When core systems deteriorate, it negatively affects the others. Government consumes more wealth, leaving less to invest in productive enterprises and to address social needs. Healthcare and other service sector costs escalate. There is less spending on environmental projects. All of the systems start to lose equilibrium.

The United States has been first in industrial output for over one hundred years. China, with greater than four times the population, much lower wages and a mercantile model, passed our output in 2011.

Action is needed to keep our factory system at home and competitive. This requires knowledge, technology, and production savvy managed by purpose driven leadership and entrepreneurship.

Industry functions within the frame work of multiple layers of governments. For the last three years the federal government has severely restricted business through legislative and regulatory actions. Government's job is to protect the people and create an environment that enables business and personal freedoms. Competitive America will publish papers taking the side of freedom, the constitution, our military, law enforcement personnel and capitalism.

The second key to industrial growth is corporate ownership and leadership. American industrial leaders, once the best on earth, are failing to keep the United States competitive. Current governmental policy is anti-business and industry indulges in short term profits at the expense of long term opportunities. Much of the off-shoring of product lacked long term perspective. The inferior quality of products arriving on our shores and sold in our stores speaks volumes for the process.

Given political realities and global competition, American industry is undergoing profound change. To this point, Affinity Systems LLC, our parent company, published "Pathway to Adaptability, Executive Lean and Eight Steps to the Adaptive Enterprise".

Enterprises that survive and grow must be very smart. They require information systems that are fast, accurate and action oriented. In addition they need productive processes that are responsive and flexible. Sadly, forty percent of ERP projects fail to meet expectations, motivating us to write "ERP Lessons Learned".

"ERP Lessons Learned" addresses software selection and implementation from a pragmatic perspective gained through consultancy and multiple installations in the private world. The second section of the book is a check-off list titled "ERP Structured Selection Process." We are making it available under separate cover.

Research and work will continue in other areas. A team is diligently working on lean for health care. While many of the technologies appear to be transferable, they must be used differently to avoid diminishing flexibility in critical patient care applications.

Periodically, we will feature special photo essays, each designed to communicate an important concept, often the ones Americans have forgotten. The first of these is Master Craftsman - Harold Lyon.

Guest writers, such as Gary Gossard, President of IQR International and Anne Haberkorn, an instructor at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin, deal with specific subjects that can be applied in the workplace. Special subjects, like Dr. Corina Norrbom's "Is it good for the children", are welcome. She is addressing healthcare. Photographs of each person show our respect for all concerned. This is not a blog and every document will be thoroughly reviewed before putting it on the website. Divergent perspectives are welcome and if they meet factual and verifiable standards, may be published. We will not editorialize about the papers.

Your feedback is important. Please e-mail wls@competitiveamerica.us