Control, Administration, Reconditioning Dept.
PRESS ASSO:IATION PHOTO
HAMELIN
Ile all pulled
togel
by Pccer Jennings
We were climbing an ice face in the
Western Highlands \\ hen a blizzard
caught us, forcing us to stop. With my
feet balancing precariously in holes cut
into the ice, I dug my axe into snow,
wrapped the rope round it-and prayed!
It was half an hour before the blizzard
abated and we dared to move again.
Just in case that wasn’t enough to test
our characters, we had to slide, unroped,
down the ice face, then turn and arrest
our fall by striking our axe into the ice.
The alternative was a drop into some of
Scotland’s finest scenery! One chap lost
his axe, but he didn’t lose his head: he
turned and dug his hands in for all he
was worth-and lived to tell his mates
back home.
All this happened during one of those
expeditions in the hills which are a
TOP LEFT An expedition in the hills.
LEFT Peter Jennings, an apprentice in his
fourth year, is currently doing departmental
training in Tool Investigation.
L.S.A. NEWSLETTER
Our picture (left) shows Sister Townroe
receiving a wrist watch and cheque from
L.S.A. President Mr. F. Wickstead on
her retirement last January. (Photo:
A. Hamblin)
For those who have still not heard the
results of the Christmas draw, here they
are: Eric Higgins (Warehouse) won the
turkey, Laurence Miller (Design) a box
of groceries. Anthony Kibble (TED) a
bottle of sherry and Maurice Pask
(Purchase) a box of chocolates.
feature of the Out%ard Bound Moray
Sea School at Burghead, Elgin.
I was lucky (yes, lucky) enough to be
accepted by the Outward Bound Trust
and our Company generously paid my
train fare to Scotland and my wages
while away.
The Moray Sea School is reputed to
be the toughest of all Outward Bound
schools in this country, and January in
Scotland is not exactly mild, but I
wouldn’t have missed it for anything.
On arrival at the school I had a
medical and was issued with a tent,
Primus stove, ice axe. etc.-everything
I might want on a mountain expedition.
We were all interviewed by the
Warden (a well-known Olympics coach)
and sorted into ‘watches’ of ten or 12.
There were about 80 students there and
each ‘watch’ worked as a team, with
competition between teams and not
individuals.
We got up each day at 6.30 am, went
for a sprint, had a cold shower, did our
‘duties’ (tidying up the dormitory. etc.).
then had breakfast. After this there was
a parade when the day’s orders were
given out.
Outdoor activities were interspersed
with indoor ones. There was judo trainin
26ft. dipping lug cutters on the
Moray Firth, drill at the lifeboat station.
First Aid lectures, and life-saving
instruction at the swimming baths at
Gordonstoun (Prince Charles’ former
school), with discussions and debates in
the evenings. At the end of the course
we held a concert in which each watch
took part.
Smoking and alcohol were out-an
e \ercise in self-discipline which was
‘.trictly adhered to. The whole emphasis
was on creating a physically and mentally
healthy community.
Which reminds me of another little
incident that few people would regard
as health-inducing!
We had made our way to camp
2,000 ft. up in absolutely filthy weather.
Having pitched our tent. we crawled in
and thankfully changed into a dry set of
clothes. The wind blew up, the tent
blew down, and we got drenched erecting
it again. So for the rest of our four days
in the hills we had to live and sleep in
wet clothes in freezing conditions. We
used to wake up at night and light the
stove to thaw ourselves out.
It was good to get back to the school
and tuck in-the food was terrific.
I learned a lot on this course-about
self-discipline, team spirit, responsibility.
It was the best experience of my life and
I feel tremendously tit as a result.
The fact that he is rice -captain of
Ross Rowing Club, belongs to Ross
Club and does weightlifting at a local gym
might explain why 191 year-old Peter was
considered fit enough to go to Moray Sea
School! He returned with an assessment
of ‘Merit’ denoting a high standard, a
bronze life-saving medallion and a great
sense of achievement.
When the time came for him to leave us,
LSA member Andrew Brain was unfortunately
on the sick list. However,
having been with us for 21 years, he
insisted on retiring gracefully. So, just
before Christmas LSA secretary Henry
Phillips brought Andrew by car to the
Plant to receive his leaving present-a
transistor radio and a cheque-in a
manner befitting the occasion.
Our best wishes for their recovery go to
Miss Sylvia Powell, who has been in
poor health for some time. Wally
Vaughan, now back home from hospital.
Mrs. Jackie Smith, convalescing after an
operation, and Mrs. W. Knapgate who,
at the time of going to press. had just
been admitted to hospital.
The annual general meeting will be held
on May 6, and the date set for the
annual dinner is May 17.
Another highlight in the LSA calendar,
the annual social, was held last
January 27 in the Ballroom and an
excellent affair it proved. There were
close on 200 people present and they
obviously enjoyed the entertainment
laid on for them. The Musicmen lived
up to their name and delighted everyone
with their imitations of the Beatles.
Sandie Shaw and other pop personalities,
and MC Colin Gosling saw to it
that the evening went with a swing.
11
opinion
poll
by John Nankin
In order to ascertain what you think
about the Company publications distributed
at Mitcheldean-Rank Xerox
Gazette and Vision-we conducted, as
you know, a readership survey last
November, with a view to improving
their effectiveness.
To encourage frank and honest comment,
we asked you to return the
completed questionnaires unsigned.
The response was good: 417 questionnaires
were received back-representing
about 18.5 per cent. of the total sent out.
This can reasonably be assumed to
represent a fair cross-section of employees
at Mitcheldean, and 1 should like to
thank those 417 who showed sufficient
interest to reply to the questions.
The completed questionnaires were
analysed and the results of that analysis
sent to Headquarters by the end of
November.
As was expected, Vision was proved
most popular-it is, after all, produced
specifically for the readership at Mitcheldean,
whereas the Gazette aims to give
general news about the Company, both
at home and overseas, in which employees
at Mitcheldean should be interested.
At the foot of the questionnaire,
constructive criticisms and comments
were invited. The most regularly recurring
suggestions with regard to the
contents of Vision were for articles by
and about senior staff and others working
at the Plant, and for a general
facelift for the magazine. These ideas
are being pursued at present.
Many respondents complained that
they did not regularly receive Rank
Xerox Gazette, some not at all. Copies
of the Gazette are received in bulk by
Personnel Department, from whom they
are collected by departmental heads or
their deputies for distribution throughout
their departments.
lf, therefore, you are not getting a
12
copy of this publication, please advise
your departmental head.
In the following results, only questionnaires
from those readers who regularly
get a copy of the Gazette are included in
the analysis under that heading:
Do you read itregularly?
sometimes?
seldom?
never?
If you do, do you
read itthoroughly?
selectively?
skim through it?
Do you think it isinteresting
?
of some interest?
of little interest ?
of no interest?
Index of effectiveness
Contents analysis
(breakdown of
readership preference)
Company news (ie up-todate
actual results, future
plans and forecasts) 29 35
Social events and
activities 26 20
Employees-movements,
promotions, retirements,
etc. 23 21
Feature articles 22 24
100 100
VISION
93 39
6 39
18
1 4
100 100
70 17
26 44
4 39
100 100
73 17
23 47
4 31
100 100
92 63
GAZETTE
Christmas
helphms
No need to comment on the picture
below-it shows clearly enough the
enjoyment of the 500 or so children
who came to the annual children’s
party held at the Social Centre at
Christmastime.
The recipe for success was the timehonoured
one: a good helping of
Donald Duck, Tom and Jerry and other
cartoons: a good helping of party food,
topped off with a piece of baker Meek’s
miracle cake (a 55 lb. effort depicting
snow scenes and edged with trees
sporting fairy lights): and a large slice
of entertainment, with games and prizes
to follow.
Despite the children’s appetites, almost
half the cake was left, and Sports
& Social Club chairman Mr. R. Camp
took this along to a Christmas party
held at the Junior Training Centre for
Mentally Handicapped Children in
Cinderford, where it was appreciated
`to the full’!
Christmas and carols are hardly
topical now, but we must record the
fact that the carol singing within the
The children helped to entertain too!
Plant at Christmastime raised £22 4s. 3d.
for the North Gloucestershire Hydrotherapy
Unit Appeal Fund which is
helping to provide treatment for rheumatic
sufferers. Organised by the
Ladies’ Keep Fit Club, the mixed choir
of 25 was rehearsed and conducted by
Alan Phelps of Production & Supply
Planning. They sang carols in each of
the canteens and in the executive dining
room-making the eating of the Christmas
lunch a happy and helpful occasion.
PHOTOS: R. EVANS
1
Pulling you in the picture
A. EVANS
TOP Mr. and Mrs. D. Bevan. CENTRE
Mr. and Mrs. G. Weaver. ABOVE Mr.
and Mrs. A. Baldwin.
14
Weddings
Miss Christine Hill (2400 Stores and
Stock Control) to Graham Weaver (2400
Assembly) at St. Stephen’s Church,
Cinderford, on December 9.
Also on December 9 at St. Stephen’s-
Miss Gail Nicholls (813 Assembly) to
Dudley Bevan.
Mrs. Hilda Barnett (First Aid) to
Arthur Baldwin at Lydbrook Parish
Church on January 6.
Ken Nicholls (Mills, Machine Shop) to
Miss Edwina Marshall at the Forest
Church on January 20.
Miss Joyce Muir (formerly secretary to
the Plant Accountant) to Ken Harvey
(formerly Warehouse) at Lea Church
on March 2.
Mr. R. S. Harris, Deputy Manager,
Advance Planning Department, to Miss
Mary Arkell in Gloucester in March.
Miss Hazel Matthews (Print Room) to
Gordon Bullock (2400 Dept.) at the
Forest Church, Miss Dora Brannan
(Purchase) to Gordon Gwilliam at St.
Mary’s Church, Ross-on-Wye, and Miss
Barbara Harris (Telex operator) to Clive
Pritchard at St. John’s Church, Cinderford,
all on March 16.
All on March 30-Miss Dawn Harris
(Advance Planning) to David Beard
(TED) at Lydbrook Church; Miss Mary
Williams (Print Room) to Adrian
Roberts (Electrical Laboratory) at Littledean
Church; Miss Lyn Parsons (Quality
Control) to Peter Delaney (apprentice)
at St. Stephen’s, Cinderford: and Miss
Gillian Carpenter (Print Room) to
Kenneth Drew, also at St. Stephen’s,
Cinderford.
Best wishes to. ..
A. Percy Howells (painter), Fred Pugh
and Albert J. Meek (both shop labourers)
who retired in February, and to George
E. V. Smith (shop labourer) and Wilfred
Meek (storeman) who retire in March.
W. S. Kempster
We regret to record the death on
January 18 at the age of 51 of Bill
Kempster (914 Inspection).
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
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Major birthdays
Derek Burns (813 Assembly) on February
25.
Royston Meek (apprentice) on March 2.
Stuart Fox (Purchase) on March 17.
They’re Engaged
Miss Mary Pugh (Purchase) to Gary
Cushen on December 4.
Miss Wendy Smith (Bought Ledger,
Accounts) to Graham Smith (2400
Dept.), Miss Carole Hodges (Purchase)
to David Robinson (TED), and Miss
Veronica Frost (Comps., Accounts) to
Mike Wintle-all on Christmas Day.
New arrivals
Paul Andrew, a son for Peter Johnson
(Maintenance) and his wife Ann (formerly
Plating Shop) on December 4.
Andrew, a son for John Millwater
(Design Engineer), on December 9.
Martin Paul, a son for Robert Wright
(Design Office), on December 28.
Nicholas, a son for Roger Dymond
(Wages), on December 30.
Martin John, a son for John Williams
(Maintenance Dept.), on January 6.
A twin a day keeps the doctor….
busy!
Time: 11.45 pm on January 18. Anxious
father Ewart Lougher (TED) breathes
sigh of relief at birth of son Robert.
Leaves wife Mavis (she used to work in
Purchase) to fetch ambulance as baby
weighs only 3 lb. 11 oz. Dashes back
home, suspects strain has caused doubel
vision. Two identical baby sons! Introduced
to David, 4 lb. 31- oz., who
arrived at 12.40 am on January 19,
totally unexpected by all concerned.
Ten of the Best
On January 17 ten members of the Cine
& Photographic Club enjoyed a short talk
on the principles of developing and printing
by Ira Griffin, followed by a practical
demonstration given by Tony Hamblin.
A good crowd turned up for the showing
of some ‘Ten Best’ amateur films on
February 7. These were varied and adventurous
– a pity that enjoyment of
them was marred by the noisy behaviour
of some of the youngsters present.
Accelerating …
On January 8 yet another Interdepartmental
Skittles KO Tournament got
under way. This time there are 36
teams entered-the largest number ever,
say organisers Des Haines and John
Mould (Machine Shop).
Braking
Contrary to rumour, the Motor Club
has not been disbanded. Nevertheless,
events arranged have not been well
supported recently and club officials
have felt it a waste of money to make
plans.
Topping Bargain
Two white scooter helmets can be yours
for the asking. And the person to ask
is Mrs. Janet Cook (Factory Progress,
Building 29-it used to be Production
Control, Project 9).
TOP RANK SHOP
TOP RANK 19″ TV
MODEL 154
(WITH BBC 2)
I N DESIT
5.1 CU FT
REFRIGERATOR
57
GNS
29+
GNS
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15
Machin:
Bridai
lgraili ate.
Design engineer Clive Brain was watching
a film on television about the five
typists who started the ‘I’m backing
Britain’ campaign. There they were in
the offices of the Colt heating and
ventilation firm at Surbiton, Surrey,
slaving over a hand-operated Banda
copying machine.
Now, thought Clive. if that firm
installed a Xerox machine. the time
saved in obtaining copies could he put
to more productive use, and the girls
could back Britain even better.
So Clive got in touch with the Personnel
Department and his suggestion that
a Xerox salesman be sent immediately
to the firm to give a demonstration of
our machines was passed directly to
head office in London.
Hack came this appreciative note from
Mr. R. Walker, Director of Marketing
Operations: ‘I must congratulate you
on your quick reaction and thank you
for putting the suggestion forward. You
may rest assured that I will now pass
this to the appropriate marketing people
for action. Once again, many thanks
for your help.’
Clive thought this might be all he
would hear of the matter. However,
soon afterwards he was informed that
the UK Sales Department had been in
touch with the Colt Company who were
showing interest in installing a 2400
machine.
Incidentally. Clive is vice-chairman of
the office committee representing the
Mitcheldean Plant membership of the
Draughtsmen & Allied Technicians
Association. One of the numerous members
of the Brain family who work at our
Plant, he is a cousin of Maurice who
features in our article on pp. 4/5 of this
issue. (Rumours of a take-over bid by
the Brains are being strongly denied!).
keep VISION tidy
Many people have enquired about magazine binders which would keep their
issues of VISION in good condition. We have now found some suppliers of a
suitable type of binder: it has a dozen wires fixed inside the spine and a magazine
issue can be tucked round each wire and so held in place. The binders,
made in dark green leathercloth, would cost I Is. each, provided we could
guarantee a minimum order of 100. If you want one – or more – please contact
the Editor at Tree Tops, Plump Hill, Mitcheldean (or leave a note for her at
the Gate House) not later than Monday, March 18.
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