In the age of competitiveness, it's not the strongest who defeats the weakest, but the fastest in responding to drastic and rapid changes in customer demand and expectations. To be fast, the organization needs to be lean and flexible, self-managed in all areas, especially at the core of the company. When problems begin to be solved where they occur, response times are rapidly reduced, costs fall, and improvements in equipment, processes, and products increase. The company learns, does more than necessary to survive. It ensures that it acquires the knowledge it possesses and that of its surroundings. In this way, it moves toward creating its own future.