Time to make the pie bigger before fighting over share

26 June 2002

The British are a funny lot. We only seem to want to work together in times of crisis but two recent occurrences in the packaging circle have revealed a very real need to dismiss the 'I'm all right Jack and to hell with the rest' philosophy.

The first came at Interpack when our beleaguered exhibition organisers renewed their efforts to develop a truly comprehensive and international packaging exhibition under the banner TOTAL Processing and Packaging.

Old enemies were seen to be working together to make a success. Even so, the PPMA, IoP and Reed need your total support. Give it... that is unless you prefer to see others prosper at your expense. Logic would seem to indicate that the British should want their exhibition to be the largest and most successful world-wide... or should they? But, for whatever tortured mentality we possess, history has so far proven us wrong.

Just when did the British last work together in harmony? But, perhaps, the Irish know a thing or two about working as a team. Just look how they have prospered in recent years!

At an Enterprise Ireland conference on managing the supply chain at the NEC last month, I heard Solving International vice president Alan Waller tell his audience to work with competitors to make the pie bigger... and only then compete for a bigger share of the pie. Now there's a novelty!

But it is worth thinking about isn't it?



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