McDonald’s is another example of a company whose routines have dulled its response to shifting market conditions.
In the early 1990s, the fast-food giant’s operations manual comprised 750 pages detailing every aspect of a restaurant’s business.
For years, the company’s relentless focus on standardized processes, all dictated by headquarters, had allowed it to rapidly roll out its winning formula in market after market, ensuring the consistency and efficiency that attracted customers and dismayed rivals.