Simpler Business Institute

In this example, the principles of simplicity in business were introduced to the maintenance function in the supply chain of an integrated rail infrastructure and transport corporation. It all started as an opportunity to provide some business improvement tools to reduce the amount of waste in the supply chain for maintaining locomotives and wagons.

For this example, a telecommunications provider's Internet business unit found themselves with rising costs in 2002. One of the areas singled out for particular scrutiny was the business unit covering technical support for Internet users. The managers encouraged their staff to look for opportunities to cut costs and improve operational efficiency.

In 1988, a systems developer and manufacturer of hardware for the international food processing sector entered the European export market without sufficiently robust products and squandered its capital base over the course of two years. After reassessing its direction and strategy, and implementing a range of changes to its operations, the company turned around these major losses to a profit in just one year.

James Hardie and Coy (Qld), a division of international conglomerate James Hardie Industries Ltd, was under performing and in 1993 was in danger of being closed or sold. In the mid 1980s it had been the subject of a significant "greening" campaign, and its core technology was modified to make its products more environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, the pre-green performance of a couple of the products was never regained, which sapped the morale of the sales force. So, the State Manager decided to undertake some market research in the hope of finding new marketing and sales approaches and product opportunities for the division.