The Lean CEO: Leading the Way to World-Class Excellence

CHAPTER 1

HOW WASTE BECAME BUSINESS AS USUAL

Take a look at the following three scenarios:

  •  A recreational trailer manufacturer was forced into bankruptcy after revenues dropped 60 percent during the 2009 recession.

  •  A medium-size hospital closed its doors amid rising costs, quality concerns, and growing competition from larger providers.

  •  A manufacturer of diesel engine components, dogged by chronic delivery problems, poor labor relations, and the loss of a key patent, shut down its plant and sold its assets to a large automotive manufacturer.

Scenarios like these are, sadly, not unusual. Layoffs, plant closings, downsizings, cutbacks, ...