No company is built to last, argues world-renowned manufacturing guru Richard J. Schonberger. In this devastating indictment of current manufacturing practices, Schonberger submits a four-part revolutionary plan to solve the manufacturing crisis for good.
From his statistically reliable database of 500 top global manufacturers, Schonberger finds that by the critical worldwide standard of lean production--shedding inventories -General Motors, General Electric, Toyota, and other world leaders have stopped improving. He presents powerful evidence that in recent years record profits have covered up waste and weakness. Clearly a lack of will to renew and recover from the natural tendency toward regression and erosion, it is more than a matter of garden-variety complacency--devastating as that is in this new era of global hypercompetition. Schonberger asserts that the inclination of industry leaders to engage in stock hyping to gain a quick fix from the dot-com explosion has distracted attention from "the basics" of world-class excellence. Among other villains contributing to the crisis, Schonberger contends, are newly hired managers with no trial-by-fire experience; bad equipment, systems, and job design; and retention of unprofitable customers and anachronistic command-and-control managerial hierarchies.
What to do? Just as he introduced the legendary "just-in-time" framework to the West in the 1980s, Schonberger prescribes strong medicine to cure our current malaise. Find your blind spots, he says. Roll confusing, time-sapping initiatives into a master program that is immune from "the flavor of the month." Put lean into heavy-handed control systems. Develop products and standardize processes at "home base" for ease of migrating volume production anywhere in the world.

1919. Contents: Waters; Mineral Waters; Soft Drinks; Fruit Juices; Coffee; Tea; Cocoa and Chocolate; Wine; Beer, Ale, Porter and Stout; Whisky; Brandy; Rum; Gin; Cordials and Liqueurs; Alcoholic Remedies; Beverages Containing Cocaine.

The auto industry is no longer confined to our small corner of the world. China currently has the highest sales-growth in the world's automobile industry. As a major player in global supply chain, China's economic development and change affect operations of many transnational companies around the globe. The automobile industry in China represents an extraordinatry case of industry development. Utilizing the case study method, Professor Doreen McGunagle has allowed for a better understanding of the automobile industry in China, and answers the question, "What is the impact on the Chinese automobile industry of foreign company entry into China?." Professor McGunagle's extensive research, coupled with personal interviews, and her extensive professional experience in the business sector, offer an interesting and informative approach to what is currently a subject of great interest to the business community. Professionals in the automobile industry, management consultants, and those involed in the global markets will find a wealth of information in Professor McGunagle's work. Anyone doing research in International Business and Strategic Management will find her book a valuable tool.

Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) and a special form of it, the participation in the Continuous Improvement Process (CIP), are prospective key factors and qualifications that differentiate a successful from an average company. They represent the most important part of the human capital that gets more and more important and relevant for the economical success in times of the information society and numerous "lean strategies." OCB or the participation in the CIP can not be influenced directly or even be demanded. The constructs organizational identification and organizational commitment are supposed to be the most important predictors for a strong OCB. Unfortunately, there are only less holistic approaches to systematically strengthen identification and commitment in an enterprise - a holistic approach based on long term considerations is necessary. Therefore, the aim of this paper is (a) the empirical proof of a positive connection between OCB respectively CIP efforts among employees and identification or rather commitment. (b) the development of a holistic consulting approach to increase the participation in the CIP. Via a quantitative survey in the shop floor level of an automobile manufacturer it was proved that mainly the affective and cognitive dimensions show positive correlations with the participation in the CIP. A consulting approach for a systematic composition of affective and cognitive identification and commitment is derived from the theoretical and empirical insights. The target groups are students and scientists in the field of identification, commitment and CIP as well as practitioners and consultants in the business of the continuous improvement process.

It's the thick of the mid-1990s boom, and David M. Gross is racking up billable hours for a Manhattan corporate law firm and thinking that there must be more to life. Out of the blue, a friend calls with a tantalizing and risky proposal: How would he feel about moving to Bologna to help turn around a legendary, down-on-its-luck Italian motorcycle company, known for its dominance on the track and its inability to turn a profit? After a brief soul-search and popping his first (unintentional) wheelie during his maiden ride on the company's monstrous superbike, he signs on. And so Gross heads to Bologna, fabled home of marbled meats, radical leftist politics, and bespoke shoes, diving into his new life as the "corporate image consultant" to gearheads and learning to navigate the giddy mores of Bolognese society. He meets the CEO, who can relax only on planes between meetings; the manic, bellicose bike designer, convinced that only his genius can save the company; and the director of the museum, obsessed by the factory's role in World War II. Gross sparks the business's "spectacularization" with sexy ad campaigns starring factory workers who, when not on strike, strut to the espresso machine clad in Versace.  Above all, he falls in love with motorcycles, seduced by speed, and realizes that becoming a better rider means tapping into dormant parts of his self that, as it turns out, were just waiting to be unleashed. And when he picks up a handsome, young--and closeted--skinhead, things really get interesting . . . In sensuous, hilarious, and wildly entertaining prose, Gross pens a wry yet ecstatic love letter to an uproarious city and its style-obsessed denizens, and to the motorcycle that gave him the freedom to live life at its very fastest.

Ideas are of themselves extraordinarily valuable, but an idea is just an idea. Almost any one can think up an idea. The thing that counts is developing it into a practical product. - from the Introduction The lessons of Henry Ford, one of America's greatest business innovators, are as fresh and vital today as they were in 1922, when this extraordinary book was first published. Though the title suggests the autobiographical, this is in fact a bible of business philosophy from the man many considered "insane" for the very innovations we hail as visionary today: the assembly line, reduced working hours, a minimum wage, the five-day work week. Ford explains: . how his experiences as an employee influenced his philosophies as an employer . why saving money isn't always a good thing . the absolute worst time to approach a bank for a loan . why lowering prices below production costs can be a smart move . and much more. It's easy to see that much of Ford's wisdom has been forgotten today-and that individual entrepreneurs and global corporations alike would do well to take another look. American entrepreneur, inventor, and philanthropist HENRY FORD (1863-1947) was born in Michigan and trained as a machinist and engineer before founding, in 1903, the Ford Motor Company.

In Part I "Learning from the Past" we explore the history of American Manufacturing. We are on a trajectory toward the future. We intend to show that trajectory by a short review of our recent past. In Chapter 1, titled "The History of American Manufacturing- Where it All Came From" we examine the impact of the First Industrial Revolution (from Manpower to Steam Power) and the Second Industrial Revolutions (of Modern Day Manufacturing Methods) on American Manufacturing. In Chapter 2, which is called "The Information Revolution in Manufacturing," we examine the impact of the Third Industrial Revolution that started after the 1940s and is still in process. In this chapter we explore the shift in manufacturing from Individuals to System Thinking, the growth of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies and the emergence of MRPII/ERP systems. In Part Two, which is called "Efficient and Profitable Customization," we take a look ahead to the future. We show how American manufacturing is only midway through these current trends and how these trends foreshadow the remaining topics in this book: systems thinking, the engineering pyramid, product configuration, configuration engineering and mass customization. In Chapter 3, called "It's Not about the Computer, it's about Systems Thinking," we explore how recent advances in Systems Thinking have helped to lower development costs. In Chapter 4, called "The Engineering Pyramid," we introduce readers to our Engineering Pyramid paradigm and a top down approach that can be utilized to increase the speed of innovation and dramatically lower engineering costs. In Chapter 5, called "Systemization and Standardization - They are Not the Same" we explore the current challenges of designing and building customized products and our methodology for top down systemization and standardization to increase the speed of innovation and dramatically lower engineering costs. In Chapter 6, called "Mass Customization," we demonstrate the importance of mass customization for the future of American manufacturing and describe how current leaders have made mass customization profitable in their businesses. In Part Three, called "The Human Component - It's Still All About the People," we look at the continuing importance and the necessity of people systems in the manufacturing process. In Chapter 7, called "Employee On Boarding" we provide an approach to bringing people into the organization. In Chapter 8, called "High Performance Team-Based Work Systems," we tell you how to maximize throughput, profit and career rewards through an empowered team based work system.. In Chapter 9, called "Technology Transfer and Training," we explore how employees can learn the necessary skills for working in a highly efficient manufacturing environment. The last section, Part Four, is entitled, "Putting it All Together." Here, in Chapter 10, called "Taking Your Company There" we tell you who will be the winners and losers of this natural extension of American manufacturers. Also, we tell you how you will know if it's too late for your company. Sorry...some of you readers won't be happy.

A fully revised and extended version of the best selling 'Quality 75', the book includes a full range of Six Sigma tools and philosophy. It is a unique compilation of tools and concepts from Six Sigma, Traditional Quality Management (including notes on the 'Gurus'), Service Quality, and relevant Lean manufacturing. The book is aimed at practising managers from Service and Manufacturing, Green Belt practitioners and Black Belts wishing to extend their expertise into Service Quality and Lean. MBA students and final year undergraduates will find the book an invaluable quick reference to quality, operations, customer relationships and improvement.

Quality Gaging Tips contains 144 instructive articles, arranged by topic, which originally appeared in a regular column (of the same name) in Modern Machine Shop magazine. Each of the articles presents valuable insights gained from years of experience and knowledge, and each is designed to assist the reader to 1) better understand the principles of gaging, and 2) improve their personal techniques. Both the science and the 'art' of dimensional gaging are stressed, providing a full understanding of the methodology along with detailed instructions on how to perform specific tasks properly. Emphasis throughout is on problem-solving ability, inventiveness, and creativity. The wide scope and authoritative style of this book makes it the ideal on-the-job companion for anyone involved in the science, and art, of industrial measurement wishing to improve their professional skills.

"The authors of the widely acclaimed "The Purchasing Machine" deliver an eye-opening look at the power of supply management with " The Incredible Payback."

This timely book presents amazing success stories from best-of-the-best procurement organizations like Honda, Delphi, John Deere, and others.

Using the same cost-management strategies implemented at these leading organizations, "The Incredible Payback"shows how any company can reap benefits including:

* saving up to 30 percent on material and service expenses

* leveraging technology to accelerate savings

* high-yield supplier development programs

* extension of financial opportunities throughout the highest levels of the enterprise, exponentially increasing savings potential

Great companies save money every day. Now every organization can realize " The Incredible Payback""

Arguing that the sweatshop is as American as apple pie, Laura Hapke surveys over a century and a half of the language, verbal and pictorial, in which the sweatshop has been imagined and its stories told. Not seeking a formal definition of the sort that policymakers are concerned with, nor intending to provide a strict historical chronology, this unique book shows, rather, how the ""real" sweatshop has become intertwined with the ""invented" sweatshop of our national imagination, and how this mixture of rhetoric and myth has endowed American sweatshops with rich and complex cultural meaning. Hapke uncovers a wide variety of tales and images that writers, artists, social scientists, reformers, and workers themselves have told about ""the shop." Adding an important perspective to historical and economic approaches, Sweatshop draws on sources from antebellum journalism, Progressive era surveys, modern movies, and anti-sweatshop websites. Illustrated chapters detail how the shop has been a facilitator of assimilation, a promoter of upward mobility, the epitome of exploitation, a site of ethnic memory, a venue for political protest, and an expression of twentieth-century managerial narratives. An important contribution to the real and imagined history of garment industry exploitation, this book provides a valuable new context for understanding contemporary sweatshops that now represent the worst expression of an unregulated global economy.

Some countries develop illegal drugs industries, and others do not. Discerning the distinguishing characteristics--social, economic, and political--of countries with these industries forms the subject of this sophisticated and humane study.

The author, Francisco E. Thoumi, though trained as an economist, rejects simplistic economic solutions as well as simplistic moral ones as he addresses the Andean countries of Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia and the attitudes and responses of the United States. He investigates how the United States and the Andean countries perceive drugs issues; the history, structure, and evolution of drug industries in the Andes; the size of the industries in Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia; and their economic, political, and social effects in each country.

Thoumi also addresses the political systems and social characteristics of these countries and why they have been so vulnerable to influence from these industries. And he offers case studies of a variety of anti-drug efforts including crop substitution and alternative development, eradication, interdiction of illicit traffic and manufacturing facilities, and extradition to the United States of traffickers.

A volume in the series Economy and Society in the Modern South

"The Epoch of the Shawl Trade in Paisley," writes the author of this interesting volume, "is now rounded off. Like a flower it came up, blossomed, and decayed." Even thus, in Paisley, does the poetic imagination weave garlands of blooming thoughts round textile fabrics. The book, however, is description and history, not an effusion of creative art. The shawls are now rarities sought for by collectors. To such persons this volume must prove uncommonly valuable as explaining, both by pictures and by written descriptions, the technical excellences of garments that must always rank among the most wonderful productions of the world-old craft of the weaver ." - The Scotsman, on publication in 1904.

A case study that explains the present location pattern of the synthetic-fiber industry, forecasts the regional distribution of future growth in terms of employment and capital investment, and evaluates the advantages of Puerto Rico as a site for fiber production.

Die vorliegende Studienausgabe basiert auf der 2. Auflage des seit Jahren als Standardwerk anerkannten Handbuchs Umformtechnik. Sie fuhrt in grundlegende Verfahrensbegriffe sowie die Behandlung von Problemen der Umformtechnik und die metallkundlichen, plastizitatstheoretischen und tribologischen Grundlagen ein. Den Fliesskurven und ihrer Aufnahme ist ein eigenes Kapitel gewidmet, vertieft durch einen Abschnitt uber Fliessortkurven. Weitere Kapitel behandeln die Ermittlung von Verfahrenswerten durch Messen, die Grundlagen der Werkzeugmaschinen zum Umformen sowie die Arbeitsgenauigkeit. Besonders hervorzuheben sind die leicht fassliche Einfuhrung zum Stoff einerseits und die ausreichende Informationen zur selbstandigen Losung nicht zu spezieller Probleme andererseits. Das umfassende Literaturverzeichnis am Schluss eines jeden Kapitels erleichtert die Einarbeitung in Spezialgebiete."

An extraordinary opportunity offered by the Du Pont Company gave Professor Hollander free access both to all detailed cost and much investment data related to rayon manufacture at a number of plants, covering a period of thirty years and to a wide range of informed personnel and officers. These data enabled Professor Hollander to make an unprecedented study of a large industrial firm for the purpose of measuring the contribution of various sources of improvement to increased efficiency. From the mass of information available, he has selected sound technical details and concepts, excluded all irrelevant material, and presented a carefully organized case study showing how technical change accounts for a very high proportion of the increases in productivity. Specifically, this information includes descriptions of the contributions of various types of technical change to production cost reductions, quantitative estimates of the contributions of technical change and economies of scale to increased efficiency, and analyses of the relation between technical change and investment and of the sources of new technology.The microeconomic approach is related to certain macrostudies of productivity increase, and several policy implications are drawn.This study should be of great interest to a wide audience including economists, economic historians, and technologists. All those concerned with the problems of economic growth, industrial structure, patent protection, technical invention, research and development, and the general progress of civilian industrial technology will find this book a valuable addition to their libraries.

A developing country's choice of an appropriate technology from among those available for use in a particular industry is critical: alternative technological strategies that involve varying mixes of capital, labor, and social costs could have significantly different impacts not only on the industry but also on the country itself, especially one whose industrial base is restricted. This book presents one of the first empirical studies in this area.Recent choices of manufacturing equipment procured by a sample of firms in Colombia, Brazil, the Philippines, and Indonesia are the focus of the study, although a few plants in the US and Japan are also included for comparative purposes. These firms are engaged in the spinning and weaving of short fibers (cotton and synthetics) or in the sulfate pulping of wood and paper making. Since both Latin American and Asian experiences are reviewed and both a mechanical and a chemical process industry are treated, the findings are relevant to other countries and other industries.Amsalem's methodology for evaluating alternative technologies goes beyond the consideration of two factors of production (capital-labor ratios). It enables him to factor in differences in labor skills and productivity, the varying efficiencies of machine utilization, levels of energy intensity appropriate to an industry, plant requirements, and market and social costs. The book also examines the effects of government policies and incentives on the decision processes that culminate in a choice among competing technologies.

The first corporate history of an enduring presence on the worldwide carpet manufacturing scene; Shaw Industries, which is based in Dalton, Georgia, is the nation's leading textile manufacturer and the world's largest producer of carpets. This history focuses on the evolution of Shaw's business strategy and its adaptations to changing economic conditions. Randall L. Patton chronicles Shaw's rise to dominance by drawing on corporate records, industry data, and interviews with Shaw employees and management, including Robert E. Shaw, the only CEO the company has known in its more than thirty years. Patton situates Shaw within both the overall context of Sunbelt economic development and the unique circumstances behind the success of the tufted carpet industry in northwest Georgia. After surveying the state of the carpet industry nationwide at the end of World War II, Patton then tells the Shaw story from the boom years of 1955-1973, through the transitional decade of 1973-1982, the consolidation phase of the 1980s and early 1990s, and the "new economy" of the mid- to late 1990s. Throughout, Patton shows, Shaw's drive has always been toward vertical integration - controlling the outside forces that could affect its bottom line. He tells, for instance, how Shaw built its own trucking fleet and became its own yarn supplier, all to the company's advantage. He also relates less successful ventures, most notably Shaw's attempt at direct retailing. The picture emerges of a company proud of its image as a steady and profitable business surviving in a competitive industry. Patton traces the history of Shaw Industries from its start as a family-owned operation through its growth into a multinational corporation that recently joined Warren Buffett's holding company, Berkshire-Hathway. The Shaw saga has much to tell us about the continuing vitality of "old economy" manufacturers.