Unfortunately, most stock holders have the "quick buck" approach and what you mentioned is less effective in showing quarterly results. Long-term investment is for the patient, which is not currently a trait on Wall St.
Absolutely true, but much of what I'm talking about can also happen very quickly depending on the vision of the decision-makers in a corporation. Quite often they are too lazy or risk-averse to change processes or invest in the correct tools. Like I said, some companies invest the time and effort to create positive change (both quick and long-term) and others don't have that vision and make the fast, easy, and often short-sighted cuts to please shareholders instead.