The birth of the form2 nicely illustrates how documents were streamlined and tailored in the service of ever greater efficiency. . . . [Workers' documentation of their activities] could be standardized and speeded up by printing forms, sheets of paper who

The birth of the form² nicely illustrates how documents were streamlined and tailored in the service of ever greater efficiency. . . . [Workers' documentation of their activities] could be standardized and speeded up by printing forms, sheets of paper whose printed material indicated exactly what information was needed to be filled in, and where. This meant the worker had less to write; the familiarity of a standard layout also increased his speed. This standardization also facilitated reading and summarizing as the report traveled up the hierarchy.