The Remedy: Bringing Lean Thinking Out of the Factory to Transform the Entire Organization

Chapter 8. Marketing—Leaning Out the Mad Men

I was in the CMM paint shop doing my weekly waste walk when my BlackBerry began buzzing. A voice like a ripe orange rolled out of the speaker. "Tom Papas, how the hell are you? Art Juna here."

"Mr. Juna," I stammered, "I'm honored . . ."

"Call me Art," he said. "Listen, just heard your Chloe team is moving into marketing. Be tough on them! They're good people but have lacked oversight for a long time. We do a full-court press before spending a few hundred million on design, but spend four billion a year in marketing with hardly a check. I'm getting to know them. Been doing some TV spots. Marketing can benefit from your Lean approach. Jill Henderson is with me."

Jill Henderson was SVP of Marketing. I'd heard she was okay. "Thanks, Art. I agree there's a ton of opportunity in marketing. We can make an impact just by applying the basics."

"Damned straight," said Juna. "Ed Deming taught me the PDCA cycle 35 years ago! It's just good management, for heaven's sake! But the mantra in Taylor Motors seems to be PFPF."

"Not sure I follow . . ."

"Plan-Fail-Plan-Fail!" he laughed. "Let's turn that around. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to meeting you in person. I like what I hear about you. The Chloe launch is shaping up. Six months to go. I want you to kick ass and take names! You have any difficulty, you call me!"

And with that, he was gone. I was grinning the rest of the day.

When Benny Walton joined the team, I told him I was clueless about marketing. "All ...