Fast Cycle Time: How to Align Purpose, Strategy, and Structure for Speed [Hardcover]

Christopher Meyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1993

Inspired by such corporations as Motorola, General Electric, Citicorp, and others who have cut production time in half, many companies struggle to become "time-based" competitors. Christopher Meyer demonstrates that fast-cycle time is achieved by aligning the organization to learn faster, instead of merely working faster. He describes how to assemble multifunctional teams into integrated production systems by empowering workers with an eight-step process and "tool kit" to reduce non-value-added activities, and shows why fast-cycle time is the competitive requirement for any industry in the 1990s.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Robert Stoy Vice President of Product Development, Becton Dickinson and Company Explores valuable new territory for efficient, rapid product development...places the emphasis where it belongs, on the people and processes of an effective company. -- Review

About the Author

Christopher Meyer is the founder and Managing Director of the Strategic Alignment Group in Portola Valley, California, a rapidly growing management consulting firm with clients such as Ford Motor Company, Quantum Corporation, Procter & Gamble, and Glaxo lnc. He is also the creator of the California Institute of Technology seminar on time-based competition, the most widely attended public seminar of its kind.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 290 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (June 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0029211816
• ISBN-13: 978-0029211816
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,461,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time is worth more than it used to be, August 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fast Cycle Time: How to Align Purpose, Strategy, and Structure for Speed (Hardcover)

This book provides a compelling blend of theory and practical advice on how to move quickly. I found many things that used combined Balanced Score Card techniques focused on cycle time with the author's real world experience - which is considerable.

The book is aimed at managing the culture and mindset of the organization, not a particular project. A worthwhile read if time-based-competition applies to your business.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent pre-lean introduction to improving development, September 28, 2007

By 

Bas Vodde (Singapore) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Fast Cycle Time: How to Align Purpose, Strategy, and Structure for Speed (Hardcover)

Fast Cycle time was written in 1993, though his ideas are very much inline with the "modern" lean ideas (concept introduces in 1990). The book explains how to improve cycle time in product development and how this will lead to a general improvement within the company.

The book consists of two parts. The first part describes the fast cycle time concepts. It introduces cross-functional teams (which the author calls multifunctional teams). Most importantly it links the speed of development to the speed of learning since product development is equal to learning (very much inline with Al Ward's "Lean Product Development" ideas). It links his ideas back to the learning organization theories and shows how these concepts are an absolute must when speeding up product development.

The second part is about the implementation of these concepts. First it talks about making a clear strategy so that the organization can focus. After that, one of the main topics of the book, is the multifunctional team chapter. This introduces the concepts and talks about the different organizational models. Also it'll go over the typical development of multifunctional teams. The next chapter covers process redesign. This chapter is very similar to lean's "value steam mapping" ideas (well, exactly the same to be precise). Though Chris Meyer uses process maps instead of value stream maps. The book ends with some guidance on implementation of these ideas.

The book was well written and very clear. There is a balance between examples and theory. The CP (Quantum?) example wasn't worked out that well. Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It's one of the only books which has a strong focus on cross-functional teams and it's relation to cycle time and organization learning. Recommended.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cross functional alignment is the key . . ., November 25, 2002

By 

Dave Kinnear "Executive Leader Coach" (Lake Forest, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Fast Cycle Time: How to Align Purpose, Strategy, and Structure for Speed (Hardcover)

Many of our clients are struggling with life at internet speeds. If you haven't read this classic on speeding up your organizations product and service life cycle, now may be a good time to do so. Praise for this book, as listed on the back of the dust jacket, come from Ford Motor Company, Quantum Corporation and others with Ed McCraken, CEO of Silicon Graphics Computer Systems stating that this is; "A must read for executive who seek speed and competitiveness."

Mr. Meyer utilizes an "ongoing case study" to make his points concerning FCT processes. This approach lends credence to his positions and gives the book a solid feel of practicality. In addition, frequent use of diagrams helps the reader visualize the organizations, processes, information flow, and cross functional activities of organizations. The layout of the book is logical and provides for continuity as Meyer builds on each preceding chapter.

The book is filled with excellent observations and pithy sayings: "The responsibility for strategic alignment rests with senior management." "Any organization leader who seeks to 'empower' people should first create a clear strategic context that enables others to use the power with which they were born." "Research demonstrates there is a negative correlation between economic growth rate and the number of Nobel prizes won." "A sustainable FCT capability can be achieved only by learning faster, not by working faster."