90s Recollection Part 1

This decade was very interesting and challenging.  So many changes occurred in both my professional and personal life. 

The 90s began difficult.  The recession arrived and put strain on so many manufacturers.  Many didn’t survive.  Even Magna went through some difficulties due to some large investments made in the 80s.  The start up of new programs in new facilities were challenging and volumes were hard to meet.  If memory serves me correct, the automotive sector felt this recession more than any other manufacturing industry.

Nevertheless, Magna survived this recession. Frank was back in command. With his vision, direction, and motivational skills that were directed towards his entire workforce, Magna came out of the recession and stood stronger than ever.

Frank would often tell us managers that we can only be successful by making a better product for a better price.

The 90s brought upon so many new buzz words, such as:

·      Globalization

·      North American Pact

·      Production Improvements

·      Team Work

·      Group Work

·      Kaizan

·      Kan Ban

Changes were happening, however, many companies weren’t reacting to these changes fast enough.  Changes were difficult to implement and I’d say this is primarily because people don’t like change in general.