Do you know how well your competitors are doing - not in terms of their results but operationally? They might have better results but be a worse performer because they are bigger than you. They may be at a disadvantage in terms of their location, access to labour, materials or energy ... yet still have

When running a race, an athlete has to be in peak condition, with no injuries. They also have to be aware of the capabilities of their opponents and set their tactics accordingly (especially for long distance races). Well, business competition is rather similar. A business organisation has to be in peak condition with no significant

Remember ergonomics?  Not many people seem to. I often see products that look like the designer has no idea of the shape and size of a typical person.  They may have been designed for an average human being of the 1940s ...  but not thew 21st century. Think seats on public transport, on aeroplanes, in

Some organisations treat  people badly as they pursue profit at all costs. Yet this is short-termism of the worst sort. As you travel around and visit various companies, you will invariably see a poster or plaque in reception claiming 'Our people are our Greatest Asset' or "We are Investors in People:". Yet few of those

The Industrial Revolution was the greatest ever change to UK society, transforming the lives of millions of people. Yet, at the time, many people suffered from appalling work under dreadful conditions. Now the UK is faced with Brexit and ... We get all sorts of predictions but these are almost always based on prejudice, not

Politicians often bemoan the UK's poor productivity.  Yet, at the same time, over the last decade they seem to have systematically destroyed much of the further education sector with a policy of 'a thousand cuts'.  The same is true of 6th form education. There is quite a bit of evidence to show that a well-

We expect modern managers to be numerate and analytical. We educate and train them to be so. Yet when we look at entrepreneurs we see something else.  We see creativity and passion. Which of these are the best qualities to have? Of course, I have given you a false dilemma. The answer is that really successful

I read a comment the other day suggesting that increased private investment in (private) education would improve its productivity. I think this is debatable. As in many other areas, it depends on how you define and measure productivity. We all know that productivity is quite different than production or output: fundamentally it involves the incorporation of

Toyota has had its fair share of problems recently - and has certainly been knocked off the plinth it has been on for some time... held up as a beacon of efficiency and productivity, So, what does this do for the reputation of the Toyota production system - must we now all try to forget

You will have often heard a phrase like ... Success is a marathon, not a sprint ... indicating that the activity in hand must be addressed with focus and concentration over the longer- term. Well, Productivity is certainly a marathon. You need a good start, then a keen ongoing focus and finally a strong finish.