Praise for "The IKEA Edge"

"A very good book from a talented business leader that links] values, culture, and the achievement of business and social objectives together. I have read it now three times and learned something from every passage."
--Michael Spence, recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, 2001

"With Anders Dahlvig's recommendations, we could solve many of the world's problems by persuading the big multinationals to change their Memorandum and Articles of Association. Big business working in the interests of humanity would be a powerful tool."
--Gordon Roddick, cofounder of The Body Shop

"The IKEA Edge is a fascinating case study of an entrepreneurial company's growth to maturity. Anders Dahlvig is incisive and surprisingly straightforward in sharing the IKEA story. As a fourth-generation family business owner, I recognize the inherent paradox of building a 'good, ' value-driven company and managing for profit. Anders Dahlvig proves it can be done."
--Antonia Axson Johnson, Chairperson, Axel Johnson AB

About the Book:

With Anders Dahlvig at the helm from 1999 to 2009, the furniture giant IKEA averaged 11 percent yearly sales growth and annual operating profits in excess of 10 percent. The company hired more than 70,000 new employees and opened new stores around the world--all while maintaining its reputation as one of the world's best corporate citizens.

In "The IKEA Edge," Dahlvig tells the story of how IKEA matured from an entrepreneurial startup to a leader in the furniture industry. He recounts his 26-year career at the company and what he learned along the way. In his rise from store manager to president, Dahlvig developed the unique vision he relied upon to lead IKEA through good times and bad--by combining traditional business goals like profit and growth with the progressive interests of social responsibility and environmental stewardship. Dahlvig proves that these objectives, which are usually viewed as polar opposites, can actually work wonders together.

"The IKEA Edge" serves as an expansive case study for "doing good business while being a good business." Dahlvig clearly lays out the cornerstones that support IKEA: a vision of social responsibility; market leadership with a balanced global portfolio; differentiation through control of the value chain; and building for the long term--four principles that can be applied in any business, in any industry. social and business agenda--and it continues to grow, even during the worst global recession in history. In a time when the public's trust of business has hit bottom, such an approach to business is more critical than ever.

A combination of personal memoir, call to action, and strategic vision, "The IKEA Edge" provides the inspiration and information you need to develop a social-good/good-business agenda for your own company. Public trust, brand recognition, customer loyalty, and a world-class reputation will soon follow.

This thesis demonstrates a technology that enables pipetting-free high-throughput screening (HTS) on a miniaturized platform, eliminating the need for thousands of one-by-one pipetting and conventional liquid handling systems. This platform enhances accessibility to HTS and enables HTS to be used in small-to-medium scale laboratories. In addition, it allows large-scale combinatorial screening with a small number of valuable cells, such as patients' primary cancer cells. This technique will have a high impact for widespread use of HTS in the era of personalized medicine. In this thesis, the author firstly describes the need and concept of 'partipetting' for pipetting-free HTS platform. It is realized by the one-step pipetting and self-assembly of encoded drug-laden microparticles (DLPs) on the microwells. Next, the technical implementations required for the platform demonstration are described. It includes preparation of encoded DLPs, plastic chip fabrication, and realization of automated system. Lastly, screening of sequential drug combinations using this platform is demonstrated. This shows the potential of the proposed technology for various applications.

Moreschi is renowned for its exacting standards and unique style, and for producing each and every pair on-site, from the arrival of the leather to boxing and dispatching to stores. The art of shoemaking is detailed throughout this richly illustrated book. Through conversations with the founder, the artisans' memories, and pictures of dozens of the factory's creations, a story unfolds that confirms the vast heritage of artisan culture that lies behind Italian production. Moreschi shoes have been worn by the likes of Richard Burton, Liam Neeson, Adrien Brody, Michael Jackson, James Brown, Johnny Cash, and also sports stars such as Michael Jordan, Novak Djokovic, and Alberto Tomba.

There have been many developments in pressure equipment technology over the last 30 years culminating in the development of new standards and legislation. The aim of this collection of papers is not only to document views of leading professionals in various fields of pressure equipment technology, but also to look into the future and identify the next areas for development. "Developments in Pressure Equipment: Where to Next?" brings together international authors to provide an invaluble and comprehensive insight into the latest innovations in the field. The topics include: Legislation and standardization; Design and materials; Manufacture and inspection; Integrity and life assessment; and, Towards the future.

Hyper Bio Assembler for Cellular Systems is the first book to present a new methodology for measuring and separating target cells at high speed and constructing 3D cellular systems in vitro. This book represents a valuable resource for biologists, biophysicists and robotic engineers, as well as researchers interested in this new frontier area, offering a better understanding of the measurement, separation, assembly, analysis and synthesis of complex biological tissue, and of the medical applications of these technologies. This book is the outcome of the new academic fields of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research in Japan.

Although eliminating waste and reducing variation are essential for successful improvement initiatives, few books integrate Lean, Six Sigma, and cultural issues into a single management and improvement initiative. Filling this void, this book details a proven recipe for applying Lean, Six Sigma, and the Theory of Constraints in a manner that will maximize return on investment, cash flow, and net profits. The "Success or Die" Ultimatum: Saving Companies with Blended, Long-Term Improvement Formulas uses a compelling story format to guide readers through a collection of stories that illustrate best practices for finding and fixing common issues found in today's organizations. It uses in-depth case studies to illustrate a range of scenarios at a call center, pharmaceutical company, automotive parts supplier, and metals distributor and processor. Readers will learn simple techniques, such as face-to-face discussions to gather data, as well as more complex diagnostic techniques, such as Four-Field Mapping and process mapping. Readers will better understand the complexities in newly formed working relationships, as well as how to: Hire and work with consultants Interact with management to get things done Engage workers on the front line Handle those who are actively against improvements Build and sustain a culture of improvement The book covers simple, yet effective, statistics and explains how Minitab (R) can be used to simplify and speed up data analysis. In addition, it explains one way to use Statistical Process Control (SPC) to anticipate problems from data and what the results mean. The book includes coverage of project planning, strategy, Lean manufacturing, command and control, finance, PDCA, SPC/root cause analysis, OEE, allocating responsibilities and times to fix, Big Picture mapping, and four-point planning.

New JIT, New Management Technology Principle contains the previously published, updated, and new works of renowned scientist, scholar, and consultant Kakuro Amasaka. This book details the Just-in-Time (JIT) quality management strategy, exploring the cutting edge of a new management technology principle that surpasses what traditional JIT has accomplished. The new JIT principle contains hardware and software systems, and next-generation technical principles for transforming management technology into management strategy. This comprehensive work covers traditional JIT, innovation and evolution, the full new JIT and its applications, along with case studies. It is clearly impossible to lead the next generation by merely maintaining the two Toyota management technology principles, Toyota Production System and Total Quality Management. To overcome this issue, it is essential to renovate not only TPS, which is the core principle of the production process, but also establish core principles for marketing, design and development, production, and other departments. This book reassesses the way management technology was carried out in the manufacturing industry and establishes new JIT. This next-generation management technology model is the JIT system for not only manufacturing, but also for customer relations, sales and marketing, product planning, research and development (R&D), product design, production engineering, logistics, procurement, and administration and management for enhancing business process innovation and introduction of new concepts and procedures. The book focuses on the theory and application of strategic management technology through the application of new JIT, then demonstrates its effectiveness in a case study based on an advanced car manufacturer. Using this new model, you can realize manufacturing that places top priority on customers with a good Quality, Cost, and Delivery (QCD) in a rapidly changing technical environment, and allows you to create uniform quality for the global market.

This book presents the fundamentals of the thermoelectrical effect in silicon carbide (SiC), including the thermoresistive, thermoelectric, thermocapacitive and thermoelectronic effects. It summarizes the growth of SiC, its properties and fabrication processes for SiC devices and introduces the thermoelectrical sensing theories in different SiC morphologies and polytypes. Further, it reviews the recent advances in the characterization of the thermoelectrical effect in SiC at high temperatures. Discussing several desirable features of thermoelectrical SiC sensors and recent developments in these sensors, the book provides useful guidance on developing high sensitivity and linearity, fast-response SiC sensing devices based on thermoelectrical effects.

There is an increasing interest and revival in the art of blacksmithing as a hobby and art, and both men and women are becoming blacksmiths. This is a simple, rewarding craft that men and women can do in their backyard or home workshop - even beginners can produce something useful and beautiful on their first try. This book shows you how - with some patience and a working knowledge of metals, basic tools, and techniques - blacksmithing can be easy to learn and a rewarding hobby. The author instructs readers in basic blacksmithing tools and how to set up shop as well as techniques that can be used to create your own original pieces. Through instructions and illustrations, readers will learn to make simple tools and useful items, such as nails, hinges, chains, tools, and handles as well as an interesting mix of artful projects, such as trellises, gates, wall ornaments, furniture, and sculptures.

There are many books available covering the Training Within Industry (TWI) programs, but few include any unique material on adaptation or modification - This dearth of new has caused practitioners to alter the programs without understanding the underlying principles. These changes have made the programs less effective. One must, however, maintain the principles used in the programs when changing the delivery of the programs to suit the culture. The purpose of The TWI Facilitator's Guide: How to Use the TWI Programs Successfully is to prevent the TWI programs from falling into misuse and disuse. This book will explain the main principles of the TWI programs and what they can accomplish, but it will also stress what they are not. This book reviews what the programs are and then explains how to use them. It tells why we do certain aspects of each program. When we know why we do something, we won't stop doing it for the wrong reason.

The book is about applying Lean manufacturing principles to industrial maintenance in order to improve the efficiency and be able to do more with the same (or less) resources. By industrial maintenance we mean the maintenance that takes place in factories and industrial facilities. The book is the result of multiple improvement projects carried out by the authors in various industrial settings and sectors in the past 10 years.The approach works and can be applied in any industry. It yields results without investment. The book is a step-by-step guide that takes the reader through the maintenance process, from equipment failure to finished repair. In each step of the process, the typical inefficiencies are explained and tools are given to improve the process. The book is meant to be used as a guide in an improvement journey. The improvement approach presented in the book is very close to the shop floor and instructs the reader to engage with all team members in the maintenance department in every step of the process, in order to make the improvements sustainable. If one looks at the main market indexes, between one third and one half of companies on those indexes belong to the industrial sector: automotive, power generation, basic materials, chemicals, consumer goods, et cetera. Those companies spend on average 2 - 5% of plant replacement value per year on maintenance. About one third of this cost is maintenance labor. The maintenance work that gets done every day in factories around the world is typically inefficient, from a Lean perspective: time is wasted, different tasks are not properly coordinated, job durations are overestimated and job plans, when they exist, are thus "inflated" to cover up the inefficiency. All this happens because maintenance tends to be the "forgotten" area of efficiency in industrial companies, as much of the improvements are carried out on the (literally) productive areas of the factories. When companies set out to "improve" maintenance, they typically do it through budget cuts that can risk the reliability of the equipment. The authors believe there is a better way to do more with the same resources through a careful review of the current way of working and the introduction of Lean. With this book , the authors try to bring to maintenance managers and practitioners the tools they need to quickly improve efficiency (in a matter of weeks) without any investment.

Visual Workplace/Visual Thinking (VWVT) was written by the acknowledged leading expert in workplace visuality. While other books touch upon visual workplace tools and practices, no other author has addressed the topic with the clarity and depth presented here. This is a seminal book, considered by many the definition of the field itself. First published by a small, independent press in 2005, the book won the prestigious Shingo Research Prize in the same year. It was then and remains the only book of its kind that describes the conceptual and practical foundation for workplace visuality, derived from dozens of hands-on implementations in some of the world's best or most challenging companies. Written not by an academic, but by a hands-on practitioner who has worked for three decades with companies in various phases of visual transformation, the work carries the reader from the usual starting point of 5S through to the full power of the visual-lean (R) alliance. The book's 11 chapters are in four sections. The first defines the visual workplace in relation to operational excellence, along with the eight building blocks of visual thinking. The next section, which targets the cultural conversion, is unexpectedly thrilling as it describes the genuine transformation of both company and employee which is at the heart of every visual conversion. Section 3 maps the logic and sequence of Dr. Galsworth's 10-Doorway template as you learn about the visual side of 5S, visual standards, visual scheduling, visual material control, visual metrics, visual problem-solving, visual leadership as well as the visual machine (R) and visual-lean (R)office. The final section of VTVW places visual management within the visual continuum, shows you how to use the ten doorways to assess your own company, and concludes with a discussion of the visual-lean alliance, illustrated through a conversion case study. With over 25 full-color albums of visual solutions, 50+ graphs and charts, a detailed table of contents and in-depth Index, this 277-page book positions the technologies of the visual workplace as a premier improvement strategy on every company's journey to operational excellence.

Many of the struggles that we are currently experiencing when attempting to implement Lean in the construction environment are the direct result of applying Lean tools out of proper context. Understanding Lean as an overall operating system will help to avert this all too common pitfall. An in-depth exploration of the application of Lean initiatives in the construction industry, Lean Culture for the Construction Industry: Building Responsible and Committed Project Teams, Second Edition provides updated chapters with new insights on the relationships between owners, architects, general contractors and subcontractors - demonstrating how Kaizan events focused on building positive culture through vulnerability-based trust improved processes and eliminated work stoppages. Lean tools alone don't lead to successful Lean initiatives: the missing piece is culture. Written by a veteran consultant in the construction field, the book draws a connection between how construction professionals act as leaders and how their attitude and behavior affect productivity and waste daily. While value stream mapping is an important tool for righting broken processes and resolving conflicts, future state maps will fail if leaders continue to work in silos, protect their territories, and don't see that their success is directly tied to the success of their co-leaders. The author expands the notion of ethics beyond the simple litmus test of right and wrong, so team leaders can adopt professional and productive attitudes and behaviors toward the implementation of Lean improvements. This book demonstrates how, in an industry where waste is rampant, and depends on wide range of people and personalities to successfully build a job, Lean thinking can make the difference between a profitable, competitive construction team, and mass inefficiencies, stunted profitability, and lost future opportunities.

This book focuses on the preparation and characterisation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/ halloysite nanotube (HNT) bionanocomposite films with different HNT contents for potential use in food packaging. It examines the effect of material composition and nanofiller content on mechanical, thermal and optical properties in relation to their morphological structures, and also comprehensively describes the water resistance, biodegradation and migration rates of such bionanocomposites, as well as their barrier properties in terms of water vapour transmission, and water vapour, air and oxygen permeabilities. Further, this book discusses the use of Nielsen model and Cussler model to predict the relative permeability of bionanocomposites, demonstrating that Nielsen model is more effective and in better agreement with experimental data obtained. Lastly, it discusses the application of bionanocomposite films in food packaging to prolong the shelf life of freshly cut avocados and peaches.

This book, which takes the employees' perspective, illustrates what works and what doesn't work to engage, involve, and motivate a workforce. Through examples, it shows how the "engage" methodology links to the Lean Process. While focusing on the softer/"people" part of Lean, it maximizes the value returned on the organization's investment in Lean. It links "engagement" to measurable performance improvements. The how-to book includes a methodology overview and details on how to implement including communication do's and don'ts as well as a checklist for leader standard work (a tool for individual leaders to track and be recognized for their "engage, involve, and motivate" behaviors).

The pursuit of excellence is reflected in Audemars Piguet's prestigious models, painstakingly crafted by artisans for over 130 years. Founded in 1875 by Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet, the manufacturing headquarters of Audemars Piguet are nestled in the Joux Valley in Switzerland. For more than a century, this prestigious company has held a unique position in the world of high quality watch making: its expertise, creativity, and state-of-the-art technology lie behind Audemars Piguet's luxurious and innovative watches. At the turn of the twentieth century, the factory employed more than seventy craftsmen, whose mastery and excellent grasp of the changing times enabled the development of traditional pieces, and the production of revolutionary watches, both of the highest quality. These include the slimline jeweled watches for women in the Art Deco era, chronographs in the Forties, the first perpetual calendar watch in 1957, the famous Royal Oak-the first high-end sports watch-in 1972, and the ultramodern Millenary MC12 in 2008. The mechanisms, the meticulous processes by which they are developed, and their technical and stylistic inventions reveal the history of a company that combines audacity, ingenuity, and luxury.

'Leather Fashion Design' is a practical, how-to book about making garments from leather, suede and similar materials. It covers everything from what to look for in choosing a skin to work with, through pattern-cutting, sewing techniques and finishing. The final chapter includes working with 'leather-like' materials including ultrasuede and faux patent leather. The book starts with a showcase of leather apparel spanning time, but concentrating on the twentieth century. Beautifully illustrated with examples of leather apparel at its finest as well as clear step-by-step illustrations of how to make various types of garment, and a comprehensive resources section listing relevant organizations, publications and other information, this book will be invaluable for both students and professionals.

The twenty-first edition of Watches International features the newest timepieces from the world's most sophisticated watchmakers. Hundreds of beautiful photographs reveal the watches' movements, functions, cases, and dials, accompanied by detailed editorials and technical descriptions. The Who's Who of the watch industry, the 2020 edition features everyone from Cartier to Blancpain, Breguet, Longines, Patek Philippe, and Zenith. It is a must-have reference for anyone with a personal or professional interest in watches, and it is also available as a digital edition for mobile devices.

This book gives a survey of the physics and fabrication of carbon nanotubes and their applications in optics, electronics, chemistry and biotechnology. It focuses on the structural characterization of various carbon nanotubes, fabrication of vertically or parallel aligned carbon nanotubes on substrates or in composites, physical properties for their alignment, and applications of aligned carbon nanotubes in field emission, optical antennas, light transmission, solar cells, chemical devices, bio-devices, and many others. Major fabrication methods are illustrated in detail, particularly the most widely used PECVD growth technique on which various device integration schemes are based, followed by applications such as electrical interconnects, nanodiodes, optical antennas, and nanocoax solar cells, whereas current limitations and challenges are also be discussed to lay the foundation for future developments.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the fascinating recent developments in atomic- and nanoscale magnetism, including the physics of individual magnetic adatoms and single spins, the synthesis of molecular magnets for spintronic applications, and the magnetic properties of small clusters as well as non-collinear spin textures, such as spin spirals and magnetic skyrmions in ultrathin films and nanostructures. Starting from the level of atomic-scale magnetic interactions, the book addresses the emergence of many-body states in quantum magnetism and complex spin states resulting from the competition of such interactions, both experimentally and theoretically. It also introduces novel microscopic and spectroscopic techniques to reveal the exciting physics of magnetic adatom arrays and nanostructures at ultimate spatial and temporal resolution and demonstrates their applications using various insightful examples. The book is intended for researchers and graduate students interested in recent developments of one of the most fascinating fields of condensed matter physics.

While there are many books written on the basics of the "supply" side of the supply chain (i.e. strategic sourcing, sourcing/procurement, and purchasing), there hasn't been much written on those areas from a Lean perspective. Considering that supply chain costs, primarily procurement and transportation, can range from 50 to 70% of sales, it's surprising that this area has not been fully explored. As a result, some companies tend to place too much emphasis on the traditional focus of reducing material costs instead of process improvement. Lean Demand-Driven Procurement: How to Apply Lean Thinking to Your Supply Management Process details the basic supply management concepts and processes (i.e. sourcing, procurement, and purchasing) in an easy-to-understand format in combination with various process improvement tools, methodologies, best practices, examples, and cases written from a Lean perspective. It focuses and pinpoints ways to identify waste on the supply side through improved processes and, in some cases, technology. Applying Lean principles to procurement and purchasing processes identies non-traditional sources of waste, and in some cases, creates a paradigm shift that results in additional benets to the entire supply chain.

"Micro-Cutting: Fundamentals and Applications" comprehensively covers the state of the art research and engineering practice in micro/nano cutting: an area which is becoming increasingly important, especially in modern micro-manufacturing, ultraprecision manufacturing and high value manufacturing.

This book provides basic theory, design and analysis of micro-toolings and machines, modelling methods and techniques, and integrated approaches for micro-cutting. The fundamental characteristics, modelling, simulation and optimization of micro/nano cutting processes are emphasized with particular reference to the predictabilty, producibility, repeatability and productivity of manufacturing at micro and nano scales.

The fundamentals of micro/nano cutting are applied to a variety of machining processes including diamond turning, micromilling, micro/nano grinding/polishing, ultraprecision machining, and the design and implementation of micro/nano cutting process chains and micromachining systems.

Key features- Contains contributions from leading global experts- Covers the fundamental theory of micro-cutting- Presents applications in a variety of machining processes- Includes examples of how to implement and apply micro-cutting for precision and micro-manufacturing

"Micro-Cutting: Fundamentals and Applications" is an ideal reference for manufacturing engineers, production supervisors, tooling engineers, planning and application engineers, as well as machine tool designers. It is also a suitable textbook for postgraduate students in the areas of micro-manufacturing, micro-engineering and advanced manufacturing methods.

Validation of computer systems is the process that assures the formal assessment and report of quality and performance measures for all the life-cycle stages of software and system development, its implementation, qualification and acceptance, operation, modification, requalification, maintenance and retirement (PICS CSV PI 011-3). It is a process that demonstrates the compliance of computer systems functional and non-functional requirements, data integrity, regulated company procedures and safety requirements, industry standards, and applicable regulatory authority's requirements. Compliance is a state of being in adherence to application-related standards or conventions or regulations in laws and similar prescriptions. This book, which is relevant to the pharmaceutical and medical devices regulated operations, provides practical information to assist in the computer validation to production systems, while highlighting and efficiently integrating worldwide regulation into the subject. A practical approach is presented to increase efficiency and to ensure that the validation of computer systems is correctly achieved.