And after five very tough years, the company finally emerged from its purgatory, growing 5 percent in 2003, 7 percent in 2004, and almost 10 percent in 2005, while having the most profitable years in its history. The operating details told the story. In 1991, the lead time from ordering to shipping was 12 weeks; by 2003, it had shrunk to 3.3 days, and by 2004, to a single day. On-time delivery had ceased to be a problem, as the percentage of products shipped when promised went from 80 percent in 1991 to 99.7 percent in 2003. Whereas it had once taken two weeks to customize an award, by 2003
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