Driving Excellence: How The Aggregate System Turned Microchip Technology from a Failing Company to a Market Leader

by Mike J. Jones, Steve Sanghi

Praise for DRIVING EXCELLENCE "A well-organized compendium of immense common sense. [The authors'] values-based, walk-the-talk approach recognizes the fast-changing environment we live in. It shows the importance of aggregating and integrating knowledge and experience on a continuing basis. Finally, it demonstrates the significance of creating a culture that reinforces those values and takes pride in thriving on the complexity."
―John E. Abele, founder and Director, Boston Scientific Corporation "The Aggregate System is a powerful blend of strategic formula, exceptional culture, and human systems combined into a complete self-perpetuating system to produce exceptional performance. Anyone interested in improving the performance of his or her company should read this book."
―Jerry Colangelo, CEO and Chairman, Phoenix Suns "This is not another 'silver bullet' piece of academic advice on how to do a quick fix to some imaginary business. Driving Excellence is a serious and detailed insight into how a real CEO, Steve Sanghi, has transformed a real company, Microchip, into a world-class enterprise. Anyone interested in understanding the realities of implementing and sustaining an enterprise-wide constant improvement plan should read this book."
―Dean Kamen, founder and President, DEKA Research & Development Corporation, inventor of the Segway HT, National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee "Driving Excellence is the first book to deal with the integration of all the core elements that are essential to running a business. It should be required reading for all executives and venture firms looking to boost return on invested capital and add some consistency to their growth. High praise is due to Michael Jones and Steve Sanghi for developing a blueprint that works in the real world."
―Ed Sperling, Editor in Chief, Electronic News "This book provides a nicely developed framework to understand organizational effectiveness and performance, drawing upon Sanghi's managerial skills, perfected in his significant turnaround performance at Microchip. Importantly, the reader benefits from insight and experience about building an organizational culture productive to performance and competitiveness."
―Steven Stralser, PhD, author of MBA in a Day

Genres: Business

272 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2006

Reviews

[Doug O'laughlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s filled with truisms and a system but never uses examples of how it was applied at microchip. I felt like it was good at times, a waste of paper otherwise.

[Alan Zwiren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just started at Microchip and have discovered it is an amazing company. It all starts at the top and is driven down through a consistent implementation of coordinated effort called the Aggregate System. The book examines workplace challenges and how starting from a Strategic Formula through Employee practices organizations can apply the Aggregate System.

The approach took Microchip from a failing corporation to a industry leader. And although I believe the approach is effective, I think the book is lacking. They had the perfect opportunity to show how from the ground up they developed and applied the approach using Microchip as the primary business case, there are very few actual examples of what Microchip did.

I would really appreciate a book that goes through the Business Case of how Microchip developed and applied the Aggregate system. I am certain that the first plan went through many iterations and I would be very interested in what they did and how they did it. Even so, the book has many tremendously beneficial prescriptions of how to take a corporation from Good to Great!

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read! Interesting insights and Steve Sanghis explanations and real world examples make the book easy to read and encourages to read on.
You can learn a lot of Microchips actual history through the book as well as useful concepts about turning around a companys culture and how to manage a big Company.
His dedication to the human factor and how important your staff is for your Company is very refreshing and the chapters about personal development are worth every word.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a description of the near bankrupt state of Microchip in 1990, what they did to turn it around, and then the book turns to giving management advice mixed in with how they do it at Microchip. It is not a page turner. I'd better not confess how many years ago I bought the book & just barely got around to finishing reading it. I resumed reading at Section 4 (Page 39) the rest of the book was more interesting.

A saying that I would like to understand is: 'At Microchip, we use the following phrase: "In times of change, the learners inherit the earth. And the learned are beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists."' (page 144) I wonder about the meaning and usage of that saying. It wasn't clear from the context how it is used.

I especially liked the tables that summarized the information. For example, on page 191: "The 25 Desired Characteristics of Managers and Supervisors"

The book emphasizes the need for alignment between what management says and does.