“Here we work in a firefighter mode!” … Really?
By Xavier Perrin (xperrin@xp-consulting.fr) “Here we work in a firefighter mode!” Many of the teams I support describe their daily work in this way, regardless of the industry. Many managers deplore these situations which exhaust their teams. Others consider that situations unavoidable. Even more, they liken it to agility, as…
Does cost reduction always foster reduction of Working Capital Needs?
By Xavier Perrin (xperrin@xp-consulting.fr) Working capital represents the difference between a firm’s current assets and current liabilities. This financial definition isn’t really useful for operations’ managers. However, managing working capital is of foremost importance for companies, as when Working Capital Needs (WCN) increase, cash flow is reduced, and the need…