It's Not Luck - Eliyahu M. Goldratt [89]
I love to talk about Pete’s company. When I start, it’s hard to stop me. “This company is now a beauty, in every aspect. In quality, in delivery, in quick response to whatever the clients want. And most importantly, with their innovative approach to the market, it’s bound to become very profitable, even this year.
“Profitable. The word does not describe it. It’s going to be much above anything that anybody in the printing industry has ever seen. Let me tell you Julie, from every imaginable aspect, it’s a model. A model of how this business should be run. I’m really proud of it.”
“You deserve to be.” Julie smiles at me.
“Doesn’t somebody need such a model?” Dave asks.
“You mean,” I slowly say, “selling it not based on the financials but rather on the fact that it can be used as a model for its industry? Interesting thought.”
“Alex,” Julie chips in, “I think that Dave might be right. You said that companies spend a lot of money on benchmarking. What is better for them than to have the best performer in their own backyard.”
“Yes.” My mind is racing; I develop it further, “And they spend a fortune on consultants. In their business, Pete and his people are better than any consultant out there. They not only understand what to do, they have done it.”
“So they will be the teachers,” Sharon concludes.
They all look at me. “Let me understand what we are talking about,” I try to recoup my thoughts. “For a big printing company, and I’m talking about really big, Pete’s company can be the source of a paradigm shift in performance. It’s a perfect model of how to schedule and control a printing operation, not based on the paradigm of artificial cost but on what really makes sense, short and long-term bottom-line impact.
“They are an outstanding example of how to handle the prep room. A job that might take another company weeks, Pete is turning around in four days, no sweat. But most importantly they know how to develop unique marketing approaches. They can be the benchmark, the school and the consultants at the same time.”
“But Pete and his people don’t want their company to be sold,” Julie reminds me.
“Are you kidding? They would love to be in the position of being the catalyst of change for a large printing company. It’s the ideal job and a great opportunity for them. On the contrary, here at UniCo they are in a strait jacket. They are not part of the core business, they are stuck out in the periphery.”
I’m excited. This idea has a lot of merit. The jump in the financial performance of the company guarantees that we can sell it for a nice bundle. But if we can sell it as a lever for change to a large printing company, then the sky is the limit.
And everybody will benefit. The buyer. UniCo. Granby will come out smelling like roses. Trumann and Doughty will be very pleased. But most importantly, Pete and his people will be in the best position they could ever hope for.
And what about me?
I’ll manage.
“So what do you say?” Dave cuts into my thoughts.
“What I say is that you are right. For a big printing company it’s a unique opportunity. I wonder if I can present it so that they’ll understand how unique and valuable it is?”
“We’re sure that you can,” they all tell me.
26
When we are alone, Julie raises the issue, as I knew she would.
“Alex, what about your job? It looks like your companies are going to be sold, and I think that you’re doing the right thing making sure that they will end up in good hands. But what about you?”
“I don’t know,” I sigh. “I really don’t know.”
“Until now,” she says in a soft voice, “I was careful not to push you, but things are starting to fall into place. You are taking care of your people. What about a little taking care of yourself?”
“And my family,” I finish her thought. “Julie, what do you want me to do? Start pulling some strings? Put my resume in the appropriate hands? I can