Business CEO's and business practices in general

[TX-Dennis]

This is one of my favorite examples of people who cite Kodak as being short-sighted - which in hindsight I don't think they were. They KNEW the end was coming.

Yes, Kodak sold cameras but they never made money on cameras. They made (and sold) a LOT OF film, and processing chemicals, and photo paper, and developing services, and processing equipment, and stuff for movies and slides and microfilm, etc. ad nauseum - NONE of which exist for digital cameras. If they had embraced digital photography at that point, they would have alienated 95% of their business, and they knew it because Kodak had the one thing for digital photography that nobody else had - the patent. Can you imagine the reception the guy who developed digital photography got from the bosses at Kodak when he came to them with a product that literally eliminated the vast majority of how they made their money??? It's no wonder they sat on that patent!

Kodak knew in their bones that the end was coming, just a sure as CDs replaced vinyl records and MP3s replaced CDs and streaming replaced MP3s. They rode film photography to the bitter end, but in the end they knew they just couldn't compete with foreign manufacturers making digital cameras because there was no easy conversion from their existing business to the new model. It was sad, but it was as inevitable as the tides.

Many people do not realize that Kodak still exists. Their focus is on commercial imaging including printing and the motion picture industry where they still reign supreme. It's a much smaller company today with a different focus, but they are still in business. Not to mention their former subsidiary Eastman Chemical which was spun off some years ago and is quite successful today.

 

[GypsmJim]

MBA should stand for "Makes Bad Assumptions". When I was coming up thru the ranks as an engineer, I worked for a number of self made men. They taught me that a degree would get you maybe an interveiw. To get promoted it only came with hard work, passion for the business and results. When it came time to pick an engineering manager for all operations. I beat out 3 PE one if which had an MBA. Why because I had a team that got results. They knew what had to be done and allowed me the oppurtunity to work on special projects for expansion. The door didn't hit us on the behind after 8 hours. We did what it took and had no expectations that an advance degree got you a penny more. The raises and promotions were totally based on results.
Many found out when they went to go elsewhere in the corporation, that degree may get you an interveiw or may work against you. What did work was a resume with results and a reputation in your division, industry or professional focus.
Our 100 year old company was destroyed in 5 years by MBA's, their consultants, a lack of understanding of our processes, greed and nafta move to mexico to get cheap labor. As I wanted no part of moving to Mexico, I left after a 30 yr career.

I got a call from an old associate, 5 years later while working in Canada, informing me the company was gone along with 1 other division and another was being sold for scrap. He wanted me to know the primary instigators had all been fired with prejudice. Sad that $1.4 billion dollars of sales with very good profit margins had gone bankrupt and sold off for scrap. Because all that so called talent couldn't move the divisions to Mexico and meet customer expectations. My life went on, but I still feel for the multiple thousands of others whose life was totally screwed up by Bad Assumptions. Sorry for the vent its been 25 years and still irritates me when I see the people I used to work with.

Your experience mirrors mine to the letter. For me it's been 23 years.

Our last good CEO started as a salesman and worked his way up, thru the ranks. When he went to a plant he would tour the entire facility and speak to every single employee. Subsequent MBAs were arrogant and demeaning. Glad I left.

 

[Ματθιας]

Sorry but I think you guys are off-base. It's not like CRBL has had massive success over the last few years sticking with the same-old-same-old. Look at their financials. Something needs to change. Their demographic is dying off and they need to do something to stay relevant to younger customers. We may love it but Gen X,Y,Z? Not so much. Now they've been bullied into a reversal. I'd be surprised if they have the same store count five years from now if they keep on doing what they are doing.

I think that's true about customers dying off.

It's like the cafeteria type dining. Cafeterias used to be somewhat common. Advertised on TV and everything. Now, I can't think of one aside from the ones in hospitals.

My folks, Silent Gens, loved them. I didn't like it at all. I especially didn't like standing in line with a tray... And the food, mediocre, at best. To me it was a step above 7/11 or gas station food.

I've not been to a CB in many, many, years. The last time I went, the "clean" silverware still had food on it! Yeah, no.

 

[Oldengineer]

This thread makes me ponder the efficacy of our current leadership.

 

[DWalt]

Many people do not realize that Kodak still exists. Their focus is on commercial imaging including printing and the motion picture industry where they still reign supreme. It's a much smaller company today with a different focus, but they are still in business. Not to mention their former subsidiary Eastman Chemical which was spun off some years ago and is quite successful today.

Kodak is still in the film business, sort of. There was a post-bankruptcy spinoff from Kodak that continued the manufacture of some varieties of film, but it was later sold to another company, which I believe is still operating under the Kodak name, even though it is not a part of Kodak. And there are still some overseas film manufacturers. But it is a limited market, and the film available is now somewhat expensive. Most movies today, but not all, are shot with very advanced digital movie cameras. Some movie directors insist on using film for artistic reasons. But that film is often later digitized for distribution to theaters, few of which still have film projectors. One of the major benefits of digital movies is that it greatly simplifies the logistics of distribution from studios to theaters.

 

[DWalt]

I think that's true about customers dying off.

It's like the cafeteria type dining. Cafeterias used to be somewhat common. Advertised on TV and everything. Now, I can't think of one aside from the ones in hospitals.

My folks, Silent Gens, loved them. I didn't like it at all. I especially didn't like standing in line with a tray... And the food, mediocre, at best. To me it was a step above 7/11 or gas station food.

I've not been to a CB in many, many, years. The last time I went, the "clean" silverware still had food on it! Yeah, no.

I was thinking much the same about cafeterias and their close cousins, buffets. 25-30 years ago, there were many of them here in San Antonio, found in every neighborhood. Right now, I can think of only a handful, and those are mainly Chinese and Indian buffets. I don't know of a single remaining cafeteria-style restaurant, except, as you said, some in hospitals and at the military bases.

 

[slickracer]

I believe the 2 biggest issues are politics and EGO. For generations kids have been told how special they were instead of being educated and taught how to learn from others and as a result their EGO lead them to believe they are special and know everything. Certain generations were also given trophies for just participating instead of excelling and there generally are no real repercussions for poor performance anymore for those at the top.

Yup, if you don't align with your customer base you're cooked. Many examples in the last couple years.

 

[Farmer17]

I pretty much like the food at Cracker Barrel but I've done remodeling projects in them and the kitchens aren't the dirtiest I've seen but they definitely aren't the cleanest.

 

[NYlakesider]

I pretty much like the food at Cracker Barrel but I've done remodeling projects in them and the kitchens aren't the dirtiest I've seen but they definitely aren't the cleanest.

Unfornituely, very typical!

Due to my work I had to go in many restaurants kitchens and its other none public places, its not for the weak! In my observations which now admittedly are a bit dated, many times the better reputation the restaurant has the worse the housekeeping is.

 

[Greyman50]

There is No Substitute for Quality. By chance a company can not or will not recognize this their days are numbered. Matters not if one is 85 or 18 if they spend their money on a product or service and its no good they will remember and certainly " spread the word".

 

[Doug M.]

"Your experience mirrors mine to the letter. For me it's been 23 years."

Pay attention to what these guys said. In my experience, they might well be too generous. My real opinion (and the language I would use to express it) would take the paint off a battleship.