Rest Well, Peter Drucker

Peter Drucker died yesterday at the age of 95 and American business lost one of its greatest thinkers and strongest supporters.  I am sure glowing obituaries will pop up throughout the press - here is a link to the one I read - but no one will be able to fully capture the essence of this incredible, brilliant man.

His Concept of the Corporation has had a profound impact on manufacturing, written in the 1940's it is the result of an exclusive inside look GM gave him into the inner workings of the company.  Most noteworthy about it is Drucker's intellectual honesty.  Alfred Sloan allowed the project under the expectation that Drucker would sing the praises of the great company.  It turned out that he praised what he believed had merit, and criticized that which he saw as problematic.  It did not endear him to Sloan or GM management, and Sloan's book written later is thought by many to be, in part at least, an attempt to rebut Drucker.  Drucker's book has endured, however, and is still regarded as one of the classic, essential management guides.

I was most influenced by Drucker's The Emerging Theory of Manufacturing, an article published in the Harvard Business Review in 1990.  In it he described supply chain theory and how manufacturing fits in, the essential nature of statistical quality, the requisite for lean accounting - many concepts we are just beginning to fully appreciate today.  He was 80 years old when he wrote it with powerful clarity and foresight over fifteen years ago.

Most of all, he spent his career tirelessly pushing American management to think ahead and to improve.  Most likely he is already staring to delve into the organizational structure and strategy deployment process in heaven, with plans to give the Creator a few tips on how to be best prepared for the next wave of immigrants. 

This Austrian native gave more to us - his adopted country - than we could have ever asked, and he will be appreciated and missed by everyone who cares about American business.

Comments

[fwwr]

I find one item absent in ALL the "lean" and such discussions of praise and goodness! WHY is the healthcare and even retirements costs, expenses, obligations, however they are labeled, NOT involved in the "cost reductions, efficeny, improved and carefully blah-blah that is laid on "Manufacturing"?
It seems completely bizarrre that major corportations that negotiate down to pennies with suppliers on parts and raw materials, simply roll over for any health cost! Why do none... even inclused major retail and of course the unions muscles included.. why can NONE get a better deal on the benefits or at least try as hard there as they do with other suppliers and goods? This seems to be the "third rail" of manufacturing" as none will touch it, but all ride it to lay off and move off shore. Perhaps it is time to replace HR types with buyers from Mfg and let them try thier contract techniques. I have yet to find ANY corporation anwwhere in USA that has put the same or even close amount of muscle and purchasing powere behind their benefits programs as the do their "excellence and lean and etc" programs..Perhaps we need new more agggesive and educated in "Lean etc" in the offices not just the floor areas... No one to date has addressed this failure by USA corporations.. other then to wring hands and help load up the factory for shipments off shore.. Just another gripe.. what a lovely bankruptcy law that allows companies to fold in USA.. but does not touch their earning or faclities off shore.. that send their money to that USA corp address.. often a off shore mailbox.. The new bankruptcy law is an incentive to LLC/Corp USA to shut down inside our borders.. other then to cash checks from their off shore operations.. MFG types need to start to broaden their knowledge a bit..some "excellence in awareness of it all" is a good place to start! So first lets put the health care into the "excellence-lean" spotlight.. and see what major purchasing, experienced conract types can do there.. One other question to start it off...whom and what is profit in "health care" as that one seems to be a stealth technology!