Options mean more than new products and services. The creators of the Toyota Production System stress the importance of creating a company culture that constantly reduces costs, as a natural part of daily operations, while improving quality and shortening customer delivery span times. By keeping costs on a steady downward slope, they preserve pricing options, that is, they can reduce prices when economic times are bad and still make a profit. Thus they survive on their own terms, without placing themselves at the mercy of creditors. When times are good, they make money faster than they can
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