🍃 These stats will change how you think about operational performance

When I sat down to write this Sunday email, I initially planned to talk about where value quietly disappears inside operations.

But then I remembered a statistic I came across years ago while analysing manufacturing businesses in Denmark.

Less than 25% of costs were tied to salaries.

More than 50% were tied to resources.

The more I have worked with manufacturing businesses over the years, the more fascinating I find that number.

Because most leadership conversations still focus heavily on:

- labour

- productivity

- financial performance

- output

- margins

Meanwhile, resources often sit underneath the surface as operational costs rather than strategic opportunities.

For decades, materials and energy felt relatively stable and predictable, so resource use slowly became operational background noise rather than something leadership teams actively explored for competitive advantage.

But that world is changing quickly.

- Resource costs are rising.

- Supply chains are becoming more fragile.

- And inefficiencies that once felt manageable are becoming increasingly expensive.

This is why I believe the businesses gaining the biggest advantage over the next decade will be the ones that become better at understanding how value actually flows through their operations.

👉 I’m currently offering a free 15-minute Hidden Profit & Impact Audit for manufacturing businesses looking to uncover hidden inefficiencies, reduce waste, and improve operational performance.

You can book a session here: https://calendly.com/jsteinhausen/hidden-profit-and-impact-audit?month=2026-05

Best,
Jasper