The Just Don't Get It!

The Donnelley initiative became one of the earliest large-scale applications of OBM, proving that the Great Game could scale beyond small firms to complex, global manufacturing environments. That precedent showed how financial literacy and transparency could drive not only cultural transformation but also significant operational and financial gains. Revitalizing the Roanoke Book Plant In “Elite Factories” (Fortune, September 2003), the Roanoke, Virginia, division of R.R. Donnelley was profiled as one of America’s top-performing manufacturing plants. Once a facility facing steep challenges, Roanoke was transformed through a combination of disciplined leadership, workforce engagement, and digital integration. Under the leadership of Don Robb, the plant adopted open-book management principles that gave employees visibility into financial and operational performance, teaching them how daily decisions impacted the bottom line. This transparency and accountability built trust, aligned the plant around shared goals, and helped shift the culture from skepticism to ownership.

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