Toyota v. Ford‏

[Gunns]

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
person steering, while the American team had 8 people
steering and 1 person rowing.

Feeling a deeper study was in order, American management
hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount 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 1 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, 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.

IF THIS WASN'T SO SAD IT MIGHT BE FUNNY

[Gozza]

I think its funny

[Kyle the ED4LTR]

and 2 think my old man supported Toyota, just bought a Sportivo ZR6

[Kenaz]

It's pretty sad

[Malakai]

Poor old Ford, it's the employee entitlements that is killing them. Retirement, health plans and various other outgoing money they have to pay out to the greedy lazy employees... past and present.

[Russ.]

Its also got a lot to do with the product lineup and the fact that they aren't selling many of their primary models (in the states, like F-Series)

They have plants/facilities that are designed only to make these products, one example I was told about when I was working in Geelong was a Pressline in the states that makes F Series doors, its designed to be profitable by pumping out the same door for 4-6 days straight, then swap to the other door (left and right), only ever making F Series doors. When you stop selling so many F-series and this Pressline becomes redundant, and its not designed for the short production runs and quick changeover times associated with the "just in time" production style that they must now adopt.
Its a case of a changing market and the facility not being flexible enough to adapt, even though it has not yet reached the end of its mechanical life, I reckon this is the case with a fair few of the old facilities they are closing.