Downturn Forces Cutbacks Big and Small – WSJ.com There’s a lot of town during any downturn about cutting costs in businesses or organizations. Often, the talk is about “cutting heads” — a cruel way of talking about firing people. Or,…
Top Small Workplaces 2008 – WSJ.com Today’s WSJ was well worth the $2.00. Yes, I subscribe to the online Journal, but there’s something nice about reading the regular print version while traveling. Maybe I should just buy a Kindle as…
Retailers Reprogram Workers In Efficiency Push – WSJ.com This is more of a Deming philosophy article than a “Lean article” since the retailer in question here doesn’t say they’re using Lean…. which is good, since the situation described in the…
Business World – WSJ.com — How to Save Detroit And $50 Billion: The Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. column “Business World” in the WSJ is normally a good read. Last week, he wrote about the proposed bailouts (um, assistance) that automakers…
Have Knife, Will Travel: A Slaughterhouse on Wheels (WSJ-Free) So I realize this article and post might be controversial. My point isn’t to start a “meat is good” or “meat is bad” debate. I know that conditions in slaughterhouses can…
Dell Is Considering Selling Its Factories – Yahoo! News Dell Plans to Sell Factories In Effort to Cut Costs – WSJ.com As a former Dell employee (1999-2000), I was surprised and maybe a bit angry when they announced, earlier this…
Export Boom Fuels Factory Town’s Revival – WSJ.com: It’s more a story of exchange rates (weak dollar) than Lean, but manufacturing isn’t dead yet, especially in Wisconsin. As someone who re-opened a closed factory says: “America got tired of manufacturing,”…
Stung by Soaring Transport Costs, Factories Bring Jobs Home Again – WSJ.com Lean thinkers have long advocated the benefits of having a shorter supply chain — faster response, keeping jobs at home, being close to the customer, and better quality.…
As Candidates Quit, Trinkets Pile Up (Free CareerJournal.com article) Here’s an amusing article from the WSJ… sort of old news now, but also a story about old inventory, so maybe my delay in posting this is appropriate. “…small businesses responsible…
The Challenge From China – WSJ.com: The above linked article is pretty wide-ranging, written by a political guy, mostly about the growing military threat from China. He dabbles a bit in long-term (China) vs. short-term (U.S.) thinking… how China’s economic…
Factories Fading, Hospitals Step In – WSJ It’s inevitable — as manufacturing jobs decline and our population ages, more people will shift from manufacturing jobs into healthcare. (Free version of article here) BANGOR, Maine — In this aging manufacturing region,…
One of the most fascinating trends out of there is the spread of Toyota folks into other old-line automakers or parts suppliers — Gary Convis, Jim Press, and Jim Farley, to name three. What impact can they have outside of…
