The Swedish auto industry has developed a distinct production design and work organization, exploring alternatives to the assembly line and to the traditional shop-floor hierarchy, with a model of teamwork that increases independent decision making and elicits strong union commitment. Berggren evaluates in detail the reorganization of work within the Swedish auto industry from 1970 to 1990. In his introduction to the new edition, he explores the significance of Volvo's decision to close its two most innovative plants.

Industrial relations experts from eleven countries consider the state of the automobile industry worldwide.

The Toyota Way Fieldbook is a companion to the international bestseller The Toyota Way. The Toyota Way Fieldbook builds on the philosophical aspects of Toyota's operating systems by detailing the concepts and providing practical examples for application that leaders need to bring Toyota's success-proven practices to life in any organization. The Toyota Way Fieldbook will help other companies learn from Toyota and develop systems that fit their unique cultures. The book begins with a review of the principles of the Toyota Way through the 4Ps model-Philosophy, Processes, People and Partners, and Problem Solving. Readers looking to learn from Toyota's lean systems will be provided with the inside knowledge they need to Define the companies purpose and develop a long-term philosophy Create value streams with connected flow, standardized work, and level production Build a culture to stop and fix problems Develop leaders who promote and support the system Find and develop exceptional people and partners Learn the meaning of true root cause problem solving Lead the change process and transform the total enterprise The depth of detail provided draws on the authors combined experience of coaching and supporting companies in lean transformation. Toyota experts at the Georgetown, Kentucky plant, formally trained David Meier in TPS. Combined with Jeff Liker's extensive study of Toyota and his insightful knowledge the authors have developed unique models and ideas to explain the true philosophies and principles of the Toyota Production System.

Draws conclusions for the future of the industry in the USA.

This book is relevant to any kind of business and is currently being used by a number of multi-national companies, including AstraZeneca, Ericsson, Scania and Volvo.

Lean Production for Competitive Advantage: A Comprehensive Guide to Lean Methodologies and Management Practices, Second Edition introduces Lean philosophy and illustrates the effective application of Lean tools with real-world case studies. From fundamental concepts to integrated planning and control in pull production and the supply chain, the text provides a complete introduction to Lean production. Coverage includes small batch production, setup reduction, pull production, preventive maintenance, standard work, as well as synchronizing and scheduling Lean operations. Detailing the key principles and practices of Lean production, the text also: Illustrates effective implementation techniques with case studies from a range of industries. Includes questions and completed problems in each chapter. Explains how to effectively partner with suppliers and employees to achieve productivity goals Designed for students who have a basic foundation in production and operations management, the text provides a thorough understanding of the principles of Lean. It also offers practical know-how for implementing a culture of continuous improvement on the shop floor and in the office, creating a heightened sense of responsibility in all stakeholders, and enhancing productivity and efficiency to improve the bottom line. In this second edition, the author addresses management’s role in Lean production. Early observers of Japanese methods focused on the shop floor to see amazing things unlike anything practiced elsewhere. And the thinking was, if the "methods" could be adopted by companies elsewhere, those companies would experience the success of the Japanese. What the early observers hadn’t considered were dramatic differences in the way those companies were managed, both daily and strategically. The "management side" of Lean production is addressed in two new chapters, one devoted to daily management, the other to strategy deployment. Additionally, there is a new chapter that addresses breakthrough improvement and an approach to achieving it called Production Preparation Process. Every chapter has been revised and expanded to better tell the story of Lean production—its history, applications, practices, and methods.

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.

This handbook focuses on two sides of the lean production debate that rarely interact. On the one hand, management and industrial engineering scholars have presented a positive view of lean production as the epitome of efficiency and quality. On the other hand, sociology, industrial relations, and labor relations scholars focus on work speedups, management by stress, trade union positions, and self-exploitation in lean teams. The editors of this volume understand the merits of both views and present them accordingly, bridging the gaps among five disciplines and presenting the best of each perspective. Chapters by internationally acclaimed authors examine the positive, negative and neutral possible effects of lean, providing a global view of lean production while adjusting lean to the cultural and political contexts of different nation-states. As the first multi-lens view of lean production from academic and consultant perspectives, this volume charts a way forward in the world of work and management in our global economy.

When I was first given the job of managing a small plastics factory back in 1989, I quickly realized that most of the books and teaching on Lean Manufacturing were designed for big companies and were not relevant to my factory. —Tim Mclean The last 25 years has seen Tim lead and assist over 100 small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) manufacturing operations. This experience has now been condensed in to Grow Your Factory, Grow your Profits: Lean for Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Enterprises, a start-to-finish guide on how to run a successful small and medium-sized manufacturing operation. The book presents case studies, practical examples, illustrations, charts, and pictures from real SME manufacturers to provide straightforward solutions to the issues facing every growing manufacturing business. In the book, Tim McLean explains: How to recruit the right people and design the right organization How to empower those people to take accountability and free yourself up from day to day "fire fighting" How to develop a Lean Plant Layout that will maximize productivity and optimize the use of space How to manage materials in order to slash inventory and shortages How to schedule production in order to cut lead times, cut inventory, and delight customers How to get started on a Lean transformation when you lack the resources of a big company The book details how SMEs differ from large organizations and why the approach to improvement must also be different. Covering the complete life cycle of small and medium-sized manufacturers, the book addresses a different SME manufacturing issue in each chapter. This enables readers to tackle issues at their own pace and in their own order of priority. Grow Your Factory, Grow Your Profits is essential reading for owners, managers, and operational leaders in the 90 percent of manufacturing enterprises that are small or medium sized.