1. Toyota makes customised cars in just 72 hours.

2. An employee of WIPRO was recently fired because he charged AC fare while he had actually travelled in II class. A matter of value for Ajim Premjee.

3. In Dell computers, Dell engineers have sped up production, bit by tiny bit (collectively, Dell engineers have more than 200 process-related patents). Workers used to touch a computer 130 times in the process of assembling it; that number came down to 60. At one station near the beginning of the line, workers attach motherboards and power-supply units to a computer's chassis. This effort, which once required six screws, now takes one. Farther down, a forklift-like tool called the stacker moves piled PCs in group of five; workers used to move them one at a time. Near the end of the line, almost-finished computers sit on racks, ready for software installation. Employees plug the computers in to special adapters to download the software, which takes 45 to 90 minutes.
   Contribution from 'Fortune'

4. Mr Herb Kelleher Chairman & President of South West Airlines sits with his mechanics even till 3 A.M. His leadership approach is basically 'Human assets Approach' and he shows this by practice.
   Contribution from 'Executive Excellence'

5. In SARCOM a computer consulting firm in OHIO has empowered its employee to spend up $500 to solve a customer problem; no questions asked. Result, in last 8 years, they have lost only 2 customers.
   Contribution from 'Best Practices'
   An Arthur Andersen study

6. Among best-practice companies, Hyatt stands out for its extraordinarily short response time. One business customer, for example, checked into the Denver Hyatt but in his haste had forgotten to make the necessary reservation for the room he wanted. Upon entering the room he was given, he turned on the television and was greeted by a screen with the Hyatt customer survey. Using the TV's remote control, he punched in his evaluations and thought nothing more about the survey. To his surprise and delight, however, within five minutes of receiving the electronic communication, the hotel manager called him to say that although the hotel was entirely booked and the room could not be changed, the guest could expect a hospitality gift for his inconvenience. The business executive was suitably pleased with the gift but completely flabbergasted by the rapid response time. If only he could get his own people to respond that fast!
   "Best Practices"
   By Arthur Andersen

7. Marie Curie (1867-1934) was born in Warsaw on 7th November 1867. She was a gold medalist in secondary examination. She won Noble Prize (shared in physics) and independently in chemistry. She was known not only for discovery of radium but also for 32 original publications with her husband, Pierre Curie.

   She claimed no royalties and refused to take out any patent for the extraction of radium form pitch blend. The university of France gave her a lucrative job but she refused and continued to give free advice to anyone who asked for.

   On death of her husband she led a life full of renunciation and hard work.
   Contribution from 'The Hindu'

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