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3M Corporation



 

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Formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American

multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, a suburb of Paul.
With over 79,000 employees, they produce over 55,000 products, including: adhesives,
abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, dental products, electronic materials, medical
products, car care products (such as sun films, polish, wax, car shampoo, treatment for the
exterior, interior and the under chassis rust protection) electronic circuits and optical films. 3M
has operations in more than 60 countries, 29 international companies with manufacturing
operations, and 35 with laboratories. 3M products are available for purchase through distributors
and retailers in more than 200 countries, and many 3M products are available online directly
from the company.

Œ
 

3M started out on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Illgen City before moving to Two
Harbors, Minnesota in 1902. The company moved to Duluth, Minnesota, and then to Saint Paul,
Minnesota, staying for 15 years before outgrowing the campus and moving to its current
headquarters at 3M Centre in Maplewood. The new campus in Maplewood is 475 acres
(1.92 km2) and has over 50 buildings, including an Innovation Center that displays products 3M
has taken to market. The company began by mining stone from quarries for use in grinding
wheels. Struggling with quality and marketing of its products, management supported its workers
to innovate and develop new products which became its core business. Twelve years after being
founded, 3M developed its first exclusive product: Three-M-ite cloth. Other innovations in this
era included masking tape, waterproof sandpaper and Scotch brand tapes. By 1929 3M made its
first moves toward international expansion by forming Durex to conduct business in Europe. The
same year, the company¶s stock was first traded over the counter and in 1946 listed on the New
York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The company is currently a component of the Dow Jones
Industrial Average and of the S&P 500.

 

3M was founded by Henry S. Bryan, Herman W. Cable, John Dwan, William A. McGonagle,
and Dr. J. Danley Budd. The founders' original plan was to sell the mineral corundum to
manufacturers in the East for making grinding wheels. After selling one load, on June 13, 1902
the five went to the Two Harbors office of company secretary John Dwan, which was on the
shore of Lake Superior and is now part of the 3M National Museum, and signed papers making
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing a corporation. In reality, however, Dwan and his
associates were not selling what they thought; they were really selling the worthless mineral
anorthosite.

Failing to make sandpaper with the anorthosite, the founders decided to import minerals like
Spanish garnet, after which sale of sandpapers grew. In 1914, customers complained that the
garnet was falling off the paper. The founders discovered that the stones had traveled across the
Atlantic Ocean packed near olive oil, and the oil had penetrated the stones. Unable to take the

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loss of selling expensive inventory, they roasted the stones over fire to remove the olive oil. This
was the first instance of research and development at 3M.

 


The company's early innovations include waterproof sandpaper (1921) and masking tape (1925),
as well as cellophane "Scotch Tape" and sound deadening materials for cars. 3M's corporate
image is built on its innovative and unique products, with up to 25% of sales each year from new
products.

After World War II 3M opened plants across the United States. During the 1950s the company
expanded worldwide with operations in Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Australia, and the
United Kingdom in large part by Clarence Sampair. In 1951, international sales were
approximately $20 million. 3M¶s achievements were recognized by the American Institute of
Management naming the company ³one of the five best-managed companies in the United
States" and included it among the top 12 growth stocks (3M).

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, 3M published a line of board games, largely under the "3M
bookshelf game series" brand. These games were marketed to adults and sold through
department stores, with easily learned simple rules but complex game play and depth and with
uniformly high quality components. As such, they are the ancestors of the German "Eurogames".
The games covered a variety of topics, from business and sports simulations to word and abstract
strategy games. They were a major publisher at the time for influential American designers Sid
Sackson and Alex Randolph. In the mid-1970s, the game line was taken over by Avalon Hill.3M
traffic signals installed in Shelton, Washington. Standing off-axis from the intended viewing
area, these signals are invisible to adjacent lanes of traffic in daylight. (A faint glow is visible at
night). The same two signals above, taken in the signal's intended viewing area (a single lane of
northbound traffic). Special light-diffusing optics and a colored fresnel lens create the indication.

After three years of testing, in 1969 3M introduced its first and only traffic signal, the Model
131. Labeled a "programmable visibility" signal, the signal had the unique ability to be
"programmed" so it was visible from certain angles. The Model 131's "programmability" was
achieved via masking a clear glass lens with aluminum adhesive tape. It was the first of its type
and one of only two of the design in history. 3M sold these signals for special-use applications,
such as left turn signals, skewed intersections, or dangerous intersections where a very bright
indication is needed. The signals are very heavy (roughly 55 pounds per signal head) and
expensive to maintain, and removal is frequent in some areas. In addition to the 3M Model 131
traffic signal, 3M also marketed and sold a retrofit kit for 12-inch (300 mm) conventional signals
using modified M-131 optics, a retrofit kit for eight-inch (203 mm) conventional signals using a
smaller version of the M-131 optical assembly, a Model 130 Programmable Visibility pedestrian
signal (a M-131 with pedestrian signal indications), and a few bi-modal modifications of the M-
131. As of 2007, 3M no longer manufactures the signals but has continued to supply parts.

3M's Mincom division introduced several models of magnetic tape recorders for instrumentation
use and for studio sound recording. An example of the latter is the model M79 recorder, which
still has a following today. 3M Mincom was also involved in designing and manufacturing video

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production equipment for the television and video post-production industries in the 1970s and
1980s, with such items as character generators and several different models of video switchers,
from models of audio and video routers to video mixers for studio production work.

3M Mincom was involved in some of the first digital audio recordings of the late 1970s to see
commercial release when a prototype machine was brought to the Sound 80 studios in
Minneapolis. After drawing on the experience of that prototype recorder, 3M later introduced in
1979 a commercially available digital audio recording system called the "3M Digital Audio
Mastering System", which consisted of a 32-track digital audio tape recorder and a companion 4-
track digital recorder for final mastering. 3M later designed and manufactured several other
commercially available models of digital audio recorders used throughout the early to mid-
1980s.

In 1980 the company introduced Post-it notes. In 1996, the company's data storage and imaging
divisions were spun off as the Imation Corporation. Imation has since sold its imaging and
photographic film businesses to concentrate on storage.

Today 3M is one of the 30 companies included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (added on
August 9, 1976), and is ranked number 101 on the As of 2006 Fortune 500 listing. The company
has 132 plants and over 67,000 employees worldwide, with sales offices in over 200 countries.
The vast majority of the company's employees are local nationals, with few employees residing
outside their home country. Its worldwide sales are over $20 billion, with international sales 58%
of that total.

On December 20, 2005, 3M announced a major partnership with Roush-Fenway Racing, one of
NASCAR's premier organizations. In 2008 the company will sponsor Greg Biffle in the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as he drives the #16 Ford Fusion. In addition, on February 19, 2006,
3M announced that it would become the title sponsor of the 3M Performance 400 at Michigan
International Speedway for at least the next three years.

On April 4, 2006, 3M announced its intention to sell pharmaceutical non-core business. The
pharmaceuticals businesses were sold off in three deals, in Europe, the Americas, and the
remainder of the world. Another division of the Health Care business, Drug Delivery Systems
remains with 3M. The Drug Delivery System division continues to contract manufacture
inhalants and transdermal drug delivery systems and has now taken on manufacture of the
products whose licenses were sold during the divestiture of the pharmaceuticals business. On
September 8, 2008, 3M announced an agreement to acquire Meguiar's, a car care products
company that was family-owned for over a century.

Today, after 100 years, 3M follows a business model based on "the ability to not only develop
unique products, but also to manufacture them efficiently and consistently around the world
(3M)."

On October 13, 2010, 3M completed acquisition of Arizant Inc.

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Ê 

yc 3M High Visibility Signals yc Nexcare

yc ACCR yc O-Cel-O
yc Aearo yc Post-it note
yc Avagard Hygiene Range yc Reddot ECK Electrodes
yc Bondo yc Reston
yc Cavilon yc SandBlaster
yc Chrome & Metal Polish yc Scotch Tape
yc Clarity yc Scotch Magic Tape
yc Coban yc Scientific Anglers
yc Command Adhesive yc Scotch-Brand Masking Tape
yc Comply Steam Indicators yc Scotch-Brite
yc 3M Purification yc Scotchcal Film
yc DI-NOC yc Scotchgard
yc Durapore yc Scotchlite
yc Dobie yc Scotchcast Fibreglass casting
yc Dynatel yc Scotchprint Graphics
yc FastBond Adhesives yc Scotch-Weld Adhesives
yc Filtrete yc Steridrape
yc Fluorinert yc Steristrip
yc Gold Privacy Filter yc Stikit sandpaper
yc Hookit sandpaper yc Super 77 Classic Spray Adhesive
yc Imiquimod yc Tartan
yc Littmann Stethoscopes yc Tegaderm
yc Littmann Model 3200 Electronic yc Thinsulate
Stethoscope with Zargis Cardioscan yc Velostat[29]
yc Medipore yc VHB
yc Micropore Hypoallergenic Skin Tape yc Vikuiti
yc Microfoam yc Wetordry sandpaper
yc Natural View protection film yc Microtouch Touch Screens

  
 

yc George W. Buckley, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

yc Patrick D. Campbell, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
yc Joaquin Delgado, Executive Vice President, Electro and Communications Business
yc Michael A. Kelly, Executive Vice President, Display and Graphics Business
yc Angela S. Lalor, Senior Vice President, Human Resources
yc Jean Lobey, Executive Vice President, Safety, Security and Protection Services Business
yc Robert D. MacDonald, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales
yc Joe E. Harlan, Executive Vice President, Consumer and Office Business
yc Frederick J. Palensky, Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief
Technology Officer
yc Brad T. Sauer, Executive Vice President, Health Care Business
yc H.C. Shin, Executive Vice President, Industrial and Transportation Business
yc Marschall I. Smith, Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs and General Counsel

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yc Inge G. Thulin, Executive Vice President, International Operations

yc John K. Woodworth, Senior Vice President, Corporate Supply Chain Operations

à 





   

 

One of the best ways to develop a picture of any company is with the SWOT analysis.

à 

yc Leadership. CEO George Buckley is highly respected, and 3M is repeatedly recognized

as a top company for developing leaders.
yc Innovation. Get a load of these stats: 567 patents awarded; 6,700 researchers worldwide;
more than 1,000 Ph.Ds on staff; and nearly $1.3 billion spent on R&D in 2009.
yc Geographically diverse. Sixty-three percent of sales are outside of the United States; the
company has operations in more than 65 countries.
yc Diverse in terms of revenue streams, too. 3M has six key business units, none of which
account for more than 33% of sales.
yc Financially strong. Paid a dividend every quarter since 1916.





yc Litigation. The company needs to fight its patents in court and in the recent past has
brought or settled suits against fellow well-financed companies DuPont and Avery
Dennison.
yc Continual reinvestment. The downside of innovation: Continual reinvestment is
necessary for 3M to maintain innovation and keep the product pipeline strong.
yc Pension obligations. 3M has a well-funded pension and last year moved from defined-
benefit to defined-contribution plans for new workers, but it still faces rising expenses
related to pension and retirement benefits.

   

yc Growth in emerging markets. In the recently completed second quarter, sales in emerging
economies grew 38% year over year.
yc Growth by acquisition. This strategy has served 3M well of late, and it plans to continue
spending money on acquisitions this year.
yc As the company calls it, "Managing the entire pyramid." What this means is owning the
entire value chain in current product classes it controls -- not just the high end.
yc Adjacencies. Enter markets similar to areas it is currently in, such as renewable energy,
water infrastructure, architecture, and lighting.

 

yc Acquisitions gone wrong. From the company's 10-K: "Future results will be affected by
the Company's ability to integrate acquired businesses quickly and obtain the anticipated
synergies."

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yc Rules, regulations, and lawsuits. Again, the 10-K says it best: "The Company's future
results may be affected by various legal and regulatory proceedings, including those
involving product liability, antitrust, environmental or other matters."
yc Raw materials costs. Fluctuations in commodity or energy costs pose a threat to profits.
yc Cheaper competitors. The company may have to accept lower margins to compete on
price with lower-cost manufacturers.
yc Currency rates. Because the majority of 3M's sales are abroad, a strong dollar would dent
the bottom line.

’ 
 

3M always focused on their customers providing them quality product and always innovative
that¶s why they have very strong research and development capabilities. Leadership style in 3M
Corporation is participative. They have highly motivated employee and 3M is highly capable
scientific, engineering, and manufacturing company. All the employee have very good retirement
plans which why they are highly motivated. They have remarkable breath of technologies, along
with its ability to combine them; help to create a steady stream of groundbreaking products.

   
 

By nurturing the talents of its employees, and fostering a climate of innovation, 3M is possibly
one of the most innovative firms of the present time. It is famous for household brands such as
Post-it Note, Scotchgard, Scotch tape, etc. In the company¶s over 100 years history, it has created
over 55,000 products and served 30-plus core technologies and leadership in major markets
worldwide.

  
’ 
   
 

The 3M Story highlighted some of the features in its organizational culture which foster
innovation

yc Recruiting and Retaining Talent ± 3M recruits people who are creative and have broad
range of interests. It is thought that people with broad range of interests are willing to
learn and explore new ideas. 3M codified six traits of innovative people in its recruitment
brochure: Creativity, Broad interests, Self motivated, Resourceful, Hard working,
Problem solvers.
yc Creating a Challenging Environment ± New business units were spun off. These newly
established divisions had to develop new products and find new markets independently.
This ³Renewal´ process increased the diversification of 3M.
yc Knowledge Sharing ± 3M encourages staffs to network, interact and share their
knowledge and problem.
yc Rewarding Innovation ± 3M rewards its staff for being innovative. The dual career ladder
paths allow technical staffs to be promoted to the role of vicepresident level without
taking administrative or managerial responsibilities.

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yc Mentors, Sponsors and Champions ± 3M has a mentor, sponsor and champion program.
Champions have strong credibility and are persuasive ³lobbyists´ for new ideas and
products. They are willing to take risks and those successfully mentored often later
successfully mentor others.

  
 

Ê   

The United States was founded in the late 18th century and as such, a great deal of American
culture is couched in the ideals of the Enlightenment. The government plays an important role in
the operation and manufacturing products and services in terms of regulations. Bear in mind that
the America is a highly diverse country. It would be difficult to identify a single American
attitude, or American style for the simple reason that the country is so complex.
A primary influence on culture of American is the ongoing influx of new immigrants, many of
whom have fled persecution or oppression in their home countries, and are seeking freedom
(including religious freedom) and economic opportunity. This leads to the rejection of
totalitarian practices, another widespread American attitude. By and large, Americans value the
ideals of individual liberty, individualism, self-sufficiency, altruism, equality of opportunity, free
markets, a republican form of government, democracy, populism, pluralism, feminism, and
patriotism. As there are lots of freedoms and economical opportunities in USA ,every year a
huge number of people from other countries will immigrate to America and as the requirements
of people from other countries which immigrate to America are different from the need of
American so it also effect the political strategies of 3M company

 

As mentioned above, the United States features stronger free market tendencies than many other
developed nations, and historically has been hostile towards socialism. America's animosity
towards communism intensified during the cold war, as symbolized by the McCarthy trials in the
1950s. While a small number of Americans today favor the adoption of socialist practices such
as "universal health care", economic attitudes generally favor minimizing regulation and other
government intrusions. The American tradition of free-market capitalism has led the populace
(and representative leaders) generally to accept the continuous alterations to society that an
evolving economy implies, despite the accompanying social and economic displacement.

The United States economy produced roughly $15 trillion worth of goods and services in 2008,
making it easily the largest in the world. China is next, at about $12 trillion, according to one
widely used estimate. Per person, the American economy has the fourth largest output-- more
than $45,000 for every man, woman and child, on average --behind Luxembourg, Bermuda and
Liechtenstein, all havens for offshore banking. In 2007, the American economy began to slow
significantly, mostly because of a real-estate slump and related financial problems. In December

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2007, the economy entered a recession, according to a committee of academic economists,

overseen by the National Bureau of Economic Research that is widely considered the arbiter of
recessions.

Over the last few decades, recessions have become less common than they once were. Ben S.
Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, and others have described this development as the
"great moderation." While the economy used to swing between expansion and contraction every
few years, there had been only two relatively brief recessions over the last 25 years before the
current downturn.
For illustration we can consider 3m case; 3M isn't counting on a smooth economic recovery in
the U.S. for the years and is focusing its business on booming markets in Asia and Latin
America.

à 
 

The Culture of the United States is a western culture, and has been developing since long before
the United States became a country. Today the United States is a diverse and multi-cultural
nation.

The United States was a leading pioneer of television (TV) as an entertainment medium, and the
tradition remains strong to this day. Many American television sitcoms, dramas, game shows and
reality shows remain very popular both in the US and abroad. Animation is a popular US
entertainment medium as well, both on the large and small screen. The characters created by
Walt Disney and Warner Brothers animation studios remain very popular. In music, the United
States has pioneered many distinct genres, such as country and western, jazz, rock music, hip
hop, and gospel music. African American cultural influences play a particularly prominent role
in many of these traditions. As Americans spend most of their leisure (free) times on watching
TV, playing games and listening to music hence (thus) 3M Company included these 3 items in
its product line.

American culture encompasses traditions, ideals, customs, beliefs, values, arts, and innovations
developed both domestically and imported via British colonization and immigration. Prevalent
ideas and ideals which evolved domestically such as important national holidays, uniquely
American sports, proud military tradition, and innovations in the arts and entertainment give a
strong sense of national pride among the population as a whole.

It includes both conservative and liberal elements, military and scientific competitiveness,
political structures, risk taking and free expression, materialist and moral elements.

 

Many of the new technological innovations in the modern world were either first invented in the
United States and/or first widely adopted by Americans. Examples include: the lightbulb, the
airplane, the transistor, nuclear power, the personal computer, and online shopping, as well as the
development of the Internet. The iPod, the most popular gadget for portable digital music, is also
American.

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By comparison with Japan, however, only a small fraction of electronic devices make it to sale in
the US, and household items such as toilets are rarely festooned with remotes and electronic
buttons as they are in Asia. 3M Company (3M) is a diversified technology company with a
presence in various businesses, including industrial and transportation, healthcare, display and
graphics, consumer and office, safety, security and protection services, and electro and
communications. The company is a diversified global manufacturer and marketer of a variety of
products. 3M manages its operations in six business segments: Industrial and Transportation;
Health Care; Display and Graphics; Consumer and Office; Safety, Security and Protection
Services, and Electro and Communications.

The company¶s products are sold through numerous distribution channels, including directly to
users and through numerous wholesalers, retailers, jobbers, distributors and dealers in a variety
of trades in many countries worldwide



3M has a great global item in the US. It exploits the advantages of its global presence to the
fullest extent. Its Japanese competitor Kao has made this painful experience several times. Kao
had successfully launched its Quickie Wiper dusting mob in the Japanese market already in
1994. In the following years Kao introduced it in other Asian countries. However, in many parts
of the world Kao has no active business in the household segment. This turns out to be a major
strategic disadvantage. Starting in 1999 Procter & Gamble launches a similar product under the
new brand name Swiffer in the USA, in Europe, and in many other countries. In those territories
in which Quickle Wiper is not available Swiffer is being celebrated as the great innovation, and
it is hugely successful.

Global innovators steer their innovations via global innovation centers. But they increasingly
distribute them over the whole globe. There are several important reasons favor this
organizational set-up: the respective regions ³feel´ a greater importance; the employees working
in the regions can be offered more interesting career opportunities; the innovation centers of
individual product divisions can be placed in those countries where the local divisions of the
company have specific strengths, or where they have to compete against particularly strong
competition; centers can be located where there is lots of talent, which furthermore often costs
less. General Electric´s Health Division these days has its magnet resonance tomography
machines, which normally cost millions of dollars, developed in its innovation centre in
Shanghai at a target price of half a million dollar, with the option to later export these machines
to other countries. Even Google is decentralizing its innovation activities away from its central
innovation centre in Mountain View, and it already has 25 F&E centers worldwide.



 
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3M is widely recognized as a pioneer in corporate pollution prevention. In 2005, 3M¶s Pollution
Prevention Pays (3P) program celebrated its 30th anniversary. Over the last 31 years, the
program has prevented more than 2.6 billion pounds of pollutants and saved more than $1 billion
based on aggregated data from the first year of each 3P project. The 3P program helps prevent
pollution at the source²in products and manufacturing processes²rather than removing it after

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it has been created. 3P projects typically focus on product reformulation, process modification,
equipment redesign, or recycling and reuse of waste materials. As of 2006, 3M employees
worldwide have completed more than 6,300 3P projects.

3P is a key element of 3M¶s environmental strategy and in moving toward sustainability. 3P has
achieved that status based on the belief that a prevention approach is more environmentally
effective, technically sound, and economical than conventional pollution controls. The 3P
program targets key environmental metrics: VOC emissions, TRI releases, water releases, waste
generation, and energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. With 3P and other
environmental management systems in place, 3M continues to commit to environmental
reductions and become a sustainable growth corporation²one whose products and processes
have a minimal impact on the environment.

3M¶s focus on sustainability and sustainable development has increased in recent years
(www.3m.com/sustainability). 3M produces a corporate sustainability report using the Global
Reporting Initiative guidelines. In 2007, 3M was once again selected for inclusion into the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index and named as the Industrial Goods and Services Sector Leader. 3M
has been included in the index and named leader of its sector since its inception.


Ã
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3M has also been a pioneer in the use of Lean Six Sigma methods and tools to improve
operations and quality. (Lean Six Sigma is a process-improvement methodology and a collection
of statistical tools designed to reduce process variation and improve product quality.) While
Lean Six Sigma activity had been underway throughout 3M for several years, 3M launched a
corporate-wide Lean Six Sigma initiative in February 2001, with senior leadership support. As
of 2006, more than 55,000 salaried employees at 3M have been trained in Lean Six Sigma
processes and methodologies, and more than 45,000 Lean Six Sigma projects have been initiated
or closed. Lean and Six Sigma methodologies provide a strong focus for enterprise wide
implementation and are now viewed as basic components of 3M¶s corporate culture. 3M¶s Lean
Six Sigma vision, ³Achieving Breakthrough Performance for our Customers, Employees and
Shareholders,´ is firmly rooted in the company¶s long history and culture of innovation.


Ã
à 

 


3M Environmental, Health, and Safety managers view Lean Six Sigma as a powerful tool for
achieving current and future corporate EHS and sustainability goals. The company noted that
while Lean Six Sigma projects focused on improving operational efficiency and product yield,
direct reductions in energy use, air emissions, waste reduction, greenhouse gas emissions, and
other environmental impacts also coincided. With its 2000-2005 Environmental Targets
(ET¶05), 3M began tracking whether 3P projects have a Lean Six Sigma component by including
a check box on the 3P project form. In 2006, more than 70 percent of all 3P projects relied upon
Lean Six Sigma methods, at least in part.

Lean Six Sigma has helped to reinvigorate the 3P program at 3M, yielding impressive results. In
2000, 3M set ET¶05 goals to address environmental issues through eco-efficiency and pollution
prevention metrics. They were complemented by individual business unit goals that

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incorporated product life cycle management within the unit's strategic plan. The ET¶05 goals
and results are summarized below.

 




 !


Reduce volatile air emissions indexed to net sales 25% 61%
Reduce U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Toxic Release
Inventory (TRI) Releases indexed to net sales 50% 64%
Improve energy efficiency (energy use indexed to net sales) 20% 27%
Reduce waste indexed to net sales 25% 30%
Double the number of Pollution Prevention Pays (3P) projects
from the previous five-year period from 194 to 400 projects 400 1262

In 2005, 3M established a new set of corporate environmental goals from 2005 through 2010
(ET¶10), as follows.

yc Reduce volatile air emissions by 25 percent.

yc Improve energy efficiency by 20 percent.
yc Reduce waste by 20 percent.
yc Implement 800 3P projects.

Lean Six Sigma is anticipated to play a major role in 3M¶s efforts to achieve the ET¶10 goals.
Lean Six Sigma has become a powerful engine supporting expanded pollution prevention
activity and effectiveness at 3M. Given Lean Six Sigma¶s focus on involving different voices
through the use of cross-functional teams, personnel with environmental expertise are often
involved in Lean Six Sigma project teams. ³Voice of Customer´ interviews and survey results
also reflect increasing interest in environmental performance results. As the pace of Lean Six
Sigma activities increase at 3M, much of the waste and variation targeted for elimination in Lean
Six Sigma projects will bring environmental improvements on their coattails. Lean Six Sigma
control plans and post-project audits will help to ensure that these achievements endure.


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à 

 
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Since 2001, 3M¶s Environmental, Health and Safety Operations (EH&SO) organization has
deployed Lean Six Sigma to improve corporate EHS services and activities. As of February
2007, the EH&SO organization had two Lean Six Sigma black belts and a master black belt
focused on corporate EHS projects and coaching (for approximately 100 team members). All
EHS team members are required to become Lean Six Sigma green belts and to lead at least one
Six Sigma project. EHS team members receive two weeks of Lean Six Sigma green belt
training, and coaching is provided by black belts. EHS Lean Six Sigma projects have focused on
topics ranging from compliance or due diligence activities to data collection and management to
communications.

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While some of the Lean Six Sigma projects launched by 3M¶s EH&SO organization have a
positive return on investment using conventional cost reduction-value creation measures, many
projects are justified by driving 3M toward sustainable practices and enhancing 3M¶s reputation.

In addition to the Lean Six Sigma projects launched by the EH&SO organization, multiple Lean
Six Sigma projects are undertaken by EHS personnel at 3M¶s numerous manufacturing and
research and development (R&D) facilities worldwide.

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In 3M¶s sustainability journey Lean Six Sigma has driven projects in a number of business
processes, including R&D and manufacturing, and with customers. 3M¶s large R&D operations
offer both fertile ground for 3P pollution prevention projects and a talented laboratory for
developing products and processes aligned with the company¶s commitment to sustainable
development. Going forward, 3M expects to continue capitalizing on these R&D resources, in
addition to continuing a strong focus on manufacturing excellence, reduced variability and
increasing speed for customers. Lean Six Sigma is anticipated to play a continued central role in
driving breakthrough improvements and products that sustain 3M¶s leadership in innovation and
sustainability.

#




"

The first part of strategic analysis is investigating success factors which has made the company
different from the others work in the same field; they have blind point and weaknesses though.
The case that has been investigated is 3M and its success factors are existent in the case
objectively.
The 3M Company has a formidable strength to its unusual corporate culture that feed innovation
and interdepartmental cooperation with back up of 1 billion dollar annually and as a result, it is
leader in many technologies. For example, pressure sensitive tapes, sand paper, protective
chemical, premium graphic and so on.
Like any other successful companies in the world, 3M has many success keys that out stand it
from other companies, including product development, founder and leader in many technologies,
Strong knowledge, innovative products globally, Strong R&D with $1 billion budget per year,
Innovative culture, adjacency lattice, Interdepartmental cooperation, operation in multiple
industries and so on.




Considering all of the above factors about 3M Corporation with any business there is always
room for improvement. After scanning the external and internal environment I found these
factors to be the most important in terms of affecting the corporation present and future
performance.
One major strength that the company has that many companies do not compare to is their
product portfolio. The 3M Company has over a thousand products. Their product portfolio is
what helps to give them a competitive advantage. The 3M Company does an excellent job
actively managing their product portfolio through acquisitions. This allows them to create
more shareholder value. Their mass line of products allows them to distribute products to a
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lot of different industries worldwide. This is a successful company that is in an unstoppable

position; however no company is without flaws. One of 3M Company greatest weakness is
the high pollution costs it incurs. As a technological leader, they can increase their global
operations. The majority of the 3M revenue comes from international territory. Over 63% of
their revenue is from outside the U.S. The threats for this company are basically the same for
any multinational company doing business globally international exchange rates. With over
2/3 of 3M revenue coming from outside the U.S. this could be a threat for the company. This
makes them highly vulnerable to international exchange rates. With inflation going on the
U.S. dollar can suffer, however strengthening of the U.S. dollar against other currencies
could result in decreased sales. This is a big threat for 3M Company doing business abroad.
Overall 3M is very successful corporation you can find their product almost anywhere in this
world even in our own class room.

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!" 

[1] Management Development Review, ×


  

  
  , Volume 10 ·
Number 6/7 · 1997 · pp. 276±278, © MCB University Press · ISSN 0962-2519
[2] Edmund E. Price and Donald R. Coy, ×    

 
3M Center, St Paul, Minnesota, USA.
[3] Strategic Direction, R 
  
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#')*'+Emerald Group Publishing Limited,--&%$).*%)(
[4] DeSimone, L.D. (1997), Signals of Change, Business Progress towards Sustainable
Development, World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
[5] Adam Brand, 3M United Kingdom Plc, /     ,0,
Journal of Knowledge Management Volume 2 Number 1 September 1998
[6] Irene chong on( 01 February, 2009)
[7] Charlie Witmer (Charles.Witmer@KnowTheCo.com) 17 January, 2009
[8] Alga D. Foschi, The Coast Port Industry in the U.S.A. A Key Factor in the Process of
Economic Growth, Discussion Papers - Department of Economics No. 46, May 2005
[9] Jeanne H. Yamamura and Yvonne E. Stedham, Globalization and Culture: An Exploratory
Study, November 2004
[10] Bibo Liang, Political Economy of Us Trade Policy Towards China, China & World
Economy, Vol. 15, No. 5, pp. 50-64, September-October 2007
[11] Arnold Reisma and Aldona Cytraus, Institutionalized Technology Transfer in USA: A
Historic Review, 2004
[12] http://www.stock-analysis-on.net/NYSE/Company/3M-Co/Financial-Statement/Income-
Statement
[13] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3M

[14]chttp://www.epa.gov/lean/studies/3m.htm

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