Investment report card
Former GM CFO Robert O'Connell grades GM's acquisitions.
EDS: B+
"It was helpful in pulling us together. It was successful as an investment. Did it give us a competitive edge? No."
Hughes: B-
"They had less impact on GM operations. There was some help for automotive but never quite got there. But it gave us a return on our investment."
Fanuc: Incomplete
"Fanuc certainly helped us automate and get a better price for robots, but it wasn't that big. It got dwarfed by EDS and Hughes."
It seemed like a good idea at the time: Take General Motors' massive profits and invest in tangential industries to help GM develop world-beating cars more efficiently.
