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Other criteria which we considered were less tangible, but no less important for that. We took staff morale very seriously, because if it's poor it can have measurable results such as high staff turnover and a high accident rate. And if a business can't easily handle change, it may well create more problems than it solves, and its future is unlikely to be secure. The next step was for the panel of judges to assess the results and devise a shortlist. We then visited these factories. I must say, I found it fascinating to see so many factories in action. As a result of these visits, we came up with the three winners in each category. The factories that emerged from this process shared some familiar characteristics. Impressive people-management practices, for a start. A determination among the factory's management team not to be second best, for another. And acting on the realisation that clever initiatives don't count if they don't further a factory's mission. No successful factory can, for a moment, forget its customers, whether they're internal to the company or external. |