In certain respects a great industrial organization may be likened to the army. At the head of the army is the commanding general, on whom rests the responsibility for the success of any campaign. He is surrounded by his staff, with whom he consults on questions of importance. When any important move is decided upon, the members of the staff--themselves in command of divisions of the army--issue orders to their subordinate officers. They, in turn, pass the orders along, and at a predetermined moment, an entire army is set in motion. Another important feature of the army organization which should be applied to the organization of a business is the disregard of the individual. Military authorities long since discovered that a high standard of efficiency could be maintained only through the organization of the army along certain lines. The question was not one of creating offices the duties of which would conform to the capabilities of certain men; the offices were first created, and then competent men were selected to fill them. =4. Individuals Disregarded.= In creating responsibilities in a business organization, the individual should be disregarded, just as he is in the army. Unfortunately, the importance of this question is not always recognized. Too frequently the best interests of the organization as a whole are subserved to the interests of individuals. Business enterprises are organized and offices divided among the principal owners without seriously considering their respective abilities. This is wrong in principle, and works to the detriment of the business. It is one of the important problems to be solved in organization. Jones, who is a natural born financier, prefers to manage the selling end of the business, while Brown, a salesman of ability, is made treasurer. Neither is in the right place; change them about, and an efficient team would result. Before we can perfect an organization, we must know what the business is. We must ascertain for what it is organized; what class of business is carried on; manufacturing, mining, jobbing, wholesale, retail, or a combination of two or more classes; whether conducted entirely in one plant or through branches; the method of marketing the goods; by traveling salesmen, agencies, or mail; the facilities for obtaining supplies, raw materials, or manufactured goods. When we understand the nature of the business, we are in a position to work out an impersonal, systematic organization. Referring again to the necessity of a disregard of individuals in perfecting an organization, it is not the province of the business engineer to determine the qualifications of the men. He must be governed solely by the requirements of the business. When his work is completed, it is for the management to decide who is best fitted to assume the duties and carry out the purposes of the departments and positions created.