Got Boondoggle?: Toyota Releases Temp Workers I got asked today why I hadn’t yet commented on Toyota planning to fire some temporary workers in Indiana. Mike commented on it on his “Got Boondoggle?” blog. A news article can be found…
I, Cringely . The Pulpit . Lean and Mean | PBS Alas, we can’t sue IBM Global Services (not IBM manufacturing) for misappropriation of the word “Lean.” This is yet another example of L.A.M.E., “Lean as Misguidedly Executed.” I don’t…
New Haven Register – Bitter Ending Thanks to Lean Blog reader Tom for sending this my way, sad story that it is. Hershey’s candy is moving a plant from Connecticut to Virginia: The Hershey Co. will close its Peter Paul…
Circuit City’s harsh layoffs give glimpse of a new world First off, Circuit City is not a “Lean” company. So when people ask “is Lean always good for employees?,” you can also ask “when is traditional management always good for…
Goldman upgrades Dell on turnaround hopes Here’s another contrast between Toyota and Dell, particularly striking in context of my recent podcast with Norman Bodek: Dell shares rallied nearly 3 percent Monday after Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock to “buy” from…
Tecumseh To Close Wisconsin Plant; 320 Employees To Lose Jobs This is a disappointing article after we normally read such good lean news from the state of Wisconsin . Lean isn’t mentioned one way or another in the case of…
I might have been the last one in the working world to try reading the book “Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life.” My dad gave me a copy…
I ran into my first real “nasty” person in the healthcare world back a few months back. I still have my scars from working on lean and improvement activities in the factory world, the nasty looks and the negative attitudes…
Northwest advised workers to see treasure in trash | Reuters.com Here is an incredibly sad example of a company (or someone in the company) not having “respect for employees.” Northwest sent a “So You’ve Been Laid Off” guidebook with “helpful”…
Outsourcing continues to be a hot topic. It is especially true in Michigan, where the Governor’s race is heating up. It is the topic of the race. Incumbent Granholm is trying to woo Toyota into building an engine plant here…
USATODAY.com Sigh, another grand management pronoucement designed to dazzle Wall Street. From the article: “Chipmaker Intel (INTC) plans to slash costs in hopes of pulling out of its recent slump, CEO Paul Otellini said Thursday. Otellini, speaking to analysts in…
Ford’s salaried job cuts done for now “For now.” I’m sure that’s encouraging to the survivors at Ford. I got an email from a GM friend about the salaried layoffs and the predictable impact on morale there. “[In a meeting]…