The company adopted a policy of “don’t buy, get by,” whereby managers bought items only when absolutely necessary, according to a former U.S. Steel purchasing specialist whose primary job was to order machine parts for the company’s American plants. Rather than make needed repairs, the official said, maintenance teams were asked to “jury-rig” failing machines to keep them operating. — 13: 163-166
The lawsuit cited pressure the company placed on employees to keep rides in service, company incentive plans that rewarded money saved, and a “run to failure” philosophy — 24: 307-308
To keep in step with the times, McKinsey steeped itself in the latest management theories, pleasing partners eager to move beyond simple market research into business strategy, organizational design, and difficult analytical problems. This recalibration displeased the McKinsey consultant Tom Peters, who believed that managers had forgotten the basics, such as customer service and recognizing the value of employees. — 50: 666-669
Some ICE staffers were growing frustrated with McKinsey’s presence inside their headquarters building. It wasn’t just that it was trying to gut carefully designed standards. The McKinsey team had such high turnover that career staffers were constantly having to explain the agency’s inner workings to wave after wave of twentysomething consultants. Worse yet, some ICE staffers had begun to question McKinsey’s competence. — 108: 1453-1456