Breaking From The Pack
Lean and Green
By Fernie Grace Tiflis   
Thursday, 15 March 2007
In late April, Milwaukee, was to host its 10th annual Manufacturing Matters! conference that focuses on companies’ best practices contributing to cost-effective growth. The conference expected to host 700 participants from more than 250 manufacturing organizations in Wisconsin.

Workshop topics at the conference included lean manufacturing, e-business, supply chain management and reducing healthcare costs. Author Oren Harari was scheduled to conduct one of the 30 workshops.

Harari, a nationally recognized expert on innovation, leadership and growth, is the author of the recently released Break From the Pack: How to Compete in a Copycat Economy, which explores the effects of globalization on American businesses. In today’s “me-too” market, companies find it harder to stand out among the competition, according to the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP), which hosts Manufacturing Matters! In his keynote speech, Harari was to discuss what companies can do to distinguish themselves in the global marketplace and maintain competitive advantage.

“Of all the pressures globalization puts on business, one of the most insidious is its ability to turn even the most innovative product or service into just another commodity,” WMEP says. “As increasing numbers of competitors have entered the global manufacturing market, the more they’ve begun to imitate one other, driving down prices, eroding customer loyalty and making it almost impossible to distinguish one company or product from the next. Resisting that pressure means learning how to differentiate your company – creating a standout organization with standout products.”

Some learning points from Harari’s book include:
• “If your competitors aren’t thoroughly puzzled by what you’re doing, or if they’re not deriding you as insane, you’re probably not doing enough to break from the pack.

• “In today’s ‘copycat economy,’ getting bigger per se won’t make you successful – that’s why so many firms are dead or dying – GM, Kodak, the old AT&T, etc. – but breaking from the pack will make you successfully bigger.

• “One of the most dangerous, counterproductive strategies is the one-stop shopping strategy where an organization offers customers everything they need. It doesn’t work. You can’t be all things to all people.

• “The only way to build customer loyalty is to take your customer to an impossible place.

• “Branding has little to do with logos, ads or other traditional marketing. It has everything to do with consistency and credibility.

• “At the end of the day, it’s gotta be fun. No fun, no success, and on top of that the best people leave.”

WMEP says defying the pressures of commoditization must come from the top down. “Our goal is to provide manufacturers with the tools and techniques they can use to make immediate improvements to their businesses,” said Michael Klonsinski, executive director. “Manufacturing is a strong and vibrant $44 billion industry in Wisconsin, but change is essential for manufacturers to compete globally. The status quo is no longer an option.”  
 
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