Explains how and why Kanban offers a new approach to change in 21st Century businesses This book provides an understanding of what is necessary to properly understand change management with Kanban as well as how to apply it optimally in the workplace. The book emphasizes critical aspects, several traps which users repeatedly fall into, and presents some practical guidelines for Kanban change management to help avoid these traps. The authors have organized the book into three sections. The first section focuses on the foundations of Kanban, establishing the technical basis of Kanban and indicating the mechanisms required to enact change. In the second section, the authors explain the context of Kanban change management—the options for change, how they can be set in motion, and their consequences for a business. The third section takes the topics from the previous sections and relates them to the social system of business—the goal is to guide readers in the process of building a culture of continuousimprovement by reviewing real case studies and seeing how Kanban is applied in various situations. Kanban Change Leadership: Explains how to implement sustainable system-wide changes using Kanban principles Addresses the principles and core practices of Kanban including visualization, WIP limits, classes of service, operation and coordination, metrics, and improvement Describes implementation, preparation, assessment, training, feedback, commissioning, and operation processes in order to create a culture of continuous improvement Kanban Change Leadership is an educational and comprehensive text for: software and systems engineers; IT project managers; commercial and industrial executives and managers; as well as anyone interested in Kanban.

How can a school become a place where all members of the staff are learning, growing, and working to increase student achievement? The answer lies in systems thinking and a focus on continuous improvement, two concepts that can transform staff development from something that people merely tolerate to something that they actively pursue to create lasting improvements in teaching and learning. Each chapter of Transforming Schools: Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement is grounded in a set of operating principles that provide practical guidance to school leaders. The story of a fictional school brings the ideas to life as the characters—a school principal, teachers, and district-level administrators—experience the shifts in thinking that are necessary to transform a school into a competent system. Through their story, the reader gains a clear understanding of the six steps of continuous improvement: Identify core beliefs. Create a shared vision. Use data to determine gaps between the current reality and the shared vision. Identify the innovations that will most likely close the gaps. Develop and implement an action plan. Endorse collective accountability. Thoughtful analysis of the fictional dialogue throughout the book gives readers an understanding of the dynamic nature of change, systems thinking, and continuous improvement. And questions at the end of each chapter help readers apply key concepts to their own schools. Whether your school improvement goals are clearly defined or still in development, Transforming Schools will help you tackle the many challenges of the change process.

This book enables enterprise business leaders - from CEOs to supervisors - to understand what "Continuous Improvement" is, why it is probably the best answer to improved business performance in years, and how to put it to work in the unique environment of a specific organization. The book examines what is at the core of "Continuous Improvement" and delves deeper into the elements and constituents necessary to take an organization to the next level to ensure its continued, long-term existence. It provides guidance to enterprise management and to professionals engaged in the implementation of a "Continuous Improvement" initiative and enables them to structure and manage its implementation successfully. It also provides tools to quickly assess where an enterprise business stands in terms of strategic management and "Continuous Improvement".​

‘Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement’ is a comprehensive guide that equips readers with the knowledge and tools to foster a culture of continuous improvement (CI) in their organizations. Beginning with the definition and importance of CI, the book covers a range of topics including root cause analysis, removing barriers, and changing negative beliefs. It delves into leadership's role in CI, attitudes and behaviors that support it, and considerations for planning CI initiatives. The book also explores the three critical elements and pillars of a successful CI culture, along with strategies for identifying improvement opportunities and managing change. Real-life examples, case studies, and practical tips are provided throughout, making this book a valuable resource for anyone seeking to drive positive change and achieve sustainable success through continuous improvement. Here's what the book covers: ü Preface ü Importance of CI in Today's Competitive Business Environment ü Why Is Continuous Improvement Important? ü How Can Continuous Improvement Help Organizations? ü Root Cause Analysis of the Existing Culture ü Identifying and Removing Barriers for Continuous Improvement ü Beliefs that Damage a Culture of Continuous Improvement ü Leadership's Role in Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement ü Attitudes and Behaviors that Support Continuous Improvement ü Considerations for Continuous Improvement Planning ü The Three Critical Elements of a Successful Culture of Continuous Improvement ü The Three Pillars of a Culture of Continuous Improvement ü Leadership's Two-Pronged Approach to Process Improvement ü Identifying Opportunities for Improvement ü Managing Change with the Help of a Methodology ü Stages of the Continuous Improvement Process ü Support Strategies for System Alignment ü Study, Reflect, and Act ü Creating the Behaviors that Define the Culture ü Getting Senior Leaders'Commitment to Change ü Cultivating a Culture of Continuous Improvement ü Examples of Continuous Improvement in Practice ü 31 Tips to Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement ü Tools, Templates, Checklists, and Worksheets to Implement CI Strategies in your Organization ü Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Troubleshooting ü Global Perspectives on Continuous Improvement ü Conclusion

In this book, author Nate Furuta, former chair and CEO of Toyota Boshoku America Inc., shares the story of his decades of experience directly leading the establishment of Toyota cultures outside Japan. Furuta was the first Toyota employee on the ground at New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI), Toyota’s joint venture in California with General Motors, where he directly led the establishment of the most revolutionary labor-management agreement in the history of the US auto industry. In addition, Furuta was the first Toyota employee on the ground in Georgetown Kentucky at Toyota’s first full-scale, wholly owned manufacturing operation outside Japan, where he led (working directly with President Fujio Cho) the establishment of Toyota’s general management systems and culture there. This book tells the stories of establishing successful operations in those two iconic organizations as well as others. Furuta reveals details, both stories and process descriptions that only he can tell. He takes you along as he and others lead Toyota’s intense globalization from the early 1980s to recent days. He introduces you to the critical leaders in Toyota's history, such as Taiichi Ohno and Fujio Cho as well as Kenzo Tamai, the head of the company’s HRM function in the 1980s. This book is not about human-resource management (HRM) policies and procedures. It provides a deep dive into the way senior leaders embody deep awareness of HRM matters, developing and executing company strategy while at the same time developing organizational capability. The role of senior leaders isn’t just a matter of directing the company to achieve objectives; it is a matter of building the capability to achieve those objectives, consistently, and further developing capability as it executes. Key to this is to develop the awareness, attitude, capability, and practice of identifying problems as progress is made toward achieving objectives, which is, in fact, attained through steadily eliminating each problem as it arises. This becomes a self-reinforcing loop of the organization, tapping in to the essence of solving problems while simultaneously developing ever better problem-solving skills and better problem solvers. This loop propels an organization toward meeting its purpose while developing capability for capability development. Essentially, this book reveals Toyota’s general management systems from the firsthand experience of a Toyota Japanese senior manager and describes, with stories and process examples, the attitude, behaviors, and systems needed to successfully establish and lead in a true Lean business environment.

Winner of a Shingo Research and Professional Publication AwardThe new edition of this Shingo Prize-winning bestseller provides critical insights and approaches to make any Lean transformation an ongoing success. It shows you how to implement a sustainable, successful transformation by developing a culture that has your stakeholders throughout the o