This book is classified and organised into three major headings: personal effectiveness, leadership, and communication. It focuses on interpersonal management skills and explains what it takes to improve how frontline managers and supervisors communicate and relate to their employees and customers.

This book provides expert guidance on using feedback as a performance improvement tool. It includes many simple tools readers can use to improve feedback in their work unit. The book suggests that feedback works best when the giver and receiver realize that they are in a dance together.

This book is intented for Lean practitioners and facilitators looking for a training tool and guideline that can be used in the work area while improvements are being made. It provides the most visible and detailed approach to Kanban implementation, so that they can see results in a short period.

This book describes how to effectively implement cell manufacturing. It covers the eight Wastes of Lean and the six Lean metrics that are recommended in each implementation and a description of what cell manufacturing is and its application to improving operational processes.

This book is a guideline for implementation and it is intended for the Lean practitioner looking for a training tool and a guideline that can be used in the work area while improvements are being conducted. It describes how to effectively implement total productive maintenance.

This book covers the basics of setup reduction and quick changeover and data collection. It outlines the first pass of waste reduction through the implementation of the visual workplace and layout improvements. The book covers two quick changeover concepts: intermediate tooling and one-turn methods.

This book introduces the challenges to apply current methodologies to create a lean office. It describes the system enhancement options that lean practitioner can employ in automating the newly created lean processes and explains each of the seven steps necessary for creating a lean office.

This book introduces a process called The Exchange that will make ones job easier. It is about the kinds of conflicts that drive a manager or supervisor crazy. The book is intended for the designated problem solvers, whether official or unofficial.

This book discusses a system for extending lean manufacturing across the entire supply chain. It is divided into three parts: planning and analysis of the lean extended value stream, implementation of a lean supply chain and sustaining and continuously improving the lean extended value chain.

This book provides detailed step-by-step guidelines on how to properly implement 5S (Sort, Set in Order, Scrub, Standardize, Sustain) and the visual workplace. It is ideal for Lean practitioners and facilitators looking for a training tool and a guideline that can be used in the work area.

The Packaging Development Process: A Guide for Engineers and Project Managers presents the techniques necessary for creating, testing, and launching packaging, in one convenient reference book. It does so by explaining each step of how a packaging project evolves from the business plan to product launch, with an emphasis on the financial and human resources necessary to move the project forward.
Included are extended case studies and detailed flow charts. The case studies create an interesting, informative and understandable read, while the flow charts explain concepts.
The text is intended to give package engineers and managers the tools they need to realize new package ideas and to revamp existing packaging in the framework of business teams.

All Inventory is not created equal. Inventory classification is the backbone of distribution profitability. Important inventory management criteria such as customer service level, margin, days supply and EOQ can not be applied across the board by vendor or product category. Therefore, different types of items must be managed differently. Inventory Classification Innovation: Paving the Way for Electronic Commerce and Vendor Managed Inventory takes a quantum leap forward and explores inventory classification techniques used successfully in large multi-branch distribution for over 25 years. In his book Broeckelmann develops the innovative concepts of Type and Stock Code classifications.
Type classification is based on the fundamental characteristics of an SKU - Cost and Demand. The author details a proven method of segmenting inventory by cost and demand to recognize the difference in SKUs; thereby allowing appropriate classification and the ability to treat different SKUs differently. Type allows implementation of the important inventory management criteria to classes of items that are homogeneous, independent of vendor or product category. Stock Code deals with the quantitative/subjective differences of how a product could be purchased and distributed in a multi-branch environment. Stock Code ignores vendor and product categories and allows purchasing and distribution based on item fundamentals such as 'required inventory' and 'central warehouse stock only', etc.
Timing is critical. Don't rely on ineffective ABC methods, or worse try to reinvent the wheel for e-commerce. This book presents a new and unique method for inventory management and pricing matrix development to meet the needs of the virtual marketplace. You will find the techniques to start thinking beyond the one-size-fits-all approach of the ABC Inventory Method, and begin using the innovative Type & Stock Method. Inventory Classification Innovation truly paves the way for electronic commerce and Vendor Managed Inventory.

What is Lean? Pure and simple, lean is reducing the time from customer order to manufacturing by eliminating non-value-added waste in the production stream. The ideal of a lean system is one-piece flow, because a lean manufacturer is continuously improving. Most other books on lean management focus on technical methods and offer a picture of how a lean system should look like. Other books provide snapshots of companies before and after lean was implemented. This is the first book to provide technical descriptions of successful solutions and performance improvements. It's also the first book to go beyond snapshots and includes powerful first-hand accounts of the complete process of change; its impact on the entire organization; and the rewards and benefits of becoming lean. At the heart of Becoming Lean are the stories of American manufacturers that have successfully implemented lean methods. The writers offer personalized accounts of their organization's lean transformation. You have a unique opportunity to go inside the implementation process and see what worked, what didn't, and why.

Considering that the biggest machines that do the most work are made up of smaller machines and components, it becomes obvious that when a large machine breaks, it is normally due to small components acting antagonistically. Detailing a time-tested method for increasing productivity and lowering operational costs, Spend Analysis and Specification Development Using Failure Interpretation explains how to establish performance-based procurement specifications for the components, devices, and items that contribute the most to operational downtime and repair/replacement costs. The book emphasizes the critical need to perform both spend and failure analysis in order to develop a procurement document, which will ultimately reduce overall costs. Accompanied by downloadable resources with helpful material such as, specification checklists, case study worksheets, form letters, and return on investment (ROI) worksheets that you can customize to your needs, the text discusses how to: Identify the products that will cost the most if they fail Develop performance-based procurement specifications to reduce direct and indirect costs Examine cost analysis as it relates to operations, maintenance, and production Determine effective criteria based on properties, test results, and standards for each operation Written by an industry expert with decades of experience giving seminars, training customers and associates, and authoring numerous papers and articles, the text provides the real-world understanding of the influential components and materials' physical properties needed to engage in effective failure and spend analysis. It addresses product submission and monitoring and includes helpful tools so you can immediately get started on conducting your own cost-saving analysis.

Is it possible to be repetitive and flexible at the same time? Using proven examples and quantifiable evidence, Lean RFS (Repetitive Flexible Supply): Putting the Pieces Together demonstrates that repetitive flexible supply (RfS) is not only possible, but that its implementation can help you reach a new level of improved performance in manufacturing and across your entire supply chain.Winner of a 2013 Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award, this book is unique in that it clearly spells out the theory and practice originally published in the Shingo Prize winner, Breaking Through to Flow, with actual stories of Kimberly-Clark's experience in using them over the years with great success. These stories provide a real feel of how this learning-by-doing journey led to "aha!" moments for those involved. The book also explains why most planning systems in use today will result in a different plan every time, and that these plan changes are actually the cause of the fire fighting that is endemic in most companies.

Written by a recognized leader in the manufacturing industry with nearly two decades of experience working for Toyota, this book supplies a firsthand account of the realities behind implementing the Toyota Production System (TPS). The Toyota Kaizen Continuum: A Practical Guide to Implementing Lean presents authoritative insight on how to use the TPS to drive operational value and improvement across all segments of an organization.Highlighting valuable lessons learned directly from the TPS masters at the Toyota factories in Japan, John Stewart provides a time-tested approach for implementing a process of continuous improvement. Delving into his wide-ranging experience that includes time as a team member on the assembly line and managing the vehicle assembly division for Toyota's largest European operation in the United Kingdom he explains how to get the process started, how to get senior management excited about the possibilities, and details a process for implementing the TPS in your organization. Written by an industry veteran named one of the Top 10 Automotive Executives by Automotive News in 2007 Unveils the methods used within the walls of the worlds premier manufacturing organization Illustrates valuable lessons learned with real-world examples of TPS implementations Describes five simple steps for executing change in any organization The book includes case studies that illustrate real-life successes and failures behind the walls of the worlds largest automobile manufacturing organization. Detailing a five-step process for executing improvement initiatives, it supplies you with the tools and understanding of the core principles of the TPS needed to implement and sustain a culture of continuous improvement in your organization.

The benefits of advanced manufacturing methods can't be realized until they're practiced consistently and proficiently by your entire workforce. Here's a simple, low-cost way to get everyone on board quickly. This small book presents the basic methodology of TPM and focuses on hands-on activities for shopfloor teams to maximize equipment effectiveness. Feedback from our customers indicates that this book has been used primarily by shopfloor supervisors to lead operator teams in implementing TPM programs. For the most cost effective on-site education, every supervisor and team leader in your operation should read this book. TPM for Supervisors offers an overview of the basic features of TPM as well as the implementation process in an easy-to-follow presentation. It focuses on the important role of supervisors in maximizing equipment effectiveness. For the most cost-effective on-site education, every supervisor in your operation should read this book. It presents the basic methodology of TPM in clear, accessible language and will help supervisors implement TPM improvement activities on the shop floor. It's the best way to ensure a companywide understanding of TPM.

The Value Stream Management System simplifies the planning process for lean implementation, ensuring quick deployment and greater success. It links the metrics and reporting required by management with the lean tools needed on the manufacturing floor. The central feature of this illustrative and engaging book is the value stream management storyboard, a tool representing an eight-step process for lean implementation. The storyboard brings together people, tools, metrics, and reporting into one visual document. The authors stress the importance of reaching beyond single-point kaizens to ensure a sustainable lean implementation process. Many people use the value stream map as an individual tool, but not within the context of a proven overall system. Value Stream Management: Eight Steps to Planning, Mapping, and Sustaining Lean Improvements shows you how to use mapping as part of a complete system for lean implementation. The final outcome of Value Stream Management is the creation of a complete, visual plan for lean transformation - and the mastery of the skills required to implement that plan. Instead of just using Toyota Production System Tools, the authors encourage you to create your own lean production system. Value Stream Management will help you to complete your process and sustain it! Along with this book you receive downloadable resources containing a lean assessment tool, a storyboard template, useful charts, a team charter, forms, reports, and worksheets.

The powerful knowledge contained in this book can make your workplace more productive, your job simpler, and everything more satisfying. It's about how to do equipment or product changeovers in record time--often in less than 10 minutes. The method you'll learn here is called SMED, short for "Single-Minute Exchange of Die" (the "single" here means a single-digit number of minutes). Developed from a longer book, A Revolution in Manufacturing: The SMED System (cat no. PP9903), written for managers, this book is written for frontline production and assembly associates. It presents an overview of the reasons why SMED is important for companies and employees, sets out the three basic stages of SMED, and then devotes a separate chapter to each of these stages. The first chapter of the book is like an "owner's manual" that tells you how to get the most out of your reading time by using the margin assists, summaries, and other features of the book to help pull out exactly what you need. One of the most effective ways to use this book is to read and discuss it with other employees. The authors planned the book so that it can be used this way, organizing the book into chunks of information that can be covered in a series of short sessions. Each chapter includes reflection questions to stimulate group discussion. A Learning Package is also available (catalog no.PP7126), which includes a leader's guide, overhead transparencies to summarize major points, and color slides showing examples of SMED applications in different kinds of companies.

Featuring strategies employed in Lean, this volume describes the experiences of organizations using TWI more than 60 years after the Training Within Industry program turned the U.S. into the industrial giant that won World War II. Based on their experience implementing TWI in organizations as diverse as Virginia Mason Medical Center and Donnelly Manufacturing, Shingo Prize Winners Patrick Graupp and Robert Wrona prove why many consider them the most successful TWI trainers in the world. Their hands-on manual provides the tools and templates that can turn your company s employees into a skilled and invested workforce capable of realizing unprecedented profits. Praise for: If you want to get from interesting displays to true standardized work, read this book. Jeffrey K. Liker, author, The Toyota Way uses cases to explain how to create no-nonsense culture change by teaching people how to do work differently, and how to relate to each other differently in order to work more effectively. Robert "Doc" Hall, Editor-in Chief, Target Magazine Graupp and Wrona bring many examples of companies that [improved] competitiveness by improving their capacity to fully engage their workforce . Steven Spear, Sr. Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management

Winner of a 2013 Shingo Research and Professional Publication AwardThis practical guide for healthcare executives, managers, and frontline workers, provides the means to transform your enterprise into a High-Quality Patient Care Business Delivery System. Designed for continuous reference, its self-contained chapters are divided into three primary sections: Defines what Lean is and includes some interesting history about Lean not found elsewhere. Describes and explains the application of each Lean tool and concept organized in their typical order of use. Explains how to implement Lean in various healthcare processes providing examples, case studies, and valuable lessons learned This book will help to take you out of your comfort zone and provide you with new ways to extend value to your customers. It drives home the importance of the Lean Six Sigma journey. The pursuit of continuous improvement is a journey with no end. Consequently, the opportunities are endless as to what you and your organization can accomplish. Forty percent of the authors profits from this book will be donated to help the homeless through two Baltimore charities. Praise for the book: well-timed and highly informative for those committed to creating deep levels of sustainable change in healthcare. Peter B. Angood, MD, FACS, FCCM, Senior Advisor Patient Safety, in National Quality Forum the most practical and healthcare applicable book I have ever read on LEAN thinking and concepts. Gary Shorb, CEO, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare ... well written ... an essential reference in the library of all healthcare leaders interested in performance improvement. Lee M. Adler, DO, VP, Quality and Safety Innovation and Research, Florida Hospital, Orlando; Asso

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is a crucial measure in TPM that reports on how well equipment is running. It factors three elements ---the time the machine is actually running, the quantity of products the machine is turning out, and the quantity of good output - into a single combined score. Directly addressing those who are best positioned to track and improve the effectiveness of equipment, OEE for Operatorsdefines basic concepts and then provides a systematic explanation of how OEE should be applied to maximize a piece of equipment's productivity and recognize when its efficiency is being compromised. Features

The Lean Office: Collected Practices and Cases is a compilation of articles previously published in the Productivity Press newsletter, Lean Manufacturing Advisor. These articles discuss lean implementations in non-manufacturing operations, from design to processing invoices to customer service. Most articles are written in the form of case studies. Highlights include - Practical, in-depth description of lean implementation, written in a conversational, easy-to-read style A large quantity of case studies unavailable from any other single source Responds to your desire for real-world lean office information

Anderson and Whitcomb pick up where they left off in DOE Simplified with RSM Simplified -- a practical tool for design of experiments that anyone with a minimum of technical training can understand and appreciate. Their approach is simple and fun for those who desire knowledge on response surface methods but are put off by the academic nature of other books on the topic. RSM Simplified keeps formulas to a minimum and makes liberal use of figures, charts, graphs, and checklists. It offers many relevant examples with amusing sidebars and do-it-yourself exercises that will lead readers to the peak potential for their product quality and process efficiency.

A must-read for all managers, leaders, and change agents, Performance Hubs: Engaging Teams in Focused Continuous Improvement supplies a proven system for engagement that allows teams to use their own data, understand the need for performance improvement, and drive improvements at their own level. Highlighting common pitfalls in improvement initiatives, it provides the tools to help you avoid the disinterested cultural response to improvement efforts that is all too common in organizations suffering from initiative overload.The book details a comprehensive solution to help all employees visualize operational performance. It explains how to cascade the right metrics across all levels of your business to trigger the appropriate use of Lean/Six Sigma tools and techniques into strategic process areas. Demonstrating how to link all continuous improvement activities to address the key issues affecting performance, the book: Explains what a performance hub is and provides the clarity needed for full organizational deployment Describes the four key headings under which a performance hub is configured Follows the natural implementation sequence of events for successful deployment of Performance Hubs Includes Top Tips in each chapter to aid in smooth implementation and to enable sustained results This book and electronic tool kit available on the book's page at https://www.crcpress.com/9781439861349 provide all the working documents including project management aids, templates, and slides you and your teams will need to get started. Clarifying how to make continuous improvement a daily habit across all segments of your organization, the authoritative advice provided in these pages will help you align all improvement activities with the current and future needs of your business.