This practice might have inhibited (or slowed down) the revitalization of the historical Italian competitive advantage. The exceptions are the leading companies that have developed excellent capabilities in marketing as well as innovative distribution models including a more effective direct international marketing approach. The penalty of delays in the development of adequate marketing capabilities to successfully compete in the global market is very high, especially in a mature and very demanding market such as the USA. More in general, concerns related to the need for developing resources and competencies in other functional areas besides operations are confirmed. A third weakness is missed opportunities. Italian companies have missed the potential that Indians’ SMEs have been able to exploit in serving market niches