A century ago, on October 7, 1913, engineers built a rudimentary system using a rope and wince to pull a new Ford Model T past 140 workers at a brand new factory dubbed the Crystal Palace.
Henry Ford launched the modern assembly line in a suburb of Detroit a century ago -- and helped spark a radical transformation of both manufacturing and society.
By drastically reducing the cost of production with standardized parts and more efficient assembly, Ford was able to bring the luxury, convenience and freedom of the automobile to the masses.
Other industries soon adopted the innovation and today, everything from cereal to caskets is made on assembly lines.
"It had a huge, huge impact," said Stephen Burnett, a professor with Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.