Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
This simple chart uses a declarative sentence and color to emphasize the key point of the slide.
When to Use a Document Instead of Slides
In the spring of 2008, the CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, Katsuaki Watanabe, urged
employees in Japan to stop the wasteful practice of using PowerPoint for the creation of
ineffective documents, what I call slideuments. Watanabe made this statement during a
talk about the need to reduce costs at Toyota. In a reminder to employees to be cost
conscious, he cited the use of PowerPoint as an example of waste, of both time and
money. To make his case, Watanabe spoke of his early days in the company. Back then,
employees used just one piece of paper to make a point, submit a proposal, or
summarize an issue. But now, everything is printed from PowerPoint, which uses many
sheets of paper and expensive color ink. “It's all wasteful,” Watanabe said.
Watanabe was not saying that PowerPoint is necessarily harmful. His point was that
printed documents from a presentation tool tend to have less content and less clarity,
and yet use more paper, more ink, and more time to produce.
In the context of a challenging economy and an atmosphere of reducing costs, what
would you say of any business practice that (1) takes more time, (2) costs more money,
and yet (3) is less effective? In the spirit of kaizen (continuous improvement), even if the
waste is small, it must be eliminated.
Don't confuse slides with documents
