Lean Manufacturing Recommended Reading

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The Machine That Changed the World : The Story of Lean Production
by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, Daniel Roos (Click on picture for more information or to order)

Based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's five-million-dollar, five-year study on the future of the automobile, a groundbreaking analysis of the worldwide move from mass production to lean production. Japanese companies are sweeping the world, and the Japanese auto industry soars above the competition. Drawing on their in-depth study of the practices of ninety auto assembly plants in seventeen countries and their interviews with individual employees, scholars, and union and government officials, the authors of this compelling study uncover the specific manufacturing techniques behind Japan's success and show how Western industry can implement these innovative methods. The Machine That Changed the World tells the fascinating story of "lean production," a manufacturing system that results in a better, more cost-efficient product, higher productivity, and greater customer loyalty. The hallmarks of lean production are teamwork, communication, and efficient use of resources. And the results are remarkable: cars with one-third the defects, built in half the factory space, using half the man-hours. The Machine That Changed the World explains in concrete terms what lean production is, how it really works, and--as it inevitably spreads beyond the auto industry--its significant global impact.

Lean Thinking
by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones  Click on picture for more information or to order)

In their landmark book The Machine That Changed the World, James Womack and Daniel Jones, two of the top industrial analysts in the world, explained how companies can dramatically improve their performance through the "lean production" approach pioneered by Toyota. Lean Thinking extends these ideas to provide a rallying cry for today's corporate leaders.After a decade of downsizing and reengineering, most companies in North America, Europe, and Japan are still stuck, searching for a formula for sustainable growth and success. The problem, as Womack and Jones explain in Lean Thinking, is that managers have lost sight of value for the customer and how to create it. By focusing on their existing organizations and outdated definitions of value, managers create waste, and the economies of the advanced countries continue to stagnate. What's needed instead is lean thinking to help managers clearly specify value, to line up all the value-creating activities for a specific product along a value stream, and to make value flow smoothly at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection. The first part of the book describes each of these concepts and makes them come alive with striking examples.

Also available on audio CD and Tape

Lean Manufacturing for the Small Shop

by Conner B. Gary, Gary Conner(Click on picture for more information or to order)

Companies of all sizes are in a desperate race to remain competitive and profitable. Written with Lean implementers in mind, this book is designed to help companies and change agents apply the tools of Lean quickly. Much has been written about larger companies and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that implemented the Lean techniques perfected at Toyota within the last few decades. However, less attention has been offered addressing the special needs of smaller companies, job shops, and even "Mom and Pop" shops. While acknowledging some similarities, this book points out critical and distinct differences between OEM organizations and make-to-order environments. Hybrid methods of implementation for the Lean techniques are necessary and this book helps provide such an approach. The principles of the Toyota Production system are sound and proven. They are effective in any industry and within any company. The challenge is to apply the right tool, at the right pl! ace, at the right time, while maintaining the flexibility and nimble nature required of smaller shops. The steps outlined in this text will assist your organization reach the goals you have set for yourselves in terms of Delivery performance, Quality, and Cost. Book includes a CD-ROM that contains useful training tools, examples, and samples. Instructors can adapt visuals for classes or training.

All I Need to Know About Manufacturing I Learned in Joe's Garage
by William B. Miller, Vicki L. Schenk (Click on picture for more information or to order)

World Class Manufacturing Made Simple explains basic principles behind rapid service, high quality, low cost business management. This international bestseller is endorsed by reviewers from Business Week and other publications, and by business leaders such as Bob Lutz (author of Guts, former president of Chrysler Corporation). ...JOE'S GARAGE is used by thousands of companies, large and small throughout the world, to improve profitability, performance, and employee satisfaction. The book uses a lighthearted short story that explains in easily understandable terms the concepts and techniques of 21st-century business management. It illustrates clearly how to forge a strategy for the future that will lead to outstanding personal and professional achievement.

...JOE'S GARAGE is a classic teaching fable valuable in all business functions. It is essential reading for anybody who wishes to understand how to succeed in today's environment of increasingly tough global competition. An annotated reading list and comprehensive glossary are provided.

Countless business leaders, educators, and publications agree that ...JOE's GARAGE is simply the best, and most cost-effective, roadmap for attainment of world class results.

Implementing World Class Manufacturing - Shop Floor Manual
by Larry Rubrich, Madelyn Watson, Shirley Rubrich (Editor) (Click on picture for more information or to order)

This is a "hands-on, how-to" guide to making significant improvements in a manufacturing plant. Uniquely written in a step-by-step format for both managers and operators, Implementing World Class Manufacturing allows everyone in a facility to participate in making the business the best at what it does - now and in the future.

Henry Ford's Lean Vision
by William A. Levinson

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In HENRY FORD'S LEAN VISION, William A. Levinson draws from Henry Ford's writings, the procedures in his factories, and historical anecdotes about the birth of lean in Japan to show that the philosophy that revolutionized Japanese manufacturing was the same philosophy that grew the Ford Motor Company into a global powerhouse. Levinson reveals how Ford was ahead of other modern visionaries and discusses why the very ideas that made his company such a success were abandonded in his own country, and why they finally found acceptance in Japan.

HENRY FORD'S LEAN VISION is a hands-on reference that provides the reader with proven principles and methods that can be applied in any business or service enterprise. It covers all aspects of building and running a successful enterprise, including Ford's principles for human relationships and the management of physical resources.

Levinson argues that although concepts like kaizen, poka-yoke, and just-in-time were made famous by the Japanese, these concepts were actually adopted from early practices of the Ford Motor Company.

Lean Six Sigma : Combining Six Sigma Quality with Lean Production Speed

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