Toyota – how can it lose? - Jim Womack, chairman Lean Enterprise Institute - 24/06/2008
Toyota won the profitability race years ago. The interesting question for the future is how it can lose. Jim Womack, chairman of the Lean Enterprise Institute, takes a closer look.   more...

Switching mindsets in Bohemia - Petr Hora - CCI business partner, Europe - 24/06/2008
A two-hour walk takes you from Fry'dlant, a little town in north Bohemia, into either Germany or Poland. Not only does Fry'dlant boast a rich architectural heritage in that it has one of the most spectacular medieval castles in Europe, but it also has an impressive industrial tradition. This tradition is currently represented by Fry'dlantské Stroj­írny (FS), or Fry'dlant Machinery Works and TRW Automotive.
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Optimising 5S and VPM in mining - Mike Schrick 24/06/2008
CCI business partner Operational Excellence International used TRACC to improve operating practices at Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) in Papa New Guinea.   more...

Think, share, learn – a new look at corporate know-how - John Vaughan-Jones, managing director CCI Australia - 12/06/2008
Sophisticated software programmes have been the main enablers in structured approaches towards sharing corporate know-how. But a true understanding of what exemplifies successful sharing is still lacking.
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A modern approach to asset management - Arend Brink and Bill Hughes CCI-GrowthCon - 29/05/2008
The philosophy of Asset Management has undergone many changes during the last decade. With the internet acting as a comparative knowledge base for companies wishing to be competitive globally, a more innovative approach to implementing asset care best practices was born.   more...

Simplicity-minded management - Abstract, Harvard Business Review 12/02/2008
In recent years, corporations have rigorously scrutinised their manufacturing, accounting and IT processes with Six Sigma, lean manufacturing and reengineering efforts. While these processes tend to be controlled, others haven't benefited from disciplined improvement techniques.   more...

Zara – bucking the trend - Kasra Ferdows, professor at McDonough School of Business Georgetown University, Washington DC - 25/01/2008
In an era when clothing retailers outsource much of their manufacturing to developing countries, a Spanish company is having enormous success doing things differently...   more...

Customer adVANTAGE - Daniel T Jones, chairman Lean Enterprise Academy, UK - 23/01/2008
Globalisation is an economic tsunami creating new supply chain dynamics. And for supply chain executives it's time to innovate and change strategies.   more...

Eyes wide open – comparing performance with your competitors - Mike Bourne, director Centre for Business Performance, Cranfield University School of Management - 20/06/2007
Nowadays, performance is measured assiduously. Miles of performance reports compare our performance with target, last year and the latest forecast. But do we know what our performance is against our competitors? And if we do, do we know how to improve our performance so that we're at least in the same league as the industry winners?    more...