Make or Break: How Manufacturers Can Leap from Decline to Revitalization (Strategy + Business)

Break the manufacturing mold--and make new paths to phenomenal growth

In a world of emerging markets, changing work forces, and accelerating innovation, manufacturing is once again a key corporate issue. Manufacturing expertise is a strategic competitive advantage, distinguishing winning companies (like Procter & Gamble, Lego, Toyota, Zara, and Tata) from those that have let their capabilities languish. It may not be easy to take back control of production, target sources for scarce (and environmentally sustainable) materials, and cultivate a motivated, talented labor force. But there are ways to do it; and successful companies will need to learn how.

The thought leaders at Booz & Company and strategy+business magazine have collaborated to create an up-to-the-minute exploration of a new era in manufacturing and the requisite strategies for success. Chock full of profiles of the best manufacturing innovations in every business sector from pharmaceuticals to autos to consumer products, and revealing the most effective manufacturing innovations and strategies, Make or Break introduces you to the forces reshaping the industry. The secrets are in this book, including how to meet such interrelated challenges as:

• Labor relationships and modernization
• Material shortages
• Career development of your workforce
• Expansion of variety
• Competition on a global scale
• Complexity solution
• Environmental issues
• Integration of resilience into your strategy

Based on leading-edge research, Make or Break is a book for leaders of the manufacturing function, but it is also for any corporate executive who wants to lead his or her industry-and for students and researchers seeking to understand why making products will, once again, be seen as the most vital skill set for a vibrant economy.

Conrad Winkler is a vice president in Booz Allen Hamilton's Chicago office.

Kaj Grichnik is a vice president in Booz & Company's Munich office.

Conrad Winkler is a vice president in Booz & Company's Chicago office.