1. The main idea is how Adidas used lean manufacturing to reduce the time-to-market paradigm. Since the consumer preferences are always changing and changing quickly, Adidas did not want to be stuck with products that people wanted in the past. Therefore, the necessary and crucial strategy adopted by the Strategy Planning Department was to frivolously work on significantly reducing the number of days it took for its shoes to reach the customer.
The key was to implement lean manufacturing techniques, which enabled to achieve distinct improvements across all manufacturing functions, especially in terms of reduced time.

2. Some important facts of the case are:
a. Reducing the time from gauging in customer preference to having the shoes delivered to them was the targeted strategy. In other words, shrinking the manufacturing lead-time, or striking when the iron is hot to avoid missing the window of opportunity, was the name of the game.
b. Education and training of top managers and consultants in charge of factories was crucial. This led to a smooth flow of training top-down. The front line workers felt involved too and were able to see themselves as part of the results.
c. Staying abreast of and making optimum usage of the ever-changing technology was necessary. It brought huge savings in terms of waste elimination and increased percentage of accuracy.
d. Getting it right the first time around helped greatly. It minimized the waste of 4m’s that is manpower, materials, machinery, and money.
3. The terms used in the article and the book are:
a. Time-to-market utilizes the “time utility” concept to set the product apart from the competition and develop competitive advantage.
b. Window of opportunity: A short period of time during which an opportunity must be act acted on or missed. Adidas used the shortened time frame to bring down required