Strategic Operations

"The purpose of an Operations Strategy is to specify the kind of competitive advantage that a company is seeking in its marketplace and to articulate how that advantage is to be achieved."

"Managers [should] think of an investment in a new plant, or a decision to change a process technology, not as "once-and-for-all" solutions to fixed problems, but as part of a sequence of actions along a conscious path of operating improvements."

"While the traditional approach takes a static view of conditions and benefits, the capability-focused approach attempts to capture benefits that are dynamic and self-renewing."

"Shared understanding and trust take a long time to build, but only a moment to destroy"

"A company's ultimate success, therefore, depends on how effectively it can shift from measuring and controlling costs to choosing and managing projects that enhance its organizational capabilities."

"Most managers put too much faith in machines and technology, and too little faith in the day-to-day management of people."

"'Practice makes perfect,' but perfection requires endless practice."

"The key to a successful transition is not only the identification of a good opportunity, but also the judicious choice of a hinge that will be used to get into the new business."

"Being world-class is not enough; a company also has to have the capability to switch gears."

"While improvement fads can provide the impetus that encourages static organizations to move, it is critically important that sufficient attention is paid to building a common understanding of how the improvement will be kept on course and sustained."