• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile

  • CORONAVIRUS
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • REGIONS
    • Asia Pacific
    • Canada
    • China
    • Europe
    • Latin America
    • Middle East/Africa
    • North America
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » Hardy Industrial Products Companies Flexible, Innovative, Long on Productivity, Human Capital

Hardy Industrial Products Companies Flexible, Innovative, Long on Productivity, Human Capital

February 1, 2006
Global Logistics & Supply Chain Strategies

Discard the perception of all industrial products companies as victims of a "rust-belt" mentality, doomed to wither away in the age of high-technology. The next two years will present significant growth opportunities for the sector-or at least those companies that embrace innovative thinking. So says Paul Loftus, North American managing partner of industrial equipment with the Accenture consultancy in Reston, Va. A recent study by Accenture of six top-performing companies found that the leaders were especially strong in four areas: global flexibility, innovation, productivity and a sharp focus on "human capital." As a result, says Loftus, those businesses have posted double the industry's average return for shareholders over the past seven years. Their average free cash flow is 13 percent, versus 9 percent among peer companies. American Standards, for example, reduced direct spend by $300m while widening its marketing focus around the world. ITT Industries solidified its presence in China through the acquisition of a local maker of water-purification equipment. Finland's KONE Corp., a manufacturer of escalators and elevators, transformed itself from a pure product maker to a provider of end-to-end services, with long-term direct service agreements bolstered by sophisticated diagnostic equipment built into the units. Cooper Industries, a maker of lighting, wiring and sprinkler systems, teamed up with distributors to create a comprehensive service for large construction companies. Danaher, a diversified producer of industrial equipment and controls, created a consistent production system on a global scale. It provides a framework for measuring productivity and making decisions at a high level of management. And Japan's Daiken, which makes motors, pumps and electrical equipment, has "the highest productivity of any manufacturer on the planet," says Loftus. It has a strong program of supporting employees who have remained with the company for many years. One interesting element that all six companies have in common: all are team efforts, not solely the work of a high-profile (and publicity-hungry) chief executive officer. In addition, all six have been able to grow steadily in a highly cyclical industry, in good times and bad. Says Loftus: "It's a very balanced approach."

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Supply Chain Finance & Revenue Management Technology Global Supply Chain Management High-Tech/Electronics Industrial Manufacturing
KEYWORDS Global Supply Chain Management High-Tech/Electronics Industrial Manufacturing SC Finance & Revenue Management Technology
  • Related Articles

    Oco Offers BI Solutions for Mid-Sized Companies in CPG, Industrial Products

    Companies Flexible About IT See Greater Employee Productivity, Study Finds

Global Logistics & Supply Chain Strategies

Transplace Helps Del Monte Streamline Network

More from this author

Wake up to live
“Supply Chains in Crisis”
updates and the latest Supply Chain News!

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • How Mindnumbing Office Tasks Made One Man $360M

    Stop Using Spreadsheets to Manage Your Global Supply Chain

    Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
  • Fastest Electric Car Chargers Waiting for Batteries to Catch Up

    Podcast | Why Automakers Won’t Meet EV Production Targets

    Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
  • Cash

    Why Private Equity Investors Are Targeting the Chaotic Supply Chain Sector

    Logistics
  • Taiwan Helping Tech Firms That Choose Southeast Asia Over China

    Apple Asks Suppliers in Taiwan to Label Products as Made in China

    Global Logistics
  • Germany Is Re-Engineering Europe’s Most Important River

    Rhine River Withers to Crisis Level as Europe Craves Energy

    Transportation & Distribution

Digital Edition

Scb august 2022 sm

100 Great Supply Chain Partners of 2022

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • Returns Management SaaS Saves Retail Giant $4 Million Monthly

  • 3PL Doubles Productivity With Robots to Fulfill Medical Supply Orders

  • E-Commerce Company Cuts Order Fulfillment Time by 40%

  • Fashion Retailer Halves Fulfillment Time With Omichannel Automation

  • Distributor Scales Business by Integrating Warehouse Automaton Software

Visit Our Sponsors

Yang Ming Alithya Barcoding
Blue Yonder BNSF Logistics CoEnterprise
Data Capture E2open Generix
Geodis GEP GreyOrange
Here Honeywell Intelligrated IFM
Inmar Keelvar Kinaxis
Korber Liberty SBF Locus Robotics
Logility Lucas Systems Nvidia
Old Dominion ORTEC Parsyl
PMMI QIMA Redwood Logistics
Ryder E-commerce by Whiplash Saddle Creek Logistics Schneider Dedicated
Setlog Holding AG Ship4WD Shipwell
Tecsys TGW Systems Thomson Reuters
Tive Trailer Bridge Vecna Robotics
Verity Verusen  
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright ©2022 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing