"They write down processes and stick to them. When they want improvement, they improve it in a very structured way. "Whereas, with a lot of Kiwis companies, it is a little bit ad hoc. We may write down systems but we do not always follow them."

He says the Japanese firms also apply the number 8 wire mentality - a term for improvising or solving problems using more readily available resources, a reference to the ubiquitous Number 8 fencing wire.

"But they call it low cost, no cost solution."

Previous Page  1  2  3