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Saturday, February 18, 2023

Lessons from success and bust stories: Sharp of Japan

Every generation needs a revolution - an entrepreneurial revolution

Please find enclosed a link to the video on the decline of Sharp, its huge losses incurred in the latter years and its acquisition by Foxconn a Taiwanese subcontractor.


Lessons that I learned:  (How about you)

1.   It does not mean that if you are 40 years old, or 100 years old as Sharp, you can not fail.  You can still fail.

2.  It debunks the superiority of  Japanese management.   We can be superior too.  Or at least strive to be good.   Our bad maintenance of the park, and not 100% interment brings us closer to losing our business.  We are not asking people to manufacture high tech products, only regular cleaning and grass cutting, and we can not do this well

3.   The cost reduction alternative:

      1.  Buy or make decision
      2.  Offshoring outsourcing

      Making your own products does not mean its cheaper.  If it is made cheaper in Taiwan or
      or Chna go for it.  Sellers of carbon wheels and bike frame have it done in Taiwan which the         charge only for $200 per; whereas it would cost them $500 if they make it Europe or US.
      One such manufacturer American Classic could not compete and had to close shop
       because they were uncompetitive.

      Sharp continued to pursue its plans of local manufacturing despite the fact that land
      and materials is expensive in Japan  Labor which costs about P100,000 in Japan per month
      can be had for a max of say P14,000 in PHL.   Rather than building a plant, Sharp should 
       have opted for this course of action.  Trouble is they built another plant

4.  Innovation is temporary

    You gain leadership by innovating only temporarily.  It has to be defended and protected.
     You cant win a war or a game, you have to have a high winning average.   If innovation is
    the name of the game, it has to be continuous process.  Kaizen

    You must work hard on basics too:   5s tpm, (maintenance)

   You must keep watch too on the pace of innovation of competitors.  They are not sleeping
   
    Complacency is the enemy of innovation.   Sharp could have been complacent because of 
     their past successes in:   mechanical pencil, dyneradio, calculator, TV sets, LCD display

5.  Financial management:

    1.  No huge cap ex for a single product.  It has to be portfolio approach.  Let a hundred
         flowers bloom.  You are not sure of outcome of how you grow you flowers.  Set limits
         as we have seen in our own General Policies  No huge bet do not bet the farm 
         on single product.  

    2.  If it rains open an umbrella.  If you fail to make it in a quarter, ACT, DO                    SOMETHING
          Solve the problem.  Do it now.  Not later Not tomorrow.  Do it now

6.  Role of top management

     It is the duty of those who lead to learn good management practices.    The new president
     and chairman are partially responsible for the decline for the wrong decision.   We strive to
     stay on the business, "Give capable and intelligent direction in the management of the
     business because you cant afford to make such huge mistake that could mean the
     downfall of the company

     Thus:

     1.  Study the history of the past practices especially those that are documented on 
          how the past managers navigated the difficulties.

     2.  Study the current mistakes of contemporary mistakes of modern managers and how
         you can steer clear of their mistakes

     3.  Sharpen your critical thinking and improve your problem solving skills They can
          never be taught

7. Purpose driven organization;

   1.  The vision and mission statements define the purpose of the company.   We have out-
         lined this as part of memorialization business.  

 

Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction and events without reason. Without a purpose life is trivial, petty, and pointless.”


― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?

  2.  We have determined that:

      1.  We used to sell plots for cheap so that we can offer our more              gp services.
          (Are we achieving this??)

       2 Businesses that are supposed to supplement our revenues and that are supposed
          to boost our sales and collection  are not being sold and offered.   Something is
          very wrong.  This is the height of mismanagement

     

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