Lean Transformation

Book excerpt: Known worldwide in manufacturing among those striving to maximize productivity and create pull scheduling of production as "the yellow book," this is the premier how to book for companies going lean. Touted by experts everywhere as practical, down-to-earth, and easy to read, it warns of cultural issues that are certain to arise, and gives step by step instructions for making the transformation. It clearly explains such tools as continuous flow, value stream mapping, kanban, kaizen, six sigma, just-in-time (JIT), techniques for quick set-ups, and other pillars of the Toyota Production System. It's full of examples of value stream mapping, how kanban can resolve material supply issues, how kaizen brainstorming can result in startling improvements overnight, how just-in-me (JIT) frees mountains of money tied up in work-in-progress, why Six Sigma quality needs to be built in and not inspected in, how bottlenecks can be eliminated, kanban snafus spotted before they happen, and how instilling a championship mentality in cross-functional teams an lead to increased productivity and continuous improvement that doesn't stop after the initial kaizen event.