Does your company think and act ahead of technological change, ahead of the customer, and ahead of the competition? Thinking strategically requires a company to face these questions with a clear future image of itself. Implementing a Lean Management System lays out a comprehensive management system for aligning the firm's vision of the future with market realities. Based on hoshin management, the Japanese strategic planning method used by top managers for driving TQM throughout an organization, Lean Management is about deploying vision, strategy, and policy at all levels of daily activity. It is an eminently practical methodology emerging out of the implementation of continuous improvement methods and employee involvement. The key tools in the text build on the knowledge of the worker, multi-tasking, and an understanding of the role and responsibilities of the new lean manufacturer.

Typically understood and/or accepted as the general path of implementation it took. It contains a list of important 'Key Reflections' at the end of each chapter

In 2004 Charlie Protzman created The BASICS Lean Implementation Model, which covers the full spectrum of what is needed to be effective and successful at implementing a Lean System. The reader is taken through a step by step approach developed over the last 15 years, in the use and understanding of Lean tools, principles, and processes. The authors break down Lean concepts to their simplest terms to make everything as clear as possible for Lean practitioners. You will learn an integrated, structured, problem-solving approach identified by the acronym BASICS (Baseline, Analyze, Suggest Solutions, Implement, Check and Sustain). This methodology is combined with a proven business strategy to help ensure a successful and sustainable transformation of any organization. The BASICS approach produces "real" bottom line savings with 20% to 50% or more increases in productivity when compared to pure batching environments. As those who have read the book will tell you, this is not a theory book... but rather a book you can return to over and over again for reference, throughout your Lean journey.

10.3.4 Job Hazard Analysis -- 10.3.5 Work Observation -- 10.4 Benchmarking and Technology Selection -- 10.5 Conducting the Pilot -- 10.5.1 Implementation of Technology to Reduce Risk in Conducting Chemical Inventories: A Case Study -- 10.6 Lean Thinking Leadership -- 10.6.1 Strategic Thinking Leadership -- 10.6.2 People Oriented and Relationship Builder -- 10.6.3 Pulse of the Customer -- 10.6.4 Seeking Perfection Always -- 10.7 Employee Engagement and Training -- 10.8 Regulatory Impact -- 10.9 Environment, Health, and Safety Aspects -- 10.10 The People Aspects of Implementation -- 10.11 Case Study Implementation Pitfalls and Hidden Costs -- 10.12 Summary -- 11: Evaluation Resource Packet -- Index

Performance management, the primary focus of a Lean organization, occurs through continuous improvement programs that focus on education, belief systems development, and effective change management. Presenting a first-of-its-kind approach, The Lean Management Systems Handbook details the critical components required for sustainable Lean management.

A Practical, Hands-on Guide to Lean Manufacturing This real-world resource offers proven solutions for implementing lean manufacturing in an enterprise environment, covering the engineering and production aspects as well as the business culture concerns. Filled with detailed examples, the book focuses on the rapid application of lean principles so that large, early financial gains can be made. How to Implement Lean Manufacturing explains Toyota Production System (TPS) practices and specifies the distinct order in which lean techniques should be applied to achieve maximum gains. Global case studies illustrate successes and pitfalls of lean manufacturing initiatives. Discover how to: Rigorously test and retest the state of your "leanness" with unique evaluators Develop and deploy plant-wide strategies and goals Improve speed and quality and dramatically reduce costs Reduce variation in the manufacturing system in order to reduce inventory Reduce lead times to enable improved responsiveness and flexibility Synchronize production and supply to the customer Create flow and establish pull-demand systems Perform system-wide and specific value-stream evaluations Generate a comprehensive list of highly focused Kaizen activities Sustain process gains Manage constraints and reduce bottlenecks Implement cellular manufacturing

A friend of mine asked a great question in response to one of my recent Lean books. His question was in essence how do you keep Lean initiatives moving ahead and not going the way of another flavour of the month program. We have all seen managers with the best intentions launch new initiatives that were supposed to be the wave of the future only to see them fizzle out after a few weeks or months. Lean initiatives are no different. Many organizations have tried Lean and either abandon it completely or don’t take it very far. So what makes the difference between companies that tried Lean and those that are leading the pack? A successful launch of Lean is in some respects like getting lean with one’s weight. There are no quick fixes. There are no easy solutions and it takes work. You cannot make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight then go back to your old habits after a few weeks or months and expect to stay Lean. It takes discipline over the long haul.