On 27-Sep-2010, "nom=de=plume" wrote:

Productivity = output compared to cost. Higher output at lower cost in
the
same environment = increased productivity. I have no idea what the
Toyota
driving Walmart crowd "thinks."


Which has nothing to do with less manpower. You can have greater
productivity with technical solutions, for example, or by understanding
standard time-study relationships... by working smarter, productivity
increases.

You said the same as I did, with 5% more detail. If you can sell 100,000
televisions in the U.S. at a cost of $48.00 each, then move production to
Mexico and produce them at $24.00 each, you've doubled yield, and therefore
productivity. Automation has been the greatest boost to productivity since
the late 70's.