Applying lean to the supply chain is a hot topic. While lean operations can produce significant benefits to an organization, the greatest benefits will not be realized unless lean is extended beyond the organization to involve both suppliers and customers. Lean Supply Chain: Collected Practices and Cases provides a variety of case studies taken from articles previously published in Lean Manufacturing Advisor -- the monthly newsletter by Productivity Press.

More than a guide to establishing a proposal system, this volume presents methods for teaching know-how. It gives each reader the principles for thinking creatively about improving his or her own work. This highly practical book is filled with easily understood explanations and examples of how to teach your employees to pursue excellence through kaizen teian. Before you can institute a successful kaizen teian program, you must have a firm understanding of its underlying principles and rules. This book concentrates on making those principles clear and focuses on the importance of consistently implementing proposals. Actual examples of implemented proposals from five leading Japanese companies illustrate the principles described, and numerous figures and case studies add clarity throughout. If you are ready to tap into the full potential of your work force, this book will help you to train them to seek out new and ever better ways to do their work.

Kaizen teian -- the Japanese-style proposal system for continuous improvement -- is the most direct and effective method for channeling employees' creative energies and hands-on insight. This book is the first in a new three-volume set that brings the management, guidance, and development of kaizen teian systems into perfect focus. This first volume explains many aspects of running a proposal program on a day-to-day basis and provides cartoon examples of successful kaizen teian programs in four major Japanese organizations. This concise reference outlines the policies that support a "bottom-up" system of innovation and defines the three main objectives of kaizen teian: to build participation, develop individuals' skills, and achieve higher profits. (Originally published by Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Ltd.)

Mapping the Total Value Stream defines and elaborates on the concepts of value stream mapping (VSM) for both production and transactional processes. This book reshapes and extends the lessons originally put forward in a number of pioneering works including the popular ,Value Stream Management for the Lean Office. It reinforces fundamental concepts and theoretical models with real-world applications and complete examples of the value stream mapping technique. To educate VSM mappers on the specific mechanics of the technique, the text provides in-depth explanations for commonly encountered situations. The authors also provide a more complete perspective on the concept of availability. While they discuss availability of equipment in transactional processes, they extend the concept by elaborating on availability as it applies to employees. The calculation of process lead time for work queues is taken to an advanced level not only is the calculation of this lead time explained, but the text also covers the very real possibility of having more work in the queue than available time. While previous books have focused on only production process VSM or transactional process VSM, this work meets the real needs of both manufacturers and service sector organizations by dealing with both types. It goes beyond explaining each scenario, to teach readers what techniques are commonly applicable to both, and also explains areas of difference so that mappers will be able to readily adapt to whatever unique situations present themselves.

The first part of The Basics of Benchmarking provides a guide to the language of benchmarking and answers some commonly asked questions. The second part of the book walks through the three phases of the benchmarking process -- Analysis, Discovery, and Implementation -- and provides charts and checklists on what questions should be answered at each phase, and what outputs should be produced. The book closes with a complete process map and outlines the entire site visit process.

In a "pull" production system, the final process pulls needed parts from the previous process, which pulls from the process before it, and so on, as determined by customer demand. This allows you to operate without preset schedules and avoid unnecessary costs, wastes, and delays on the manufacturing floor. Pull Production for the Shopfloor introduces production teams and managers to basic pull production concepts, enabling them to begin understanding, planning, and implementing this lean tool. Use this book to get everyone on board to reduce work in process inventory, lead-time, and other profit-draining expenses. This book will enable plant managers to explain and thereby get support the support they need from higher management for their pull implementation efforts. In this book you will learn about: Key concepts and applications of pull production The five steps to implementing a pull production system Production leveling Line balancing Managing pull production with kanban One-piece flow production Linking your suppliers to your pull production systemProductivity's Shopfloor Series books offer a simple, cost-effective approach for building basic knowledge about key manufacturing improvement topics. Like all our Shopfloor Series books, Pull Production for the Shopfloor includes innovative instructional features that are the signature of the Shopfloor Series. The goal: to place powerful and proven improvement tools such as pull production techniques in the hands of your entire workforce. Key learning features include: Well-organized, and easy-to-assimilate learning Chapter overviews and summaries Questions throughout each chapter to help you apply the learning to your own workplace Drawings and illustrations Margin icons that flag definitions, main points, and other highlights

Presenting an alternate approach to supply chain management, Lean Supply Chain Management Essentials: A Framework for Materials Managers explains why the traditional materials planning environment, typically embodied by an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, is an ineffective support system for a company that wants to adopt Lean practices. It begins by defining supply chain management basics, including roles, objectives, and responsibilities from a traditional framework. Next, it describes Lean basics and explores the conflicts between Lean and the traditional framework. The book focuses on the materials management aspects of Lean, such as leveling work into the value stream, heijunka scheduling, standard work, and the concept of intervals, including Every Part Every Interval (EPEI). By combining traditional materials management tools, such as Sales and Operations Planning (SandOP), with Lean manufacturing approaches and applying them to different manufacturing environments, the authors clarify the logic behind why you are doing what you're doing with Lean components and how they fit together as a system. Specifically, they explain how to: Determine which leveling strategy to use to smooth production Calculate interval to determine lot sizes in various production environments Apply Lean to purchasing, warehouse, and logistics areas Use your value stream map for green initiatives and risk management Replace capacity planning and shop floor control with visual factory, operator balance charts, EPEI, and plan for every part Illustrating why balancing demand and capacity is better than trying to balance supply and demand, the book includes a definitive chart that matches Lean tools to the planning and control charts that have served as the model for ERP systems. It integrates the principles learned from Toyota's fift

Written by one of the worlds most respected consultants on Lean, this work presents a methodology for value stream mapping that is appropriate for any organization, whether it be service or product oriented. Over the past 25 years, Locher has proven just how powerful this process is, having employed it in healthcare, transportation, distribution, education, financial services, and manufacturing environments. Illustrating his methodology through the example of the imaginary DevelopTek company, he explains how to: Identify development waste Assess an organization's current state and develop a Current State Map Apply Lean principles to create a Future State Map

Self-Balancing is not just a tweak or change to assembly line balancing, but a completely transformed method for achieving continuous flow. Among the reasons you should try Self-Balancing is that you can expect a productivity improvement of at least 30 percent with improvements of 50-60 percent quite common.Using a well-tested method for successful improvements initiated by the author, The Basics of Self-Balancing Processes: True Lean Continuous Flow is the first book to explain how to achieve continuous flow in both simple and complex manufacturing environments. It describes how to recognize and resolve weak links to ensure continuous flow in your manufacturing operations.The book offers rules, tools, and guidelines to help you not only solve problems at the root, but even eliminate them before they start. It reviews the shortcomings of traditional assembly line balancing and walks readers through the new paradigm of Self-Balancing.The text includes a comprehensive overview that demonstrates the power, flexibility, and breakthroughs possible with this method. Offering solutions to the shortcomings associated with standard line balancing including inventory buffers, variation, and operator pace it provides you with the tools and understanding required to deal with batch and off-line processes, debug your line, arrange your parts and tools, and design your own Self-Balanced cells. Watch Gordon Ghirann discuss how his book can increase the productivity of your business. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yte0622XbcI&feature=youtu.be

For many years, lean initiatives have generated staggering improvements on the shop floor. Currently, however, many managers and business leaders want these lean benefits incorporated into non-traditional environments such as service and transactions. This bookshows you how to efficiently translate and transition lean manufacturing principles into the office. In Flow in the Office, Carlos Venegas confirms that the competitive advantage will go to those who manage information and knowledge most effectively and efficiently. It is not enough to be a lean manufacturer - you need to be a lean business, and that includes your back office, your front office, and your corner office. The author translates the language of Lean Manufacturing into the language of Lean Office Flow, bringing bits, bytes, and conversations into the concrete world of process improvement.

A Plan for Every Part (PFEP) is all about determining the right part at the right time, in the quantity needed. Turbo Flow: Using Plan for Every Part (PFEP) to Turbo Charge Your Supply Chain explains how to take this detailed inventory plan from the manufacturing arena and apply it to boost performance and cost efficiencies in your supply chain. It explains how to use PFEP to improve management of your raw materials, WIP, and finished goods inventories. Tapping into two decades of combined experience at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, the authors explains how to use PFEP to determine how much you need to build, the proper frequency for deliveries, how often you need to pick up from suppliers, and how much inventory you require. Presents an overview of PFEP for finished goods Discusses internal route planning and design using PFEP data Details external logistics and synchronization of manufacturing, logistics, and inventory cycles For those willing to fundamentally change the way they do business, this book will light the path to more efficient and profitable supply chain management.

Kaizen Events are an effective way to train organizations to break unproductive habits and adopt a continuous improvement philosophy while, at the same time, achieve breakthrough performance-level results. Through Kaizen Events, cross-functional teams learn how to make improvements in a methodological way. They learn how to quickly study a process, identify and prioritize improvement opportunities, implement change, and sustain their gains. Most importantly, they learn how to work with one another to solve problems rapidly and in a highly effective way.In The Kaizen Event Planner: Achieving Rapid Improvement in Office, Service, and Technical Environments, authors Karen Martin and Mike Osterling provide a practical how-to guide for planning and executing Kaizen Events in non-manufacturing settings, and conducting post-Event follow-ups to sustain the improvements made.Geared to continuous improvement professionals and leaders within the office areas of manufacturing, the service sector and knowledge-worker environments, this book provides the methodology and practical tools for generating measurable results, while building a motivated workforce and laying the foundation for continuous improvement.The Kaizen Event Planner provides those responsible for improving office, service, and technical processes with the skills to effectively scope the activity, engage the right people, and facilitate successful Events!An accompanying CD provides immediate access to a number of Excel-based tools.

Are you ready to implement a just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing program but need some help orienting employees to the power of JIT? Here is a concise and practical guide to introduce equipment operators, assembly workers, and other frontline employees to the basic concepts, techniques, and benefits of JIT practices. Like all Shop Floor Series books, Just-in-Time for Operators presents concepts and tools in simple and accessible language. The book includes ample illustrations and examples to explain basic JIT concepts and some of the changes people may encounter in a JIT implementation.Key definitionsElimination of process wasteLeveled production, kanban, and standard workU-shaped cells and autonomationJIT support techniquesThe JIT approach is simple and universal -- it works in companies all over the world. Educating employees ensures their full participation and allows them to share their experiences and ideas more effectively.

Despite the obvious need for transparency, a company's Lean results can continue to hide behind the mask of traditional accounting and dilute the benefits of a Lean implementation. When your organization opts to go Lean, you must empower your accountants with Lean tools that serve the Lean mission.Winner of a Shingo Research and Professional Publication AwardAccounting in the Lean Enterprise: Providing Simple, Practical, and Decision-Relevant Information explains how to develop the information and financial reports that serve the needs of a Lean-minded business. It presents alternative methods of reporting, and includes a step-by-step guide for transitioning to Lean accounting methods. The book is divided into three parts: The Fundamentals of Lean as a Competitive Strategy The Nuts and Bolts of Lean Accounting Controls and Transition Walking you through Lean tools, activities, and philosophies, it addresses some of the most often asked questions about Lean implementations. It confronts many of the fears that are the source of accountants resistance to change including inventory management and valuation, GAAP compliance, and loss of control and benchmarks. Each fear is identified and resolved in a "Fear Box" inset, as the related topic is discussed. Filled with checklists, guidelines, exercises, case studies, real-world examples, and company stories, the book provides you with the tools you will need to provide relevant, timely, and actionable information to the decision makers in your Lean environment.

TPM leads to soaring productivity when your operators are positively and energetically involved in the maintenance of their own equipment. Autonomous Maintenance for Operatorsteaches specific autonomous maintenance activities. For operators, supervisors, team leaders, and TPM coordinators, this book provides useful guidance and case study examples on autonomous maintenance. Activity boards, one-point lessons, photos, cartoons, and actual examples of implementation demonstrate the huge benefits of developing informed, motivated operators who take ownership of and improve their equipment. Shopfloor operators will learn: 4 skills they can develop to keep equipment running smoothly. how to inspect for problems as they clean equipment. ideas for containing debris that shortens equipment life. tips for effective lubrication management. how to use activity boards, meetings, and one-point lessons to promote TPM goals. This book assumes some familiarity with the steps of autonomous maintenance and focuses on specific autonomous maintenance activities.

Listed as one of the 30 Best Business Books of 2002 by Executive Book Summaries Proactive Risk Management's unique approach provides a model of risk that is scalable to any size project or program and easily deployable into any product development or project management life cycle. It offers methods for identifying drivers (causes) of risks so you can manage root causes rather than the symptoms of risks. Providing you with an appropriate quantification of the key factors of a risk allows you to prioritize those risks without introducing errors that render the numbers meaningless. This book stands apart from much of the literature on project risk management in its practical, easy-to-use, fact-based approach to managing all of the risks associated with a project. The depth of actual how-to information and techniques provided here is not available anywhere else.

To be a successful manufacturing operation, employees must eliminate equipment and production related losses. However, most shopfloor workers don't have the necessary skills to perform the problem-solving tasks that accomplish this goal. They must be trained in the proper methods for logically and systematically discovering the root causes of a situation. Based on the firsthand experiences of author Bob Sproull, Process Problem Solving: A Guide for Maintenance and Operations Teams presents a precise methodology for understanding problems in a manufacturing environment. The book begins by introducing various problem-solving tools, including fish diagrams, tree diagrams, cause-and-effect diagrams, and flow diagrams. Using real-world examples, Sproull takes readers systematically through each tool and discusses them in depth. The central tool in Process Problem Solving is the Problem Analysis Flow (PAF) chart. Containing ten major sections, it combines many of the tools discussed at the beginning of the book. According to the author, the PAF chart is the most thorough and comprehensive problem-solving tool. It creates a systematic method for understanding and solving the root causes of problems. To teach the necessary problem-solving skills, Sproull uses powerful learning techniques that guide the reader through the process. Each chapter begins with a section entitled "What You Should Learn in this Chapter," which specifically emphasizes the main points presented. In addition, each chapter is sprinkled with "keyword" boxes that advise the reader of important terms. Process Problem Solving is filled with Sproull's "Problem Solving Truths." These are key ideas the author wants to highlight, so the reader retains important pieces of information. Finally, Process Problem Solving follows a "learn and do" approach. The end of each chapter asks the reader to talk about what they have learned. This interactive approach helps readers retain a

As the latest addition to "The Basics" Series, The Basics of Quality Auditing provides an inexpensive and easy-to-follow WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY and HOW format that is perfect for training. It discusses the four main questions all audits should answer: Is there a procedure? Is the procedure being followed? Does the procedure meet the needs of the system? and What must be changed or improved to increase the output quality? After explaining the audit process, the book illustrates how audit programs are currently being used and how they have evolved beyond the standard uses of policing actions or procuring information about a supplier to becoming a continuous improvement tool. The appendix provides sample audit forms and checklists that auditors can model.

Continuous generation and implementation of ideas is critical to creating an environment that helps foster the development of improvement techniques. The Basics of Idea Generation provides a cost-effective method that can help inspire employees to consistently identify and implement new ideas, using a proven five-step process. The process starts by creating an opportunity statement. From there the method then has one collect raw materials, before holding an idea workout, and then evaluating the idea. Implementation is the final step. The author also explains the 20 tools that help complete each step, along with solutions to overcoming the barriers to creativity.

For Florida Power and Light, Hewlett-Packard, and Texas Instruments, policy deployment has created a critical bridge between corporate goals and their company-wide deployment. Hoshin Kanri offers top and middle managers a guide to customizing a policy deployment program especially suited to their company. This book is a compilation of examples of policy deployment and demonstrates how company vision is converted into individual responsibility. It contains practical guidelines, 150 charts and diagrams, and five case studies that illustrate the procedures of Hoshin Kanri. The six steps to advanced process planning are reviewed and include: a five-year vision; one-year plan; deployment to departments; execution; monthly audit; and annual audit. The practice of Hoshin Kanri will enable you to: Align all departmental and individual project goals to corporate goals and eliminate duplication of effort. Communicate to every employee his or her role in achieving the company vision. Closely monitor performance using carefully devised measures of progress. Learn how Hoshin Kanri can increase your company's responsiveness to social, economic, and technical changes through flexible strategic management. (Originally published by the Japanese Standards Association)

By simultaneously examining the concerns of design, production, purchasing, finance, and marketing from the very first stages of product planning, concurrent engineering makes doing it right the first time the rule instead of the exception. This should be the first book managers read when they are ready to eliminate waste in the product development process. An introductory handbook, it gives managers 16 clear guidelines for achieving concurrent engineering and contains abundant case studies of Japanese, U.S., and European company success stories. The book also: Defines the concurrent engineering task force as a full-time, multidisciplinary unit of operation. Discusses the necessary interdependence of concurrent engineering, Quality Function Deployment, Total Quality Control, and CAD/CAM. Shows how concurrent engineering can be structured to fit your company and used to gain flexibility and efficiency.

El mejor libro sobre TPM que hemos editado hasta la fecha! El enfoque TPM resulta en mejoras dramaticas en calidad, costo de producci?n y entrega de productos. En este libro, nueve autores le ensenan todos los detalles que usted necesita para implementar el TPM, y ejemplos de industrias textiles, quimicas, de alimentos, entre otras. Una de las grandes ventajas de este libro es que le ayuda a conocer la implementacion del TPM a traves de la perspectiva de consultores especializados y reconocidos. Contenido: Vision general del TPM en las industrias de proceso Maximizacion de la eficacia de la producci?n Mejora orientada Mantenimiento Autonomo Mantenimiento planificado Gestion temprana Mantenimiento de calidad Promocion de tecnicas de operacion y mantenimiento TPM en los departamentos administrativos y de apoyo Creacion de un entorno grato y seguro Actividades de pequenos grupos TPM Medicion de la eficacia del TPM

Workshop leaders play a central role in your company's efforts to implement TPM. Once your workers have been divided into small groups to learn the fundamentals of TPM, it is the group leader who spearheads ongoing training and implementation activities. With quick-reading, people-oriented practicality, this new book addresses the role of the workshop leader in maximizing the benefits of TPM.A top TPM consultant in Japan, Kunio Shirose: Incorporates cartoons and graphics to convey the hands-on leadership issues of TPM implementation Uses case studies to reinforce his ideas on training and managing equipment operators in the care of their equipment Itemizes specific activities that must be undertaken to search out, correct, and control defects to remedy equipment shortcomings. He also addresses the cooperative relationship necessary between maintenance and production and leaves you with an understanding of the three imperatives for successful TPM implementation to change the quality and functioning of the equipment, the way operators think about equipment, and the workplace. (Originally published by the Japan Management Association.)

Your customers want innovation and value, and they want it now. How can you apply Lean principles and practices throughout your enterprise to drive operational excellence, reduce costs while improving quality, enable efficient growth, and accelerate idea-to-value innovation? Shingo Prize-winning author Steve Bell and other thought leaders show you how guiding you to more effectively align people and purpose, promote enterprise agility, and leverage transformative IT capabilities to create market-differentiating value for your customers. Combining research and insight with practical examples and in-depth case studies that can be put to immediate use, Run Grow Transform: Integrating Business and Lean IT is a must read for leaders and senior managers from all disciplines, showing you how to: Drive enterprise outcomes and strategy through adaptive Business/IT learning Maximize collaboration, leverage the knowledge and skills of your teams Overcome enterprise-wise obstacles commonly encountered by Agile development teams Improve infrastructure reliability and cost, learn how to get the best results from operations frameworks including ITIL, COBIT and ISO 20000 Apply Lean principles to Enterprise Architecture and Business Process Management disciplines Make informed, value-based choices about outsourcing Tap into big data and social media to listen to and interact with the virtual voice of your customers Streamline management, collaboration, and communication systems Identify and measure the right things that lead to customer value What readers are saying: This book focuses on the most critical and challenging issue for any aspect of the development or use of IT: creating a collaborative learning culture.Jeffrey K. Liker, Shingo Prize-winning Author of The

Making IT Lean: Applying Lean Practices to the Work of IT presents Lean concepts and techniques for improving processes and eliminating waste in IT operations and IT Service Management, in a manner that is easy to understand. The authors provide a context for discussing several areas of application within this domain, allowing you to quickly gain insight into IT processes and Lean principles.The text reviews IT Service Management, with reference to the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) as a framework for best practices explaining how to use it to accommodate Lean processes and operations. Filled with straightforward examples, it provides enough modeling tools so you can start your Lean journey right away. Examining the work of IT from an IT practitioner perspective, the book includes coverage of: The OM Perspective considers the work of IT from an Operations Management (OM) perspective, showing how many of the concepts that have been successfully applied within manufacturing can be applied to IT The Lean Improvement Model explains Lean concepts and practices and details the authors Lean improvement model Lean Problem-Solving (Identifying and Understanding Problems) considers operational work in IT and explains how to apply Lean practices related to problem identification and root cause analysis Lean Problem-Solving (Identifying and Managing Solutions) describes how to use good problem identification as the basis for identifying the right solutions Lean IT Service Management examines IT work from an IT Service Management perspective, using the ITIL framework as a guide Implementing and Sustaining Lean IT Improvements explains how to implement and sustain Lean IT improvements Throughout the book, the authors use a simple model for Lean Improvement as the framework