Hello, I’m Jake, a retired production planner. I’ve been talking to my coffee mate Ben about the factory where I have spent the better part of my life. Believe me, I have seen things go well and even more go very wrong. I’m outside the gate now, but the grapevine is keeping me up to date. Which is why I know that the factory is heading into oblivion, as management does not seem to understand commonsense principles and they are testing the patience of their main customer. But wait, things look like they might change when new management is brought in. This new plant manager might change things around, and thanks to my old friends we can keep on top of things. Do you want to hear my story? The concepts imbedded in the factory’s journey capture the leading practices in progressive and proactive management. The commonsense concepts embody the philosophy of collaboration, shared fate, mutual respect, and leveraging the intellectual capital that exists in each and every factory. This book is for you if you want your factory to survive and thrive!