Before settling on magnesium, Microsoft considered aluminum, among other options, taking into account cost, flexibility and manufacturing logistics.

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Their CEO, Jay Rogers, is here today, and as an ex-Marine who lost a couple of buddies in combat, understood the importance of increasing the speed and adaptability and flexibility of our manufacturing process for vehicles that are used in theater.

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Flexibility in pursuit of manufacturing growth is not new for Toyota.

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As part of the supply chain, the demands placed on you require responsiveness and the flexibility of mixed mode and lean manufacturing methods.

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The restructuring process, which began in 2009, is expected to reduce manufacturing costs, increase efficiency, facilitate far more flexibility in labor requirements, and will also help reduce product development time by 30% that will enable the company to launch new models faster.

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However, the company has learned, says Michael Pessina, its vice-president of manufacturing operations, that too many choices, and too much flexibility, create problems for both customers and company.

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Businesses of this sort account for around a third of jobs and private-sector GDP, have a manufacturing and export bent (though less so in Britain) and combine the benefits of small-firm flexibility with large-firm economies of scale.

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