附件 7 原始 TTW 备忘录

原文：

Date: August 22, 2001
To:
From:
Subject: TTW

Following is a summary of the results of this last 2 weeks’ work.

As we already knew composing costs are the most important part in all new settings ranging from 40 percent in Hardbacks to 50–55 percent in Paperbacks.
The most important elements in composing costs are:

• Machine composition 30–50%

• Reading 17–25%

• First proof and revise 10–16%

• Make up 10–16%

• Imposition and plate laying 10–15%

A comparison with PAR standards shows that TTW has a relatively low productivity in composing. At the moment the composing estimators are working on some specific examples I have given to them.

Every job in composing goes through the same steps basically to ensure a high level of quality. This may explain partly why they are considered very expensive for composing simple jobs.

There is a good deal of interest in Aylesbury in finding out what are the facts behind their composing costs. I have spoken about it with Roy Walter, Brian Thompson and George Kennedy. Kennedy is willing to set up an experiment in order to find out: (1) if there are any steps in the composing process that can be eliminated, particularly on cheap jobs, and (2) what are the causes behind the apparent low productivity – i.e., why do they rank below PAR.

Composing is at the present moment overloaded. Most of the jobs run behind schedule in the department. The present undercapacity is particularly acute in hand composition. TTW is paying lower wages than other printers in the area and it is becoming hard to get and retain compositors.

At the moment, they are faced with a new union demand. Also two compositors just left. The department has less people than budgeted and their overtime hours exceed budget by more than 50 percent.

CONCLUSIONS

1. It seems feasible to reduce composing costs by:
   a. Simplifying the process for cheap jobs.
   b. Increasing productivity by changing methods.

2. In order to carry out the first one it would be necessary to do some experiments on specific jobs, following them throughout the whole process, and controlling the marginal effect on quality of changes in the number and timing of checks, and the customer’s reaction to the changes. The savings involved could be up to 10 percent of total composing costs.

3. The second way of reducing costs requires, I believe, detailed methods study. TTW ranks 20–50 percent below PAR in setting and hand composition and it seems it would be possible to do better than that.

4. A comparison between TTW and Baird, Purnell or Waterlow may throw some light on this. George Kennedy and Roy Walter seemed to be very interested in carrying out the comparison. I have told them that it may not be very meaningful after all.

5. The attitudes with respect to composing costs in Aylesbury are mixed. Gerry Calvert feels that they are definitely high, George Kennedy claims that there is no hard evidence that they are and Roy Walter recognizes that for him they are a mystery. They all seem very willing to investigate them.

翻译：

日期： 2001年8月22日
收件人：
发件人：
主题： TTW

以下是过去两周工作的总结。

我们已经知道，排版成本是所有新设置中最重要的部分，占精装书成本的40%，平装书则为50–55%。
排版成本中最重要的元素包括：

• 机器排版 30–50%

• 校对阅读 17–25%

• 初次校对和修改 10–16%

• 排版布局 10–16%

• 拼版和制版 10–15%

与PAR标准的比较显示，TTW在排版方面的生产力相对较低。目前，排版成本估算员正在处理我给他们的一些具体示例。

排版中的每项工作基本上都需要经过相同的步骤，以确保高质量水平。这或许部分解释了为什么简单任务的排版成本被认为非常昂贵。

Aylesbury 对排版成本背后的事实有浓厚的兴趣。我与 Roy Walter、Brian Thompson 和 George Kennedy 讨论过此事。Kennedy 愿意进行实验，以确定：(1) 排版过程中的某些步骤是否可以省略，特别是在简单任务上，以及(2) 表现出低生产率的原因——即为什么他们低于PAR标准。

目前，排版部门任务过载。大多数工作在该部门的进度都落后。当前的产能不足在手动排版中尤为明显。TTW支付的工资低于该地区其他印刷厂，因此很难找到并留住排版工人。

目前，他们面临新的工会要求。此外，还有两名排版工人刚刚离职。该部门的人员配备低于预算，且加班时间超过预算的50%以上。

结论

1. 看起来可以通过以下方式减少排版成本：
   a. 简化简单任务的流程。
   b. 通过改变方法提高生产率。

2. 为了实现第一个目标，有必要在特定任务上进行一些实验，跟踪整个过程，并控制检查次数和时间调整对质量的边际影响，以及客户对这些变更的反应。涉及的节省可能高达总排版成本的10%。

3. 降低成本的第二种方法，我认为需要详细的方法研究。TTW 在排版和手动排版方面低于 PAR 标准20–50%，似乎可以在这方面做得更好。

4. TTW 与 Baird、Purnell 或 Waterlow 的比较可能会带来一些启示。George Kennedy 和 Roy Walter 对进行比较表现出极大兴趣。我告诉他们，这最终可能没有很大意义。

5. Aylesbury 对排版成本的态度不一。Gerry Calvert 认为成本确实高，George Kennedy 声称没有确凿证据表明成本高，而 Roy Walter 承认对他而言成本是个谜。他们都很愿意对此进行调查。

原文：

We move on to the problems, and in looking at them a moment, it becomes apparent that there are some cause-and-effect relationships implied here, which you want to lay out as visually as possible (Exhibit 8–Step 2). This analysis reveals two separate lines of reasoning, with the possibility that some points that should be made have been omitted.

Now you’re ready to draw some conclusions. Either he’s saying that the costs are high because the productivity is low and the overtime is high, or he’s saying that to cut the costs you have to simplify the methods and raise the wages. To decide which, you want to think through the introduction. What does the original memo indicate the reader already knows?

Apparently he knows that costs are important, that TTW is uncompetitive in its pricing of simple jobs, and probably that nobody at TTW knows whether the costs are too high or not. In that case, your thinking might go something like this:

1. Subject = composing room costs.

2. Question = are they too high?

3. Answer = yes.

4. Situation = composing room costs are the most important element in total cost.

5. Complication = don’t know if they are too high a proportion, but uncompetitiveness indicates they might be.

• Question (2) = are they too high?

• Answer (3) = yes.

6. New Question = how do you cut them?

7. Key Line = eliminate unnecessary steps in the composing process and raise wages to competitive levels.

翻译：

我们继续讨论这些问题，稍作思考后，明显可以看到其中隐含了一些因果关系，需要尽可能直观地展示出来（见附件8，第2步）。这种分析揭示了两条不同的推理路径，并表明可能遗漏了一些本应提到的要点。

现在你可以得出一些结论。他要么是在说成本高是因为生产率低和加班多，要么是在说为了降低成本需要简化方法并提高工资。为了做出判断，你需要思考引言部分。原始备忘录暗示读者已经知道了什么？

显然，他知道成本很重要，TTW在简单任务的定价上没有竞争力，并且可能TTW内部没人确定成本是否过高。在这种情况下，你的思考过程可能如下：

1. 主题 = 排版室成本。

2. 问题 = 成本是否过高？

3. 答案 = 是的。

4. 情境 = 排版室成本是总成本中最重要的元素。

5. 复杂情况 = 不知道这些成本在总成本中的比例是否过高，但缺乏竞争力表明可能是过高的。

• 问题 (2) = 成本是否过高？

• 答案 (3) = 是的。

6. 新问题 = 如何降低这些成本？

7. 关键线 = 消除排版流程中不必要的步骤并将工资提高到具有竞争力的水平。

原文：

Exhibit 9 shows these ideas in what might have been an acceptable version of this memorandum. You may not agree with the young consultant’s reasoning, but at least it is presented so clearly that the reader can determine whether he agrees with it or finds things to question about it.

I have reprinted the memorandum in full here because I want to demonstrate that the total introduction includes a statement of the Key Line points. With these included, the reader can get your entire thinking in the first 30 seconds or less of reading. And since the rest of the document exists only to explain or defend what you have already stated, he can be confident that no important points are going to jump up and surprise him later on. Consequently, he can scan if he has limited time available. Indeed, if your entire thinking is not clear to the reader in the first 30 seconds of reading, you should rewrite.

翻译：

附件9展示了这些想法的一个可能被接受的备忘录版本。你可能不同意这位年轻顾问的推理，但至少内容呈现得非常清晰，使读者能够判断自己是否同意其中的观点，或是否有质疑之处。

我在此完整重印了该备忘录，因为我想要证明整个引言包含了关键要点的陈述。通过包含这些要点，读者可以在30秒或更短的时间内理解你的全部思路。由于文件的其余部分仅用于解释或论证你已陈述的内容，读者可以确信不会有重要的观点在后续部分突然出现并令他意外。因此，如果读者时间有限，他可以快速浏览。事实上，如果你的全部思路在阅读的前30秒内对读者不清晰，你就应该重写。

附件 9 回复 TTW 备忘录

原文：

Date: August 22, 2001
To:
From:
Subject: TTW

I have spent the past 2 weeks in Aylesbury looking at costs in the Composing Room. As we already knew, composing costs represent 40 percent of hardback costs, and 50–55 percent of paperbacks. TTW does not know whether these costs are too high, but the company is considered uncompetitive for simple jobs.

Our preliminary investigation indicates that composing costs could probably be cut considerably by:

• Eliminating unnecessary steps in the composing process

• Raising wages to competitive levels

ELIMINATING STEPS

TTW ranks 20–50 percent below PAR standards in setting and hand composition. A look at composing methods shows that every job goes through basically the same steps to ensure high quality, whether it is a Bible or a thriller. This may explain partly why they are considered uncompetitive.

I have discussed these findings with Roy Walter, Brian Thompson, and George Kennedy. Kennedy is willing to set up an experiment to learn (1) whether any steps in the process can be eliminated, particularly for simple jobs, and (2) the causes of the low PAR standing.

Beginning next week we will follow a few simple jobs through the process, controlling the marginal effect on quality of changes in the number and timing of checks, and test the customer’s reaction to them. The savings involved could be up to 10 percent of total composing costs. We will also carry out a detailed methods study to try to close the PAR gap.

RAISING WAGES

TTW pays lower wages than other printers in the area, and is finding it difficult to get and retain compositors. Two compositors just quit, leaving the department with fewer people than budgeted. As a result, most jobs are running behind schedule, and overtime hours exceed budget by more than 50 percent.

The company presently faces a new union demand, which may force them into higher wages. If so, they should be able to hire appropriate people and eliminate the overtime charges.

翻译：

日期： 2001年8月22日
收件人：
发件人：
主题： TTW

我在过去两周里在艾尔斯伯里研究了排版室的成本。我们已经知道，排版成本占精装书成本的40%，平装书则为50–55%。TTW 不知道这些成本是否过高，但该公司在简单任务上缺乏竞争力。

我们初步调查表明，排版成本可能可以通过以下方式大幅削减：

• 消除排版过程中的不必要步骤

• 提高工资以达到具有竞争力的水平

消除步骤

TTW 在排版和手动排版方面比 PAR 标准低 20–50%。对排版方法的考察表明，每项工作基本上都要经过相同的步骤以确保高质量，无论是排版圣经还是惊悚小说。这可能部分解释了为什么他们在简单任务上缺乏竞争力。

我已与 Roy Walter、Brian Thompson 和 George Kennedy 讨论了这些发现。Kennedy 愿意进行实验，以了解 (1) 排版过程中的哪些步骤可以省略，特别是在简单任务上，(2) 导致低于 PAR 标准的原因。

从下周开始，我们将跟踪几项简单任务的整个过程，控制检查数量和时间调整对质量的边际影响，并测试客户对这些变化的反应。节省下来的费用可能高达总排版成本的10%。我们还将进行详细的方法研究，以尝试缩小与 PAR 标准的差距。

提高工资

TTW 支付的工资低于该地区其他印刷厂，因此难以找到和留住排版工人。最近又有两名排版工人离职，使部门人员配备低于预算。因此，大多数工作进度落后，加班时间超出预算50%以上。

公司目前面临新的工会要求，这可能会迫使他们提高工资。如果是这样，他们应该能够雇用到合适的员工，并消除加班费用。

原文：

In addition, the headings serve to highlight the major points of the structure so that the reader can quickly pick up the general thrust of your subordinate arguments if the document is a lengthy one. To this end, you want to take some care in the way you word the headings (see Chapter 6, How to Highlight the Structure), making sure to state them so that they reflect ideas, rather than categories. Never have a heading called ‘Findings’, for example, or ‘Conclusion’. Such headings have no scanning value.

翻译：

此外，标题的作用是突出结构的主要要点，以便在文件较长时，读者可以迅速掌握次要论点的整体方向。为此，在措辞标题时需要特别注意（参见第6章《如何突出结构》），确保标题表达的是思想而非类别。例如，不要使用“发现”或“结论”这样的标题，因为这些标题没有扫描价值。