Signs of the Times In 2002, Hawes Signs was suffering for its failure to meet customer requirements. It almost lost a major contract and was rated in ‘the bottom 10 per cent’ of that customer’s suppliers. Two years later, the company has made major advances. Its internal functions work together rather than in competition; it leads its sector and it delivers on its promises. In 2004 the company that previously held it in such low regard rated it as a top supplier. It achieved the improvement by following a defined structure of investment and change and has now set the foundations for its ongoing journey of improvement. As small and medium size businesses grow they find a glass ceiling beyond which they lose control of their processes and fail to deliver their customer promises. Hawes Signs is one such company.