ABSTRACT
NCR’s manufacturing operation in Dundee rose to global fame with the publication in Fortune magazine in 1987 of an article entitled ‘The wee outfit that decked IBM’. Originally known for the mechanical cash registers they produced, they secured the charter to produce ATMs (Automatic Telling Machines). In so doing they ignored traditional manufacturing models, including Michael Porter’s generic strategy theories. Their ‘SuperPlant’ project not only led to pre-eminence in the ATM industry, it also delivered a step change in performance and a market share in excess of 50% by changing the game and many of the established rules of manufacturing in the electronics industry. The chapter describes their journey from near closure to industry leadership.
