Becoming Lean: Inside Stories of U.S. Manufacturers [Hardcover]

Jeffrey K. Liker (Editor), James P. Womack (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1563271737 | ISBN-13: 978-1563271731 | Publication Date: November 12, 1997 | Edition: 1st

What is Lean?
Pure and simple, lean is reducing the time from customer order to manufacturing by eliminating non-value-added waste in the production stream. The ideal of a lean system is one-piece flow, because a lean manufacturer is continuously improving.

Most other books on lean management focus on technical methods and offer a picture of how a lean system should look like. Other books provide snapshots of companies before and after lean was implemented.

This is the first book to provide technical descriptions of successful solutions and performance improvements. It's also the first book to go beyond snapshots and includes powerful first-hand accounts of the complete process of change; its impact on the entire organization; and the rewards and benefits of becoming lean.

At the heart of Becoming Lean are the stories of American manufacturers that have successfully implemented lean methods. The writers offer personalized accounts of their organization's lean transformation. You have a unique opportunity to go inside the implementation process and see what worked, what didn't, and why.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Excerpts from Becoming Lean: "Becoming Lean fills an urgent need by describing in great detail the initial steps taken by a number of pioneering American firms in a range of industries to introduce lean thinking. Change agents actually leading the effort describe precisely what worked and what didn't.... Your job is to study their examples and advice carefully, and to look in the mirror to see if you are the change agent who will make the future better than the past." -From the foreword by James P. Womack Author of The Machine That Changed the World

"Lean systems are the best competitive tool available in business today. ... Our savings on everything from productivity and cycle time to travel distance and work-in-process inventory have been dramatic. ... Tapping the workers' knowledge and creativity through lean systems at Freudenberg-NOK has been the most powerful resource our company has ever known." -Joseph C. Day, CEO Freudenberg-NOK

"The concept of lean is disarmingly simple to understand, but bringing yourself to apply it is difficult. To really believe in the key principles of lean you must consistently apply lean-day after day, month after month. Only then, after years of daily hands-on dedication, will you achieve the performance levels possible with lean production." -George Koenigsaecker, President The HON Company

"One of the primary reasons for the remarkable improvements in quality and productivity that were achieved at Plant 6 is that Delphi tapped into the potential of every employee to establish a working environment-one in which everyone can help in running the business. To unleash the power of the work force and implement real change, management, union leaders, and the work force must move together toward a common vision." -Daniel Woolson and Michael A. Husar on Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems, General Motors

About the Author

Jeffrey K. Liker is Professor of industrial and operations engineering at The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Liker has received eight Shingo Prizes for Excellence in Manufacturing Research for his work, including the best selling The Toyota Way.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: Productivity Press; 1st edition (November 12, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563271737
• ISBN-13: 978-1563271731
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #437,215 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeffrey Liker is Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan and president of The Toyota Way Academy--a collection of top-notch lean advisors. He is author of the international best-seller, The Toyota Way and the related books Toyota Way Fieldbook, Toyota Talent, The Toyota Product Development System, Toyota Culture, The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement, and Toyota Under Fire. His articles and books have won nine Shingo Prizes. He plays golf, watches football and basketball, and is relearning classical guitar which he stopped playing over 30 years ago. His wife Deb and daughter Emma, support his writing and his son Jesse is his toughest critic and best editor.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Data Bound Argument for Lean, January 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Becoming Lean: Inside Stories of U.S. Manufacturers (Hardcover)

This is the real stuff - not academic theory but real examples of "lean" written by the people that made it happen. The concluding chapter on "what we have learned about becoming lean" pulls it all together in a neat package. This is a must read for anyone who enjoyed Womack's book on "Lean Thinking". We have applied these learnings at this company with great results.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most insightful first-hand account of implementing lean., January 13, 1999

By 

J. Huntzinger (Pendleton, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Becoming Lean: Inside Stories of U.S. Manufacturers (Hardcover)

This book covers a number of great insights into the journey to leanness. It has the unique angle of having its case studies written by the people from the companies profiled in the studies. This gives a first hand review of the accomplishments and roadblocks that are part of becoming lean by those that went through them. Becoming Lean also gives accounts from people with personal experience from working for Toyota while they transplanted to North America to how the Japanese school system compares to and contrasts from the American school systems. In general, this book gives an excellent understanding that only a first-hand account can do. If you want to learn what it means to become lean this book is a must and should be used as a reference book while going through the lean transformation!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for companies thinking of lean implementation., January 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Becoming Lean: Inside Stories of U.S. Manufacturers (Hardcover)

"Becoming Lean" delivers the promise of its title by docmenting case studies of successful lean implementations in diverse industries. The step-by-step accounts of the implementors (CEOs, Presidents, and consultants) identify successful strategies and execution, as well as problems encountered during the implementations.

Having worked in manufacturing for 29 years, I'm ecstatic that American companies are now understanding that we engineer and manufacture products in a global market. The only way to ensure long term survival is to deliver the highest quality at an affordable price (and cost) , precisely when the customer wants it!

Lean Manufacturing is the only way to achieve ALL of these fundamental requirements. "Becoming Lean" provides the tools to get your company either started, or back on track, on the road to Lean success.