Motorola LFM technology consultation

I always tell my LGO students, when we go out to the companies, 90% of the problems — manufacturing problems — are not technology problems, they're people problems. When Kent Bowen and Tom Magnanti started the LFM program, it was supposed to be an equal partnership, 50% management, 50% engineering. I was one of those engineering professors. I was supposed to go out there and teach Motorola how to do better technology. Bull. Motorola already knew better technology way ahead of me. They didn't necessarily know better ways to manage people. My grandmother knew better ways to manage people. Charlie Fine was a young assistant professor at the time. He's a full professor now. A few years ago on the MIT 510k forum or whatever it's called — MIT has to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission, because we're a corporation, and we have to name the top ten earning people at MIT — Charlie Fine was number one. He made just under a million dollars, and that was because he was teaching the executive education programs on supply chain management. He's a great guy. We used to supervise students together, and he said there are $100 bills laying on the floor of manufacturing plants. If you want to get rich, just go out there and pick them up.

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