A few months ago I was working with a production manager in the Midwest.  There was an urgent need to cut labor at this plant.  Everyone was in agreement; the owner, the general manager, as well as my student, the production manager.  After 3 days of experimenting with various ways to cut labor, the plant was spinning like a top and was truly lean and mean.  At the start of the next day, it was clear to the manager that the plant could run better with fewer people.  Mission accomplished, I thought,