There is a growing need for manufacturing optimization all over the world. The immense market of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies dictates a need for a book that will provide knowledge of the various aspects of AM for anyone interested in learning about this fast-growing topic. This book disseminates knowledge of AM amongst scholars at graduate level, post graduate level, doctoral level, as well as industry personnel. The objective is to offer a state-of-the-art book which covers all aspects of AM and incorporates all information regarding trends, historical developments, classifications, materials, tooling, software issues, dynamic design, principles, limitations, and communication interfaces in a one-stop resource. Features: Breaks down systematic coverage of various aspects of AM within four distinct sections Contains details of various AM techniques based on ASTM guidelines Discusses many AM applications with suitable illustrations Includes recent trends in the field of AM Covers engineering materials utilized as raw materials in AM Compares AM techniques with different traditional manufacturing methods

Many science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM) faculty wish to make an academic change at the course, department, college, or university level, but they lack the specific tools and training that can help them achieve the changes they desire. Making Changes in STEM Education: The Change Maker’s Toolkit is a practical guide based on academic change research and designed to equip STEM faculty and administrators with the skills necessary to accomplish their academic change goals. Each tool is categorized by a dominant theme in change work, such as opportunities for change, strategic vision, communication, teamwork, stakeholders, and partnerships, and is presented in context by the author, herself a change leader in STEM. In addition, the author provides interviews with STEM faculty and leaders who are engaged in their own change projects, offering additional insight into how the tools can be applied to a variety of educational contexts. The book is ideal for STEM faculty who are working to change their courses, curricula, departments, and campuses and STEM administrators who lead such change work to support their faculties, as well as graduate students in STEM who plan to enter an academic position upon graduation and expect to work on academic change projects.

Since 1958 the Smurfs have captivated the hearts and minds of children and adults alike. They were born in Brussels and came to the American market in 1979. From their mushroom houses in the medieval forest, they made their way into millions of homes worldwide through television and a myriad of products that bore their image. These objects instantly became collectible, and this new book by Jan Lindenberger, one of America's most prolific authors about twentieth century collectibles, catalogs many of them with color photographs, useful information, and current market values. It follows her much-praised earlier book, Smurf Collectibles. This new book includes jewelry, books, figurines, toys, games, puzzles, clothing, paper products, and many other Smurf items. They are all illustrated in wonderful color, with helpful descriptions and current market values. This book is a must for all serious Smurf collectors.

This book presents both the importance of energy transition and its associated difficulties. Energy Transition, Second Edition, provides an explanation of the physical concepts of energy and power and also reviews global energy consumption and our dependence on energy. The book discusses the links between the economy and energy. It explains the drawbacks and dangers of different energy sources and tries to compare them. By reviewing future energy resources, it evaluates several transition scenarios. The book shows that the laws of physics prevent the emergence of simple, pleasant solutions, but it proposes potential solutions and encourages readers to develop better processes from energy sources to production to consumption. This book will be of interest to engineers and undergraduate and graduate students studying and working in various fields of energy; producers of fossil, gas, oil, coal, electric, renewable, and nuclear energy; and anyone interested in better understanding these fundamental problems for our future. FEATURES Discusses the current issues with energy transition Covers several energy transition scenarios and their associated difficulties Presents the links between economy and energy Highlights the importance of a global discussion of energy Encourages the development of better, improved processes in energy sources from production to consumption

Collecting Antique Meerschaum Pipes: Miniature to Majestic Sculpture, 1850-1925 is an illustrated guide to the smoking utensils made of a mineral that has been used since at least the early 1700s and which is, today, still a popular material. In the last decade, a surge in interest in tobacco collectibles has already spawned many books on cigarette lighters, cigar-box labels, and snuff boxes and bottles. This book now comes at a time when antique meerschaums are taking center stage, and collecting them is like buying blue-chip stocks. Ben Rapaport is one of the few internationally recognized authorities on the subject of antique pipes, and in this, his second book published by Schiffer, he has created a powerful and convincing tour de force in word and picture that evidences why so many pipe collectors have a fervent passion for these exceptional works of art. Ranging from very diminutive and expressive cigarette holders to massive sculptured pipes, these instruments were produced by many talented, skilled, and unknown craftsmen working in a cottage industry trade 150 years ago. The caliber of their handiwork and the myriad imaginative meerschaums they produced cannot be duplicated anywhere in the world today. Now, this volume is a permanent record of their unrivaled genius.

This is the true story of how, armed with only Lean improvement methodologies, a specially trained Toyota Lean expert purchased a business he knew nothing about, applied Lean techniques, and succeeded in doubling sales and increasing profitability, before he finally sold the thriving business.

With humility and humor, the author recounts his successes and failures, introduces his key employees and their struggles with change, and provides motivation and simple ideas for all readers looking to improve their businesses. He captures key points highlighted in text boxes and includes illustrative photos and examples of Lean tools at work.

This story dispels the fallacy that Lean management does not achieve excellent results in high variation companies and job shops. Toyota s OSKKK methodology is introduced to understand processes and guide a Lean transformation on the shop floor and in the office.

Toyota Production System methods have rendered remarkable results in high-volume manufacturing plants, but they have not been fully understood and correctly applied in high-mix, low-volume environments. While lean principles do apply, the implementation methods and tools must be adapted and alternate methods embraced in a low-volume environment. This volume is specifically geared for manufacturers that have hundreds to thousands of active part numbers with few or no ongoing forecasted volumes, and for job shops that build only to order. The primary focus is eliminating non-value-added activities and instituting improvements on the most repetitive jobs, a strategy that gives you more time to produce your low-volume work or one-offs. About the author: Greg Lane is a faculty member of the Lean Enterprise Institute and an advisor to the Instituto de Lean Management in Spain. During his time with Toyota, he was one of a handful of candidates selected for a one-year training program conducted by the company's masters. He became certified as a Toyota Production System (TPS) Key Person and continued his work with Toyota, training others in TPS. He has been highly active in working on implementing lean around the world, supporting large and small companies alike. In 1998, he began to focus his lean endeavors on meeting the specific needs of high-mix, low-volume enterprises. During his time as an independent consultant, Greg purchased and operated his own manufacturing company, which specialized in fast turnaround on high-mix, low-volume parts. Greg used TPS to grow the business and nearly double its sales. Greg and his associates have experience not only at adapting the methods contained in this book, but also in applying other tools that are too numerous to detail here. They can be reached for further support with your lean transformation via email: [email protected]

* A fully comprehensive guide to the entire supply chain management process as applied specifically to the fashion industry * Each chapter is complemented by an in-depth case study from a relevant global organization, alongside pedagogy to aid student comprehension, including quizzes, end-of-chapter activities, and role play scenarios. Online resources include chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides and a test bank. * Designed as a core textbook for Fashion Supply Chain and Operations Management modules at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate level.

One of the hottest fields in collecting, Tarzan memorabilia ranges from comic books at a dollar or two to first editions valued in the thousands! Part of our cultural heritage for nearly a century, the chest-beating ape man (what other fictional character can be described by a gesture?) has been a hero for generations of boys and girls. Appearing in books, movies, radio, comics, toys, television, cartoons, and even on luggage and vitamins, the image of Tarzan is sure to spark childhood memories of Saturday movie matinees or evenings spent reading the latest issue of the Tarzan comic book. Tarzan collectibles can be found at the priciest auction house or your neighbor's yard sale. Recently a movie poster from the 1928 production Tarzan The Mighty went under the gavel for over $30,000. Many of the Tarzan cereal premiums from the '30s and '40s are today worth several hundred dollars. Tarzan comics and books (both hard cover and paperback) offer the collector a chance to obtain samples of artwork by some of the greatest illustrators, past and present. Just as the worth of vintage items grows, today's toys, comic books, movie, and other Tarzan memorabilia have the potential to increase in value.

At last, here is the compendium of cigarette packs that collectors have been waiting for! Joe Giesenhagen has compiled a fantastic collection of cigarette packs dating from the 1880s to the present, in all colors, shapes and sizes. See the incredible diversity of character in cigarette packaging over the past century, and the amazing creative effort some companies exerted to make their cigarettes appear exotic, luxurious, colorful, feminine, masculine, festive, or even medicinal. This book includes color photographs of over 4000 packs of cigarettes to accompany in-depth listings of Merchants & Vendors, Factory Numbers, Merchant Code list, up-to-date pricing information, anecdotes of the industry, and much, much, more. Cigarette packs are a great field for collecting, with a huge diversity, availability, and price range. This book is an excellent ground-level entrance for anyone looking to begin a collection and a valuable resource for anyone in the process of building one.

In Using Hoshin Kanri to Improve the Value Stream, leading lean and quality expert Elizabeth Cudney constructs a complete how-to guide that any organization can employ to start a Lean effort correctly and keep it on track. Rooted in practical examples garnered over years of hand-on practice, she illustrates the key principles of lean and value, and then shows you how to put them to work.

Cudney points out that organizations often fail at improvement because they go after symptomatic problems rather than the faulty system-wide processes at the root of those problems. She shows you how to avoid this common misstep by using value stream mapping to create a current-state map. Done properly, this map will help everyone in your organization come to understand just how they deliver value to customers and where flawed processes cause them to fall short.

The next step is to create a future-state map that defines best processes. While that may seem easy, reaching the goals of future-state maps requires a highly disciplined effort. At this point, Hoshin Kanri -- the art of policy deployment can make a crucial impact. Hoshin Kanri encourages a systems approach that focuses on the long-term strategy of an organization. As much as defining a methodology, it inspires a positive mindset within your organization by starting with improvements that affect flow across the entire organization. In addition to improving the delivery of value, changes with broad impact will catch people s attention, encourage their involvement and increase the momentum of improvement.

Chapter by chapter, this book defines the key tools, such as Six Sigma, 5S, and mistake proofing, that your organization can employ to initiate needed process improvements.

With business and organisations moving at an ever-faster pace and facing evermore demanding challenges, the need for efficient, succinct and productive interaction between individuals of those businesses and organisations is more important than ever. With the bounds of communication restrictions abandoned through technological advances (we can now see and hear anyone across any manner of virtual platforms anywhere around the globe) and with a greater understanding of the underlying dynamics of human interaction, unprecedented pressure has been thrust upon the individual or individuals who, often, enable these dynamic interactions: the facilitator. Many of us have, at one time or other, been responsible for a meeting - whether between a small number of individuals or an entire organisation of hundreds, or possibly thousands, of businessmen and women. Or, perhaps, we've had to be the mediator in a family dispute closer to home or managed a discussion between two feuding friends or colleagues. One way or another, chances are, all of us have been a facilitator at some point in our lives. With the ever-growing demands placed on facilitators, this book delivers a methodical and structured approach to facilitation. This book is the definitive guide to instruct and assist facilitators - both new and experienced - with a set of guidelines and underlying theory that will benefit any facilitator, whether as a mediator between two individuals, single-handedly facilitating a group of 100 or working as part of a facilitation team in a multinational corporation. The first part of the book develops the core basic skills of those new to the art of facilitating. There are many examples and exercises to show the reader how to apply them in different situations. The second part of the book is for more experienced facilitators as it focuses on more advanced skills and tackling difficult situations. Specific tools and techniques are illustrated for the reader. Essentially, this book is aimed at developing and mastering the art of facilitation. Facilitation is the art of getting the best out of groups of people to brainstorm, solve problems and gain consensus. Based on 30 years' experience of the author and running multiple facilitation training courses across the globe, this book is aimed at upskilling people, managers and leaders to drive change and consensus with groups through running workshops and meetings.

With business and organisations moving at an ever-faster pace and facing evermore demanding challenges, the need for efficient, succinct and productive interaction between individuals of those businesses and organisations is more important than ever. With the bounds of communication restrictions abandoned through technological advances (we can now see and hear anyone across any manner of virtual platforms anywhere around the globe) and with a greater understanding of the underlying dynamics of human interaction, unprecedented pressure has been thrust upon the individual or individuals who, often, enable these dynamic interactions: the facilitator. Many of us have, at one time or other, been responsible for a meeting - whether between a small number of individuals or an entire organisation of hundreds, or possibly thousands, of businessmen and women. Or, perhaps, we've had to be the mediator in a family dispute closer to home or managed a discussion between two feuding friends or colleagues. One way or another, chances are, all of us have been a facilitator at some point in our lives. With the ever-growing demands placed on facilitators, this book delivers a methodical and structured approach to facilitation. This book is the definitive guide to instruct and assist facilitators - both new and experienced - with a set of guidelines and underlying theory that will benefit any facilitator, whether as a mediator between two individuals, single-handedly facilitating a group of 100 or working as part of a facilitation team in a multinational corporation. The first part of the book develops the core basic skills of those new to the art of facilitating. There are many examples and exercises to show the reader how to apply them in different situations. The second part of the book is for more experienced facilitators as it focuses on more advanced skills and tackling difficult situations. Specific tools and techniques are illustrated for the reader. Essentially, this book is aimed at developing and mastering the art of facilitation. Facilitation is the art of getting the best out of groups of people to brainstorm, solve problems and gain consensus. Based on 30 years' experience of the author and running multiple facilitation training courses across the globe, this book is aimed at upskilling people, managers and leaders to drive change and consensus with groups through running workshops and meetings.

This book introduces Systematic Improvement Planning (SIP), a structured approach to improvement. It draws upon proven industrial engineering and quality improvement tools, along with some of its own, and enables people to make positive changes. SIP is designed to help meet goals, solve problems, and implement ideas. The book provides a comprehensive and detailed framework for operational improvement at all levels of an enterprise.

This book is intended to be a textbook for undergraduate students studying electrical and electronic engineering in universities and colleges. Therefore, the level and amount of the knowledge to be transferred to the reader is kept to as much as what can be taught in one academic semester of a university or a college course. Although the subject is rather classical and somehow well established in some respects, it is vast and can be difficult to grasp if unnecessary details are not avoided. This book is aimed to give the reader just what is necessary - with plenty of short and easily understandable examples and drawings, figures, and tables. A course on electromechanical energy conversion is a necessity in all universities and colleges entitled to grant a license for electrical engineering. This book is aimed at meeting the requirements of this essential subject by providing necessary information to complete the course. A compact chapter is included with figures and tables on energy and the restraints on its production brought about by global climate change. A new approach has been tried for some of the classic subjects including magnetic circuits and electrical machines together with today's much-used motors.

"A comprehensive guide to solid-state chemistry which is ideal for all undergraduate levels. It covers well the fundamentals of the area, from basic structures to methods of analysis, but also introduces modern topics such as sustainability." Dr. Jennifer Readman, University of Central Lancashire, UK "The latest edition of Solid State Chemistry combines clear explanations with a broad range of topics to provide students with a firm grounding in the major theoretical and practical aspects of the chemistry of solids." Professor Robert Palgrave, University College London, UK Solid State Chemistry: An Introduction 5th edition is a fully revised edition of one of our most successful textbooks with at least 20% new information. Solid-state chemistry is still a rapidly advancing field, contributing to areas such as batteries for transport and energy storage, nanostructured materials, porous materials for the capture of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. This edition aims, as previously, not only to teach the basic science that underpins the subject, but also to direct the reader to the most modern techniques and to expanding and new areas of research. The user-friendly style takes a largely non-mathematical approach and gives practical examples of applications of solid state materials and concepts. A notable and timely addition to the 5th edition is a chapter on sustainability written by an expert in the field. Examples of how solid state chemistry contribute to sustainability are also given in relevant chapters. Other new topics in this edition include cryo-electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) and covalent organic frameworks. A companion website offering accessible resources for students and instructors alike, featuring topics and tools such as quizzes, videos, web links and more has been provided for this edition. New in the Fifth Edition A companion website which offers accessible resources for students and instructors alike, featuring topics and tools such as quizzes, videos, web links and more A new chapter on sustainability in solid-state chemistry written by an expert in this field Cryo-electron microscopy X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) Covalent organic frameworks Graphene oxide and bilayer graphene Elaine A. Moore studied chemistry as an undergraduate at Oxford University and then stayed on to complete a DPhil in theoretical chemistry with Peter Atkins. After a two-year postdoctoral position at the University of Southampton, she joined the Open University in 1975, becoming a lecturer in chemistry in 1977, senior lecturer in 1998, and reader in 2004. She retired in 2017 and currently has an honorary position at the Open University. She has produced OU teaching texts in chemistry for courses at levels 1, 2, and 3 and written texts in astronomy at level 2 and physics at level 3. She was team leader for the production and presentation of an Open University level 2 chemistry module delivered entirely online. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She was co-chair for the successful Departmental submission of an Athena Swan bronze award. Lesley E. Smart studied chemistry at Southampton University, United Kingdom. After completing a PhD in Raman spectroscopy, she moved to a lectureship at the (then) Royal University of Malta. After returning to the United Kingdom, she took an SRC Fellowship to Bristol University to work on X-ray crystallography. From 1977 to 2009, she worked at the Open University chemistry department as a lecturer, senior lecturer, and Molecular Science Programme director, and she held an honorary senior lectureship there until her death in 2016. At the Open University, she was involved in the production of undergraduate courses in inorganic and physical chemistry and health sciences. She served on the Council of the Royal Society of Chemistry and as the chair of their Benevolent Fund.

As society rapidly increases in complexity, we are in great need of sustainable leadership in accord with beliefs and values as we experience continuous changes. The Courage to Lead through Values: How Management by Values Supports Transformational Leadership, Culture, and Success is about having the courage to lead through the implementation of agreed-upon values. In addition, it's about the courage it takes to never cease doing this. However, it's not enough to simply be aware of the importance of constantly working with values and ethics - effective leadership based on values and ethics means taking the time to actually do it. This book tackles this issue by providing you with clear examples of how to implement incorporating values and ethics in your everyday leadership. In business, you face challenges when you must choose between efficiency, analysis of results, and goals versus actively working on values and ethics. This book will argue that one doesn't need to compete with the other and it posits that one supports the other. As the world is rapidly growing in complexity and we are facing new challenges and expectations, we must find ways to achieve sustainable lives, businesses, and societies. The author strongly believes that values are the key. By using the methodology Management by Values (MBV), under the mentorship of its founder, Professor Simon L. Dolan, the book is well-anchored in research. Ten years ago, a new school was founded in a medium-sized town in Sweden -- Internationella Engelska Skolan Sundsvall. It started with a staff of 20 and 250 students. Today the staff has grown to 120 members with nearly 1100 students attending. In 2019, it was considered one of the best schools in Sweden. The principal, Pascal Brisson, in many ways epitomizes the school and its success. Through in-depth interviews with the principal and colleagues, previous staff, executives within the organization and students, the author amassed information to provide a factual and engaging story of the school's journey from a leadership perspective. It becomes clear how implementing shared values and the principal's courage to never stop actively working with values as a management tool is a recipe for the success of an organization. The book invites you into a conversation about leadership. It includes the author's personal reflections on historical management methodology and on challenges of today. As you follow the ten-year journey of a successful leader in one of our society's most complex organizations, a school, you do this in the light of Management by Values. Essentially, this book gives the reader concrete tools and examples of how to use values as a management tool. This is told through several different themes relevant to all organizations -- organizational culture, creating teams, inspiring motivation, and handling stress.

As society rapidly increases in complexity, we are in great need of sustainable leadership in accord with beliefs and values as we experience continuous changes. The Courage to Lead through Values: How Management by Values Supports Transformational Leadership, Culture, and Success is about having the courage to lead through the implementation of agreed-upon values. In addition, it's about the courage it takes to never cease doing this. However, it's not enough to simply be aware of the importance of constantly working with values and ethics - effective leadership based on values and ethics means taking the time to actually do it. This book tackles this issue by providing you with clear examples of how to implement incorporating values and ethics in your everyday leadership. In business, you face challenges when you must choose between efficiency, analysis of results, and goals versus actively working on values and ethics. This book will argue that one doesn't need to compete with the other and it posits that one supports the other. As the world is rapidly growing in complexity and we are facing new challenges and expectations, we must find ways to achieve sustainable lives, businesses, and societies. The author strongly believes that values are the key. By using the methodology Management by Values (MBV), under the mentorship of its founder, Professor Simon L. Dolan, the book is well-anchored in research. Ten years ago, a new school was founded in a medium-sized town in Sweden -- Internationella Engelska Skolan Sundsvall. It started with a staff of 20 and 250 students. Today the staff has grown to 120 members with nearly 1100 students attending. In 2019, it was considered one of the best schools in Sweden. The principal, Pascal Brisson, in many ways epitomizes the school and its success. Through in-depth interviews with the principal and colleagues, previous staff, executives within the organization and students, the author amassed information to provide a factual and engaging story of the school's journey from a leadership perspective. It becomes clear how implementing shared values and the principal's courage to never stop actively working with values as a management tool is a recipe for the success of an organization. The book invites you into a conversation about leadership. It includes the author's personal reflections on historical management methodology and on challenges of today. As you follow the ten-year journey of a successful leader in one of our society's most complex organizations, a school, you do this in the light of Management by Values. Essentially, this book gives the reader concrete tools and examples of how to use values as a management tool. This is told through several different themes relevant to all organizations -- organizational culture, creating teams, inspiring motivation, and handling stress.

For collectors, Nuremberg and toys will forever be thought of together. Whenever they hear one mentioned, they will think of the other. The firm of Georg Kellermann stands completely in the tradition of quality and originality for which Nuremberg toys are famous. In its 96 years it exported toys around the world. It is little wonder that the Kellermann collectors are also found almost everywhere. This is the perfect book for those collectors and other toy aficionados. There has never been a book like this. It covers an important era in toy manufacturing with wonderfully detailed color and black and white photographs. In addition it provides an exact record of the firm's production, correct manufacturing dates, accurate catalog specifications, catalog facsimiles, background information on stampings and dies, patent and registration papers, actual market values, and naturally, correct and accurate details of construction material. A book that will be cherished by all toy lovers and collectors.

Improve the "Health" of Your Organization by Using the Right Metrics!

The vast majority of companies use some form of balanced scorecard to measure performance measu, yet recent research suggests that most scorecards are based on singular, unsophisticated measurements, providing flawed data on the state of the organization.

"Beyond the Balanced Scorecard: Improving Business Intelligence with Analytics," by Mark Graham Brown, provides managers with the right metrics for evaluating important aspects of performance that are not accurately tracked by most companies and government organizations.

Leaders will learn how to objectively measure: Relationships with Customers Employee Satisfaction External Business Environment Supplier/Vendor performance Strategy and Financials

This book will show you how to construct a performance index, as well as provide you with example metrics of various aspects of performance that are difficult to measure.

POW! ZAP! eeEEYOW! This is the exciting world of comic book hero toys. From TV to comics, we loved them all and wanted everything connected with them. The roll call includes banks, board games, dress-up costumes, cups, model kits, and so much much more, with the images of Captain Action*T, Superman*T, Batman*T, the DC Comics Super Heroes*T, Spider-Man*T, and the Incredible Hulk*T. Just to mention a few! The great villains were as interesting as the great heroes, no matter how we pretend otherwise--so they're here too. Baby Boomers remember it all fondly and super hero fans of all ages will drool. Over 700 color photos and a complete price guide are included.

Nano- and Microfabrication for Industrial and Biomedical Applications, Second Edition, focuses on the industrial perspective on micro- and nanofabrication methods, including large-scale manufacturing, the transfer of concepts from lab to factory, process tolerance, yield, robustness, and cost. The book gives a history of miniaturization and micro- and nanofabrication, and surveys industrial fields of application, illustrating fabrication processes of relevant micro and nano devices. In this second edition, a new focus area is nanoengineering as an important driver for the rise of novel applications by integrating bio-nanofabrication into microsystems. In addition, new material covers lithographic mould fabrication for soft-lithography, nanolithography techniques, corner lithography, advances in nanosensing, and the developing field of advanced functional materials. Luttge also explores the view that micro- and nanofabrication will be the key driver for a "tech-revolution" in biology and medical research that includes a new case study that covers the developing organ-on-chip concept.

Enjoyed since Sir John Suckling invented this popular card game in the early 1600s, cribbage is examined here in full-color photos and engaging text. Over 350 color photographs enliven the discussion, displaying many appealing styles and variations. Cribbage boards of war and peace, with 61 and 121 point scoring, and on which pegs follow the straight and narrow or meander across the board in innovative street designs all are featured here. Also a history of the game and of the American companies that have produced cribbage boards such as H. Baron Co., E.S. Lowe, Milton Bradley, and Whitman Publishing is provided. Pictured and discussed are boards created from exotic materials including ivory and bone, and methods for determining the age of heirloom boards. Rounding out the presentation are cribbage board values and an extensive bibliography. A must for card game lovers, gamblers, and collectors alike.

Flow is a fundamental concept of lean manufacturing, and its improvement is a challenge to many organizations. After mastering basic visual tools, managers must concentrate on increasing flow. This work provides shopfloor and other lean professionals with what they need to know about how other companies are implementing and sustaining continuous flow improvement.

Improving Flow: Collected Practices and Cases provides a variety of case studies taken from articles previously published in the newsletter "Lean Manufacturer Advisor." The book demonstrates how to move products and services to the customer quicker while eliminating waste and improving profits.

The Portal to Lean Production: Principles and Practices for Doing More with Less describes the steps, difficulties, and rewards of implementing lean production. The book moves beyond concepts to address practical matters. The authors provide enough information for you to begin implementing lean production within your organization.
This book applies a model-the Portal to Lean Production-to illustrate principles and practices. The model reappears at the start of every chapter and serves to connect the concepts of each chapter with those in other chapters, and with basic lean production principles.
This volume contains short vignettes that appear in every chapter of actual lean production implementations. Following these real-world examples, the text provides expanded coverage of topics to enable you to learn and apply concepts and principles. The authors enable you to see the context, application, and practical issues associated with lean production concepts and methods before learning details. The vignettes, based upon the work experience of co-author Avi Soni, help connect the concepts and tie them to practical examples.