Lean For Dummies

Take charge and engage your enterprise in a Lean transformation Competitive pressures force everyone to satisfy more demanding customers while using less of everything — time, energy, space, materials, and money. Updated with the latest tools, advice, and information, this no–nonsense guide shows you how to apply the proven philosophies and techniques of Lean to eliminate waste and maximize the effectiveness of your resources. Lean 101 — get the skinny on the logic of Lean, from its principles to the language and lexicon of Lean Power to the people — explore the often–overlooked "Respect for People" aspect of Lean to truly grasp the human side of change Go with the flow — understand the way value is created and flowed to the customer Fasten your toolbelt — find easy–to–follow explanations of the many customer, value stream, flow, pull, perfection, and management tools of Lean It′s a Lean, Lean world — take a tour of the many aspects of a Lean enterprise, from management and product development to production processes and the quality organization "By emphasizing Lean principles and insisting on cultural transformation, Sayer and Williams empower the reader to create a lasting culture of continuous improvement."— Robert Miller, Executive Director, The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence Open the book and find: The common tools, principles, and practices of Lean How to lead and manage a Lean organization Step–by–step instructions for value–stream mapping Five real–life case studies using Lean in different organizations The best practices of Lean How to apply Lean in different industries Ten pitfalls to avoid Resources you can turn to for additional help Learn to: "Go Lean" within your organization and create an environment that embraces change Deliver maximum customer value to create a competitive advantage Operate your business effectively — do more with less

Foreword xvii Introduction 1 Part I: Lean Basics 7 Chapter 1: Defining Lean 9 Chapter 2: The Foundation and Language of Lean 27 Part II: The Lean Culture 47 Chapter 3: Lean in the Organization: Principles, Behaviors, and Change 49 Chapter 4: Power to the People 65 Chapter 5: Go Lean: Implementation Strategy, Startup, and Evolution 87 Part III: Understanding Flow and the Value Stream 113 Chapter 6: Seeing Value through the Eyes of the Customer 115 Chapter 7: You Are Here: Mapping the Current State 133 Chapter 8: Charting the Course: Using Value–Stream Maps 157 Chapter 9: Flowing in the Right Direction: Lean Projects and Kaizen 181 Part IV: The Lean Toolbox 199 Chapter 10: Customer and Value–Stream Tools 201 Chapter 11: Flow and Pull Tools 215 Chapter 12: Perfection Tools 237 Chapter 13: Management Tools 261 Part V: The Lean Enterprise 279 Chapter 14: Lean within the Enterprise 281 Chapter 15: Lean across Industries 305 Chapter 16: Real–Life Lean 321 Part VI: The Part of Tens 345 Chapter 17: Ten Best Practices of Lean 347 Chapter 18: Ten Pitfalls to Avoid 353 Chapter 19: Ten Places to Go for Help 361 Glossary 369 Index 373

Natalie J. Sayer has more than 25 years of international experience as an implementer, facilitator, and consultant in continuous improvement methods. Bruce Williams is Senior Vice President of Strategic Programs for Software AG, the global leader in business process excellence.