Fordism refers to the production methods that were used in the early part of the 20th century by American industrialist, Henry Ford. The system involved streamlining manufacturing, creating standardized products and implementing mass production techniques. Synonyms for Fordism include assembly line production, mass production, and deskilling. Assembly line production refers to production methods where workers are arranged into an order and each one performs a specialized task in the manufacturing process. Mass production refers to the production of goods on a large scale, with the aim of producing products at a cheaper cost. Deskilling refers to the process of making a job easier to perform by simplifying the tasks involved.