In recent years, managers have recognized how manufacturing capabilities contribute to a company's overall strategic strength. The ability to respond quickly to costumers's order exact requirements or to ramp up production rapidly can be powerful and difficult-to-imitate competitive weapon. By adopting a systematic approach to plant tours, visitor can uncover and communicate a wealth of strategic and operating information. Even the most lucid description of how work flows are managed around plants is no subtitute for seeing things happen in practice. Employees who see that senior managers notice and care about what is happening on the shop floor are much more likely to become involved in a plant's process of improvement.