Creating a Lean Culture: Tools to Sustain Lean Conversions [Paperback]

David Mann (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1563273225 | ISBN-13: 978-1563273223 | Publication Date: May 13, 2005 | Edition: 1

2006 SHINGO PRIZE for EXCELLENCE in MANUFACTURING RESEARCH

Lean production has been proven unbeatable in organizing production operations, yet the majority of attempts to implement lean end in disappointing results. The critical factor so often overlooked is that lean implementation requires day-to-day, hour-by-hour management practices and skills that leaders in conventional batch-and-queue environments are neither familiar nor comfortable with.

Creating a Lean Culture helps lean leaders succeed in their personal batch-to-lean transformation. It provides a practical guide to implementing the missing links needed to sustain a lean implementation.  Mann provides critical guidance on developing and using the key elements of a lean management system, including:  leader standard work, visual controls, daily accountability processes, maintaining a process focus, managing key HR issues, and much more.  In addition, a questionnaire is included to help assess current management practices and monitor progress.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The new insights included in this second edition of Creating a Lean Culture, affirm our examiners recommendations in 2006 to recognize this original work with the Research and Professional Publication Award."
　　　　 —Robert D. Miller, Executive Director, The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence

Praise for the First Edition

David Mann has provided an excellent review of one of the most common implementation issues in a lean transformation -- the essential day to day work practices of team leaders/supervisors/value stream managers that enable the lean system.
     -- George Koenigsaecker, President, Lean Investments, LLC

The purpose of lean systems is to make problems glaringly obvious. If implementation does not include standard leadership and cultural support systems to constantly address problems, the point of the system is missed. Many books address lean tools and initial conversion, but if you want the system to stick, read David's book.
     --Robert (Doc) Hall, Editor-In-Chief, Target, Association for Manufacturing Excellence

Mann's book is an excellent start toward Lean Leadership as 'process-dependent' rather than 'person-dependent' in style. The idea of leader standard work is simple and valuable.
     --Ross E. Robson, Executive Director, Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing

At last! A book that bridges the huge gap between the lofty visionary outcomes of Lean Leadership books - and the practical thinking and tools needed to put competitive outcomes in place. This practitioner approach spells out real work needed. All of us should use Mann's first five chapters to crystallize a 'Lean Management System' with the following five chapters to inspire us to roll up our sleeves.
     --David Hogg, P. Eng., President High Performance Solutions, Inc.

 

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

David Mann is currently the principal of David Mann Lean Consulting. During a 21-year career with Steelcase, Mann developed and applied the concepts of a Lean management system. In his service with the company, he supported 40+ Lean value stream transformations, as well as developing and leading an internal team that completed over 100 successful office and product development Lean business process conversions.

Mann’s teaching and coaching experience includes Lean transformation in manufacturing, enterprise business processes, and healthcare organizations. His practice includes Lean and Lean management implementation in production and enterprise business processes, troubleshooting stalled Lean initiatives, as well as frequent training and speaking engagements on Lean management.

Mann is the author of Creating a Lean Culture: Tools to sustain Lean Conversions. Awarded the Shingo Prize in 2006, the book is now in its eighth printing, and is being translated into Chinese, Russian, and Thai.

Mann serves as a Shingo Prize examiner and assessor for the Honda Lean Network. He is a member of the Saint Mary’s Healthcare Lean Transformation Advisory Board in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is an invited contributor to Frontiers　of　Health　Services　Management. Mann is a frequent contributor to and member of the editorial board of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence’s publication Target, edits Target’s Single Point Lessons feature, and also serves on the board of AME’s Great Lakes Region. He is a faculty member in the Operations Management program at the Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University.

Mann is an organizational psychologist, earning his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 1976.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Productivity Press; 1 edition (May 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563273225
• ISBN-13: 978-1563273223
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Industrial
  • #97 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Quality Control

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Executive's Management Guide that's long overdue., August 25, 2006

By 

Danny T. Moore "Lean Professional" (DC Area (NVA)) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creating a Lean Culture: Tools to Sustain Lean Conversions (Paperback)

One of the chronic problems to successfully implement and sustain a lean initiative is the confusion of management's role--how to be engaged and support beyond funding and verbal endorsement of a lean initiative. Surveys show a 56% success rate with lean. There is a crying need for a guideline for management to be aligned with the floor changes at ALL levels of management. This is key to developing a lean culture. The reason I like Mann's book is that he touches on things that aren't found elsewhere to developing a LEAN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. Companies typically will hire consultants in hopes of taking them to lean nirvana. But, for most orgs, there are two components that could hurt you: the recalcitrant manager (typically 15-20%) and the rest of the organization that want to be engaged but don't know their role. Both could doom your efforts. Mann's provides an excellent prescription to help you get management realigned with standard roles and specific daily tasks at all levels. Without this, you're dead. I only wish his book was better written to facilitate application. The content is practical but the format isn't--more visuals are needed and a too wordy--but, the goods are definitely there. You won't be disappointed; I still highly recommend this book. If you are looking for some guidelines for conducting a Gemba walk or developing an assessment (don't miss his Appendix) he goes into great detail. The book is divided into two major sections:
What is the Lean Management System?
Ch 1: The Missing Link in Lean
Ch 2: The Lean Management System's Principle Elements
Ch 3: Standard Work for Leaders
Ch 4: Visual Controls
Ch 5: Daily Accountability Process
Learning Lean Management & Production: Supporting Elements
Ch 6: Learning Lean Mgmt: Sensei and Gemba Walks
Ch 7: Leading a Lean Operation
Ch 8: Solving Problems & Improving Processes--Rapidly
Ch 9: People--Predictable Interruption; Source of Ideas
Ch 10: Sustain What you Implement
Appendix, Glossary, References, Index.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clearly shows you why something so simple is so hard to do, April 10, 2007

By 

M and G (Dover, NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creating a Lean Culture: Tools to Sustain Lean Conversions (Paperback)

I've been doing Lean since 2000 (Six Sigma earlier, 1997) and have been applying general Toyota methods with what I'd consider a very good amount of success. The problem has been, how do you convey the necessity of the Toyota Lean method as a complete "business system" as opposed to JIT and "tools" thinking for busy, batch-thinking individuals? This book fills the gaping void.

Pro:
-Straight forward principles, complete and thorough
-Appear to be true to the Toyota principles as I have seen demonstrated by ex-Toyota executives/leaders turned consultants
-Drives to the heart of lean as a business system, with many elements that I've personally tried or seen work well
-A Shingo Prize winner... impressive
-Avoids excessive Japanese terminology (not an issue for me, but sometimes an issue for others)

Con:
-I think that the power of IT applications is somewhat understated, and pitfalls of using or attempting to use IT-related systems not well described. Would like to see a better description of pitfalls and issues more specifically. Until then, think of IT as you would if you were automating a process... it had better be high volume and well understood/mature.

Bottom Line: I think this a must-have text, and it is excellently written and laid out... plus it's to the point reinforced with numerous short case study examples. I'd recommend pairing this book with "The Toyota Way" (read that first to pave the way for this book). Also consider "The Toyota Way Fieldbook" as the ideal 3rd text to study. A word of caution, these books require a whole new way of thinking and commitment.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book has quite an impact on new lean leaders, June 18, 2007

By 

Mark Graban "Blogger, author, consultant, spe... (Keller TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creating a Lean Culture: Tools to Sustain Lean Conversions (Paperback)

This is a fantastic book, one of the small number of "core" lean books that I recommend to people. I've used the book with many healthcare clients who are new to lean. They have loved the book so much that they have read it three times, learning something new each time, and learning something different at each stage of their lean learning journey. The most frequent comment I hear is that the book means one thing to them before they start but it means even more to them after they have "struggled" with a lean environment on their own, revisiting the book and its concepts helps immensely.

Mann's book helps make concrete the vague notion of a "lean culture" and spells out steps leaders can take to start moving in that direction. The book doesn't promise quick fixes, nor should it, but it puts you on the right path to developing your people, your leaders, and your problem solving skills. Kudos to David Mann for a very practical, actionable guide for lean leaders or those of us who strive to become lean leaders.