Every lean practitioner occasionally wishes for a simple, fun, and quick-read introduction to lean thinking to give acquaintances, associates, and family members -- even to our kids. If lean thinking often entails unlearning a plethora of bad habits, wouldn't it better if we learned better thinking -- and habits -- from the beginning? Everything I Know About Lean I Learned in First Grade is just that sort of book. It brings lean back to its original simplicity by showing how lean is alive in a first grade classroom. The book connects common lean tools to the broader lean journey, shows how to identify and eliminate waste, and aids the reader in seeing lean for what it truly is: a way to create a learning and problem- solving culture. Written to educate the entire organization on the fundamentals of lean thinking, this is the perfect source to engage all team members at all levels of an organization. Originally self-published in 2008, LEI is proud to re-issue this book and make it available to the broader lean community.

Speed to market, reducing costs, and accelerating leadtimes are vital for survival in today's competitiveenvironment. Inventory is no longer considered an asset,and strategies are needed to operate with minimalinventories. Lean Six Sigma Logistics provides thevehicle to solidify strategic position, win overcustomers, and achieve ......

This workbook explains in simple, step-by-step terms how to introduce and sustain lean flows of material and information in pacemaker cells and lines, a prerequisite for achieving a lean value stream.A sight we frequently encounter when touring plants is the relocation of processing steps from departments (process villages) to product-family work cells, but too often these "cells" produce only intermittent and erratic flow. Output gyrates from hour to hour and small piles of inventory accumulate between each operation so that few of the benefits of cellularization are actually being realized; and, if the cell is located upstream from the pacemaker process, none of the benefits may ever reach the customer.This sequel to Learning to See (which focused on plant level operations) provides simple step-by-step instructions for eliminating waste and creating continuous flow at the process level. This isn't a workbook you will read once then relegate to the bookshelf. It's an action guide for managers, engineers, and production associates that you will use to improve flow each and every day.Creating Continuous Flow takes you to the next level in work cell design where you'll achieve even greater cost and lead time savings. You'll learn: where to focus your continuous flow efforts, how to create much more efficient work cells and lines, how to operate a pacemaker process so that a lean value stream is possible, how to sustain the gains, and keep improving.Creating Continuous Flow is the next logical step after Learning to See. The value-stream mapping process defined the pacemaker process and the overall flow of products and information in the plant. The next step is to shift your focus from the plant to the process level by zeroing in on the pacemaker process, which sets the production rhythm for the plant or value stream, and apply the principles of continuous flow.Every production facility has at least one pacemaker process. The pacemaker processes is usually where products take their final form before going to external customers. It’s called the pacemaker because how you operate here determines both how well you can serve the customer and what the demand pattern is like for your upstream supplying processes.How the pacemaker process operates is critically important. A steady and consistently flowing pacemaker places steady and consistent demands on the rest of the value stream. The continuous flow processing that results allows companies to create leaner value streams.[Source : 4e de couv.]

The Creating Level Pull workbook shows you how to advance a lean transformation from a focus on isolated improvements to improving the entire plantwide production system by implementing a lean production control system. "The workbook is unique because it is a step-by-step case study on how to implement a level, pull-based production control system," said author Art Smalley. This is a new step towards 'system kaizen that is not yet well understood outside of Toyota.The lean efforts at most companies focus on "point kaizen" (e.g., reducing set up times, implementing 5S, etc.) that improves a small portion of the value stream running from raw materials to finished products. Or they focus on "flow kaizen" that improves the entire value stream for one product family. Creating Level Pull shows how companies can make the leap to "system kaizen" by introducing a lean production control system that ties together the flows of information and materials supporting every product family in a facility. With this system in place, each production activity requests precisely the materials it needs from the previous activity and demand from the customer is levelled to smooth production activities throughout the plant.[Source : 4e de couv.].

Lean Thinking was launched in the fall of 1996, just in time for the recession of 1997. It told the story of how American, European, and Japanese firms applied a simple set of principles called 'lean thinking' to survive the recession of 1991 and grow steadily in sales and profits through 1996. Even though the recession of 1997 never happened, companies were starving for information on how to make themselves leaner and more efficient. Now we are dealing with the recession of 2001 and the financial meltdown of 2002. So what happened to the exemplar firms profiled in Lean Thinking? In the new fully revised edition of this bestselling book those pioneering lean thinkers are brought up to date. Authors James Womack and Daniel Jones offer new guidelines for lean thinking firms and bring their groundbreaking practices to a brand new generation of companies that are looking to stay one step ahead of the competition.

How do you develop products that people will actually use and buy? This practical guide shows you how to validate product and company ideas through customer development research—before you waste months and millions on a product or service that no one needs or wants. With a combination of open-ended interviewing and fast and flexible research techniques, you’ll learn how your prospective customers behave, the problems they need to solve, and what frustrates and delights them. These insights may shake your assumptions, but they’ll help you reach the "ah-ha!" moments that inspire truly great products. Validate or invalidate your hypothesis by talking to the right people Learn how to conduct successful customer interviews play-by-play Detect a customer’s behaviors, pain points, and constraints Turn interview insights into Minimum Viable Products to validate what customers will use and buy Adapt customer development strategies for large companies, conservative industries, and existing products

"On Time-In Full" is an important work. Tim McLean provides an easy to follow practical approach to building a highly performing supply chain" -Drew Locher, Shingo Prize Winning Author and Lean Thinker The most fundamental requirement for a manufacturing or distribution business is to deliver to customers what they want, in the quantity they want, when they want it. It doesn’t matter how good your product is, how much the customer likes your salesperson, how slick your marketing campaign is: If your customers can’t get what they want when they want it, they will get it elsewhere, and your business will be in serious trouble. On Time in Full: Achieving Perfect Delivery with Lean Thinking in Purchasing, Supply Chain and Production Planning is a step-by-step practical guide to designing a Lean Supply Chain that will deliver what your customers need, when they need it, every time. Timothy McLean shares his three decades of Lean supply chain experience -- In simple straightforward language, he explores the reasons why supply chains fail to deliver and what you can do about it. On Time In Full includes practical guidance for tackling the big issues affecting supply chains including: How to understand your extended supply chain with a value stream map The role of forecasting in your supply chain and how to get a meaningful forecast Calculating the right level of inventory for your business Scheduling daily production to meet demand Managing suppliers and your supply chain at home and internationally Selecting and making the best use out of an ERP system Designing an efficient distribution network The book is full of practical case studies and examples as well as references for further study. On Time, In Full is the complete guide to setting up a supply chain that works.

With 14 new definitions touching on management, healthcare, startups, manufacturing, and service, the 5th edition of the Lean Lexicon, is the most comprehensive edition yet of the handy and practical glossary for lean thinkers. The latest Lexicon, updated in 2014, contains 60+ graphics and 207 terms from A3 Report to Yokoten. The Lexicon covers such key lean terms as andon, jidoka, kaizen, lean consumption, lean logistics, pull, plan-for- every-part, standardized work, takt time, value-stream mapping, and many more. The new terms are: • Basic Stability • Coaching • Gemba Walk • Huddle • Kamishibai Board • Kata • Leader Standard Work • Lean Management • Lean Management Accounting • Lean Startup • Problem Solving • Service Level Agreement • Training Within Industry (TWI) • Value-stream Improvement Unlike most other business glossaries in print or online, the Lexicon, introduced in January 2003, is focused exclusively on lean thinking and practice. Like the past four, the fifth edition of the Lean Lexicon incorporates terms and improvement ideas from our customers. We continue to welcome suggestions from the growing lean community in its traditional industries and beyond.