Re: Why is the Automation market declining?
Nov 3, 2000 1:36 pm, by Anthony Kerstens
Text :
The question I tried to ask, but perhaps not so clearly, was about the _attempt_ by companies to follow the Japanese model. Jim, let me restate my question: I wonder if the attempt and subsequent failure to implement management models (not necessarily Japanese) is a contributing factor to decline in the automation industry? In one specific example I can think of, a significant amount of training, reassignment of resources, and expenditure of funds led to dismal failure. Why? Not because the Japanese model was bad, but the implementation was not met by the commitment required. There was not just a lack of commitment, but general hostility toward those that showed interest. The subsequent failure in fact made the situation worse. Jim, you mention specific successes. Are there any failures, and how big an affect did they have on the automation industry? Anthony Kerstens P.Eng.
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• Re: Why is the Automation market declining?
  Nov 7, 2000 8:22 am, by Jim Pinto
  Anthony Kerstens restated his earlier question : >I wonder if the attempt and subsequent failure >to implement management models (not necessarily >Japanese) is a contributing factor to decline >in the automation industry? >In one specific example I can think of, a >significant amount of training, reassignment >of resources, and expenditure of funds led to >dismal failure. Why? Not because the Japanese >model was bad, but the implementation was >not met by the commitment required. There was >not just a lack of commitment, but general >hostility toward those that showed interest. The >subsequent failure in fact made the situation worse. >Jim, you mention specific successes. Are there >any failures, and how big an affect did they have >on the automation industry? Jim Pinto responds : Yes, there has been a lot of re-alignment and effort at re-organization to develop employee ownership and empowerment. I am sure that this indeed absorbed a lot of resources. However, I cannot think of any failures that resulted specifically from this effort and wasted resources in this type of involvement. Off-line, I received one wise-crack (at least I think it was a wise crack, and not serious) that "employee-ownership" was not an American idea - it was invented by a German (presumably Karl Marx) and implemented by the Russians (presumably Communism). Seriously, there is a subtle and significant difference between "collective ownership" and "employee-ownership". The former reduces emphasizes the "collective" - the State; the latter emphasizes the individual Employee-owner, who becomes individually responsible and accountable. As you can tell, I am passionately in favor of individual-empowerment and employee ownership! I have seen significant success, (and admit that I am probably blinded to the failures). <soap-box on> I strongly advise Engineers everywhere to rise up, and demand stock options, ownership and equity-sharing plans! Or else, start your own company! <soap-box off> Cheers : jim ----------/ Jim Pinto email : jim@jimpinto.com web: www.JimPinto.com San Diego, CA., USA ----------/
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