Fabrication and manufacturing

High-stakes projects need all-star teams. But all-stars often play by their own rules—and fight like cats and dogs.

Former Procter & Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley on lessons learned the hard way

With China now in the World Trade Organization, opportunities for multinational corporations are multiplying and evolving fast—and so are the accompanying underlying perils.

Green initiatives can, by reducing costs, enhance a company’s bottom line. Actions that harm the environment can have the opposite effect. Now, thanks to a burgeoning market in greenhouse gas emission credits put into effect by the Kyoto Protocol, environmental considerations will increasingly affect not only companies’ income statements but also their balance sheets. A […]

How three essential practices can address even the most complex global problems

Two Japanese automakers have had stunning success building relationships with North American suppliers—often the same companies that have had contentious dealings with Detroit’s Big Three. What are Toyota and Honda doing right?

In the wake of Covid-19's disruptions, Kshore, a Chinese appliance maker, is thinking of realigning its supply chain. Like many other global manufacturers,...

Companies aggressively offer discounts, introductory coupons, and other incentives to lure new customers—and, often, those prospects oblige by making an initial purchase. But my research in the financial services, fast food, and automotive sales and service industries shows how these tactics can backfire. In one study, involving 300 new customers of a bank, 71% of […]

Inside the company’s new-growth factory

You’re insured and hedged against many risks—but not the greatest ones, the strategic risks that can disrupt or even destroy your business. Learn to anticipate and manage these threats systematically and, in the process, turn some of them into growth opportunities.

With workers defining their own job standards, quality and productivity at the Fremont plant went from worst to best.

High-definition televisions (HDTVs) should, by now, be a huge success. Philips, Sony, and Thompson invested billions of dollars to develop TV sets with...

In 1965, a time when quantitative, computer-driven planning was very much in vogue, Royal Dutch Shell started experimenting with a different way of looking...

It won’t replace standard manufacturing anytime soon.

A chief executive reflects on what makes employees passionate and the business lessons he learned in a close call on a glacier.

If you’re not careful, the dream of information integration can turn into a nightmare.

Tracking things like customer satisfaction and employee turnover can powerfully supplement traditional bookkeeping. Unfortunately, most companies botch the job.

First-mover advantage is more than a myth but far less than a sure thing. Here’s how to tell when it’s likely to occur—and when it’s not.

The German car company has redesigned its factory for—and with—older workers.

Sony’s $1,500 pet robot is virtually useless—which explains why it’s such a big hit.