A Savage Factory: An Eyewitness Account of the Auto Industry’s Self-Destruction

Savage Factory by Robert Dewar is a manager’s first hand account of a production line at Ford’s Sharonville Transmission Plant in the 70′s and 80′s. Bob’s begins the story on his first day at the job. He receives 39 minutes and is told to get the production numbers. Bob writes in a breezy storytelling manner that makes you feel like you are sitting with him at a kitchen table hearing his accounts. The book provides insight into the maze of Union rules and waves of management directives that Bob faced in his role as foreman. In 1985 ford sent out warning stickers to owners of 23 million vehicles that warned the driver about the possibility of the vehicle jumping out of park into reverse. Transmissions put in those cars were made at the Sharonville plant. We know that part quality at the plant was completely ignored, this story confirms that the actions of labor and management are both to blame. Bob left the car industry and wrote A Savage Factory twenty years later. He was invited to get a tour of the plant in 2009: Ford 1979 vs. Ford 2009: What’s Changed?. This book puts a whole new light on the phrase “Quality is Job 1.”

Sadly, Bob Dewar passed away in January: Robert Dewar Obituary

Robert Dewar Blog on A Savage Factory

Another good related read from the perspective of the auto worker:Rivethead: Tales from the Assembly Line

Ford 1979 vs. Ford 2009

A business case study from Robin Hood. What to do when your business grows and the market changes. What strategy and next step does the leader take?

It was in the spring of the second year of his insurrection against the High Sheriff of Nottingham that Robin Hood took a walk in Sherwood Forest. As he walked he pondered the progress of the campaign, the disposition of his forces, the Sheriffs recent moves, and the options that confronted him.

The revolt against the Sheriff had begun as a personal crusade. It erupted out of Robin’s conflict with the Sheriff and his administration. However, alone Robin Hood could do little. He therefore sought allies, men with grievances and a deep sense of justice. Later he welcomed all who came, asking few questions and demanding only a willingness to serve. Strength, he believed, lay in numbers.
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Pitch for the Oxford vs. Cambridge Rugby Match

UPDATE: Looks like the viewing audience for this year’s Bowl is the highest in 23 years. Thought I heard that it was the highest rated in TV history. The Champions League has some catching up to do.

“last year’s average TV audience (109 million people) for the UEFA Champions League final topped that of the Super Bowl (106 million) for the first time.” NYT WSJ

Highest paid athlete in the world. Not who you think. It’s Sachin Tendulkar the Indian Cricket Player. Look at his list of endorsements on the wiki page.

I have to say that when I travel out of the US I always see Soccer and Cricket on the TV. Really have to look hard to hear about either of these sports in north america.

Forget Tiger Woods, read about Soccer Superstar John Terry

English Soccer Star John Terry Faces Scandal

Two recent articles from the Wall Street Journal:

The Time It Takes to Win It All

According to an operational study of National Football League teams prepared for The Wall Street Journal by Boston Consulting Group, the typical NFL season requires 514,000 hours of labor per team. That’s about eight times the effort it took to conceptualize, build and market Apple’s iPod, according to BCG, and enough time to build 25 America’s Cup yachts. If both Super Bowl teams dedicated themselves to construction rather than football, their members could have built the Empire State Building in seven seasons.

11 Minutes of Action

According to a Wall Street Journal study of four recent broadcasts, and similar estimates by researchers, the average amount of time the ball is in play on the field during an NFL game is about 11 minutes.

18 games to get to the SuperBowl is 198 minutes of time the team is playing during the season with 514,000 hours of preparation. Think of all of the situations where you have to make a lot of preparation to be ready for an opportunity that occurs over a very short time.

I really like this quote in the article:

“We prepare so hard for one common goal,” says Colts offensive lineman Kyle DeVan, “I think it would be easy to compete against businesspeople.”

Kyle DeVan is the center for the Indianapolis Colts. Kyle starts the ball in motion. Kyle DeVan: From substitute teacher to protector of Peyton

I’d like to let Kyle know that there are many of us businesspeople who would give him a run for his money.

I am picking the Colts for the game.