OT But all too true!

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 and a certificate of completion 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 (a reduction in workforce) 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.

PS: However, sad, but oh so true! 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!

Reply to
Mike Williams
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In the 1980s, Toyota and GM formed a new company called NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing Industry, IIRC). They took over an old GM assembly plant near San Francisco and and produced a "badge engineered" Nova / Corolla.

It was rather ugly, to me, at the back, but got good reviews. The follow-on car was the Geo Prizm that got very good ratings as both a Geo and a Toyota. (I had the Geo.) It also showed that we Yanks could build good cars. I think that they are still building the Ugly and the Pretty SUV for Pontiac and Toyota, respectivly, there.

Karl

Reply to
midlant

Yep, NUMMI is alive and well in Fremont. I see truck frames being trucked in (probably from L.A.) all the time. The former Ford plant in Milpitas was turned into a Mall about 15 years ago...

Reply to
Jeff Grohs

again supporting my point we should have nukked Detroit instead of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Yokahama would now be overrun with convience stores....................

Reply to
oldcarfart

Why does Toyota call there race cars TRDs? Do they smell funny? ;)

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

More likely they are coming from Japan LOL

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

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