Ford vs. Toyota - Sound Familiar?

[Spuds]

A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (Ford) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race. On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 steering, while the American's had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing.

Feeling a deeper study was in order management hired a consulting company and paid them loads of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.

Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering superintendents, and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the
one person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was
called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners, and free pens for the rower. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes, and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment.
The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses And the next year's racing team was out-sourced to India

Sadly, this is 'The End'.

Here's something else to think about:

Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the
US, claiming they can't make money paying American wages.

TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants
inside the US . The last quarter's results: TOYOTA makes 4 billion
in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.

Ford folks are still scratching their heads.........

[brad_p]

Very well put

[Hummer Guy]

Originally Posted by Spuds

Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the
US, claiming they can't make money paying American wages.

TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants
inside the US . The last quarter's results: TOYOTA makes 4 billion
in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.

Ford folks are still scratching their heads.........

Not American Wages -- Union wages, which Toyota does not pay their people. GM is in the same boat. No pun intended.

[HumminNBoatin']

Sounds like a story about HUMMER lol

[Field Scout]

The Ford statagy sound just like something my employer would do. AT&T has so many managers on "staff" that come up with new policies but the majority have no field credintials but they can push the pencils and count numbers and if it makes no sense appoint a committee and reword it till it does or someone is put on a stage of disipline or if not in the union let go outright