Learning from Experience: Winners, Losers and Forerunners

Date: 25th-28th September 1988

Montreal Convention Centre
25th – 28th September, 1988.

Keynote Speaker: Tom Peters.

Registration fee: $CDN550 (approx $US435)

The Congress was organised in partnership with the Canadian Council for Productivity. At the time, Tor Dahl was President of WCPS, Dr. Martin T. Tveit was Chairman of WCPS. At the Montreal Congress, the World Academy of Productivity Science was founded (following work by Dr. Krish Pennathur, Dr. Martin T. Tveit and Dr. A.N.Saxena) with Dr. Krish Pennathur, from India, as its first President.

The Montreal Declaration

The World Confederation of Productivity Science has brought together scientists and experts in the field of productivity for many years. While this field spans many disciplines, we believe that there are a few fundamental principles that form the cornerstones for a productivityscience.

We believe that organised human activity can be improved, continuously and without end, and that research on and the practice of such performance improvement processes can benefit mankind forever.

We believe that such improvement starts by recognising what should be produced or provided (effectiveness), in what manner it should be produced (efficiently), and that production or provision of goods and services should occur without breakdown or waiting time (occupancy) when it occurs.

We believe that effectiveness exists when organised human activity is directed toward meeting genuine individual and social needs, whether inside or outside the organisation, and that effectiveness embraces and presumes the concepts of quality, as determined by the satisfied acceptance of the product or service.

We believe that efficiency exists when organised activity is performed in such a manner that the amounts of resource expended are no more than what is necessary and sufficient to produce or provide a quality product or service.

We believe that occupancy exists when effective and efficient human activity occurs continuously and without interruption.

We believe that when human activity becomes steadily more effective, efficient and more fully occupied, mankind will benefit by a higher standard of living, greater freedom to develop and create, and expanded opportunities to address and correct the problems that confront the world.

We dedicate ourselves to bring scientific discipline, experimental logic, and creative ability to learn from experience to bear on improving the effectiveness, efficiency and occupancy of all organised activity, and to report our findings to the World Productivity Congress, and to the world. Towards these goals, we have founded the World Academy of Productivity Science.

The World Confederation of Productivity Science takes pride in the establishment of the Canadian Council of Productivity, commends it for co-hosting this historic Congress in a superior manner.

Approved and endorsed by the World Confederation of Productivity Science, meeting plenum at the 6th Productivity Congress in Montreal, September 28, 1988.