Tag Archives: sales

Out of Touch Executives Damage Companies: Go to the Gemba

Posted on August 20, 2014 by John Hunter

When your customer service organization is universally recognized as horrible adding sales requirements to customer service representatives jobs is a really bad practice. Sadly it isn’t at all surprising to learn of management doing just that at our largest companies. Within a system where cash and corruption buys freedom from market forces (see below for more details) such practices can continue. Such customer hostile practices shouldn’t continue. They shouldn’t be allowed to continue. And even though the company’s cash has … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer focus, Data, Management, Psychology, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Toyota Production System for Sales…

Posted on December 4, 2006 by John Hunter

Corporate profile: the Toyota Production System [the broken link was removed] by Sarah Perrin: Within Toyota itself, non-production personnel support the TPS approach. “We very much value the Toyota way,” says David Betteley, managing director of Toyota Financial Services (UK) and vice president operations for Europe and Africa. “The key values of the Toyota way are teamwork, respect, challenge, kaizen and genchi genbutsu. “You produce a new product and it can be replicated by a competitor almost immediately, so you … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management Articles, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Six Sigma in Sales

Posted on September 14, 2006 by John Hunter

Can Six Sigma Work in a Sales and Marketing Environment? [the broken link was removed] by Paul Selden: The more systematic view demystifies sales…. As such, that system can be subjected to objective analysis using tools common to Six Sigma and other well-grounded disciplines. Sales is often an area that is treated as though it were separate from the company. That leads to all sorts of problems. Sales needs to be seen as part of the system of the organization … Continue reading →

Posted in Management Articles, Six sigma | Tagged | 1 Comment

Marketing in a Lean Company

Posted on October 20, 2005 by John Hunter

Where Is Marketing In All of This? [the broken link was removed]: The problem with all of this is that it is based on the idea that sales and manufacturing are distinct entities, with a one way flow between them, rather than hopelessly intertwined elements of the same complicated business. … An essential element of lean manufacturing is a level loading of demand – or at least reasonably level. Toyota uses pricing to accomplish this. … It is becoming more … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Lean thinking, Management, Systems thinking | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Design of Experiments in Advertising

Posted on August 9, 2005 by John Hunter

How Two Guys From the Gold Country Are Changing Advertising Forever [the broken link has been removed] by Robert X. Cringely James Kowalick and Mario Fantoni, two guys who say they can show you how to use science to design ads that cost less while being 10 or more times as effective as doing it the old way. Their secret is the Taguchi Method, which is a technique for designing experiments that converge on an ideal product solution. … “I … Continue reading →

Posted in Design of Experiments, Management | Tagged , , | 2 Comments