- Timeline of Communication Systems: Introduction
- 4000 - 1000 B.C.
- 1000 B.C. - 0
- 0 - 1400 A.D.
- 1400 - 1500 A.D.
- 1500 - 1700 A.D.
- 1700 - 1800 A.D.
- 1800 - 1900 A.D.
- 1900 - 2000 A.D.
- 2000 A.D.
- More and more, faster and faster, but...
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Division of labor
The term refers to the separation of a work process into a number of tasks, with each task performed by a separate person or group of persons. It is most often applied to  mass production systems, where it is one of the basic organizing principles of the assembly line. Breaking down work into simple, repetitive tasks eliminates unnecessary motion and limits the handling of tools and parts. The consequent reduction in production time and the ability to replace craftsmen with lower-paid, unskilled workers result in lower production costs and a less expensive final product. The Scottish economist Adam Smith saw in this splitting of tasks a key to economic progress by providing a cheaper and more efficient means of producing economic goods.
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