With the exception of an occasional star like Lindsay Vonn or Bode Miller, Americans are not too familiar with the skiers of the United States Ski Association (USSA). The aforementioned stars are representatives of the Alpine (or downhill) ski team which garners most of the media attention because of the excitement of this discipline and its suitability for television viewing. Nordic (cross country) skiing receives far less attention even though…

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Upon the ending of WWII, with their country devastated by the war and with limited capital and access to natural resources, Japanese companies had to make due with what they had to rebuild their economy and manufacturing capacity. These companies had to focus on the elimination of waste, in both time and material. They came up with a system that we now call Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED); a…

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