This book deals with the systems of cost reduction that originated in Japan. These are mostly new systems that did not exist in western practices before they were utilized in Japan. The book also presents the Japanese ways of carrying out the globally popular cost reduction practices.(1) It describes the strategic cost management conducted by top management through alliances between companies and/or between government and industry.(2) It shows the functional cost reduction systems along the various phases of the product life cycle, as follows: R&D ? Product development ? Manufacturing ? Administration and indirect operations(3) It conducts some humanistic or behavioral aspects of Japanese cost reduction systems.

Some of Japan's foremost management accounting researchers describe the strategic and practical approaches the Japanese take toward management and manufacturing, providing a cross-section of management accounting practices developed by Japanese companies, large and small. Case studies and illustrations provide for comparison to US practices. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This book provides a comprehensive look at the features of KPM, including its emphasis on creativity and teamwork, its broader OC open value systemOCO as opposed to a OC closed technical systemOCO, its close links with corporate strategy and human resource development, and the support infrastructure needed for advancing KPM. Chapters cover both the theory and practice of KPM, citing cases of information and communications technology (ICT) and pharmaceutical companies, among others. KPM holds special relevance today as global competition is increasingly reducing the lifecycle of organizations. Managers will find in KPM not only a way to survive the shake-up, but also a framework of value creation for the next generation.

Engineered in Japan presents a unique and comprehensive examination of technology management in the most successful Japanese companies: unique in that all chapters go beyond superficial descriptions of stylized practices to look in depth at particular issues, often contradicting or qualifying the conventional wisdom; comprehensive in that it covers the entire technology life cycle from basic R&D, to development engineering, to manufacturing processes, to learning from the Japanese. Each chapter is based on original research by noted scholars in the field, and identifies technology management practices that have become a major source of competitive advantage for highly successful Japanese companies. Engineered in Japan documents the best practices from such companies as Toyota, Hitachi, Toshiba, and Nippondenso, and discusses how these technology management practices can be usefully adopted in other cultural contexts. Going beyond past observations, the authors all delve below the surface of Japanese management approaches. They look more closely than has been done before at how particular methods are applied, and they identify some new practices that have not yet been highlighted in books on Japanese methods. Presenting recent data that contradict some conventional thinking about U.S.-Japanese differences, they look at old techniques from a new perspective. "U.S. managers can perhaps learn more from the process of creation in Japan and the organizational structures that support innovation," say the editors in their introduction, "than from the particular approaches, tools, and technologies created." A running theme throughout the book is that Japanese managers and engineers tend to think in terms of systems, focusing not just on the parts but on the connections between them. Engineered in Japan is must reading for technology managers and engineers, along with anyone interested in Japanese business, engineering, and management.

Japanese productivity and quality standards have fired the imagination of American managers, but until now there has been little explanation of how to do it -- how to apply Japanese methods at the actual operating level of U.S. manufacturing plants. This book shows you how, exposing otherwise well-informed westernized readers to a new world of management ideas. Author Richard J. Schonberger demonstrates that the Japanese formula for success is based on a number of specific, interrelated techniques -- stunning in their simplicity -- and he shows how these techniques can be put to work in American industries today. Here, in a clear, handbook format, are nine "lessons" for American manufacturers, introducing scores of techniques aimed at simplifying the overly-complex purchasing, inventory, assembly-fine, and quality-control processes of U.S. firms. At the heart of Japanese manufacturing success are two overlapping strategies: "just-in-time" production and "total quality control." Some American manufacturers already know a little about these methods, but Richard Schonberger provides the most comprehensive description of these techniques available: how they developed, how they all fit together, why they are so potent, and how they "snowball" -- unleashing a powerful chain reaction of productivity and quality control improvements each time more simplification is introduced. -- Publisher description.

This book focuses on various business practices to manage ailing companies during economic depression or in the aftermath of man-made and natural disasters. The methods implemented by various Japanese enterprises, such as Japan Air Line, Tokyo Electricity Company, Nissan and Toyota, to overcome their challenges are elaborated in this book. The scope of the book covers: restructuring under government financial support; private turnaround management of huge conglomerates; reorganization of business domains; accounting for risk management, and robust supply chain management in the aftermath of disasters.

Over the last two decades, cost management has been an area of dynamic change and development. This is evident in the extensive inventory of new, high-profile techniques that have emerged. With cost management now firmly established as a distinct sub-discipline within management accounting, The Routledge Companion to Cost Management is a timely reference volume covering both practical developments and research in this area. Topics covered include: Cost control issues Cost analysis and decision making Cost management systems Environmental cost management With chapters from an international team of contributors, this prestigious companion will prove an indispensible addition to any library with aspirations of keeping up-to-date with the world of accounting.

With a proven track record for helping companies achieve critical cost reductions without sacrificing customer satisfaction, target costing provides managers and executives with the tools to survive and prosper in today‘s increasingly competitive market without raising prices on customers. Target Cost Management: The Ladder to Global Survival and S

Explains the Deming Management Method that was created by the man who helped Japan learn about product quality and business management.