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02:25 on Sunday, August 16th, 2009
A recent Canadian mission to China was looking at the models and options for a new British Columbia based Technology or Research Park, including a possible joint venture in BC.
When reporting back after the visit, the checklist of how things are done and the resources available in China looked almost identical to what we have here in Canada with one big exception.
The lead time in Canada to move such a project forward can be years primarily due to the bureaucracy overseeing regulatory systems. Delays to progress and barriers to innovation are rife in our Western systems.
China in comparison has little bureaucracy and has built dozens of fully functioning parks in the past few years with very short lead times.
With a level playing field in all other areas, shortened delivery times to market as a result of much less bureaucracy positions China moving forward with a global competitive advantage.
I realize of course that this is an overly simplified account contrasting communist and democratic bureaucracies. It doesn’t offer commentary on whether regulatory systems in China protect the safety of the workers and public, or the environment, etc., or even if they exist, and getting side-tracked in that debate might be detrimental.
The point is that it’s clearly time to assess the regulatory systems, and also to start measuring the effectiveness of the corresponding bureaucracies we have to deal with every day.
These systems and processes need to be challenged and have all waste eliminated; like a “lean” production line.
“Don’t fix what isn’t broken” is a favourite saying when the status quo is being disrupted. But inevitably change agents penetrate comfort zones to uncover hidden waste.
The key will be getting the “buy-in” required and this takes excellence in leadership.