Wedgwood Factory in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
This facility, the largest of the company's factories, has been hardest hit by Patterson's cuts. The shop floor is harshly lit by banks of fluorescents and conveyor belts and machinery clatter and drone. And, of course, the work load is intensely demanding. During his week on the floor, one job Patterson will attempt is making cups. He'll have to make one cup every 45 seconds to keep up with his tutor, Julie, who makes 1,000 cups a day. He's barely able to glue a handle on straight.
The CEO will also try his not-so steady hand at decorating bowls and plates. And when he tries to help assemble the Millennium Clock, a high-end specialty item Wedgwood is marketing for Y2K, a faulty mold leaks ceramic goo all over his hand. Patterson discovers leaky molds are cutting productivity in half, and he can't have that. So he has a chat with the mold department manager to sort out the design problems.

Next: Patterson Gets a Wake-Up Call >>>