Going Lean: How the Best Companies Apply Lean Manufacturing Principles to Shatter Uncertainty, Drive Innovation, and Maximize Profits [Hardcover]

Stephen A. Ruffa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 23, 2008

"Going Lean" sets aside the notion that efficient operations and powerful innovations are only possible when business is steady and demand is growing. Instead, companies must learn that disruption and loss are the price to be paid to remain competitive. Following the lead of a new breed of companies - Toyota, Wal-Mart, and Southwest Airlines - the new, powerful - yet unexpected mindset is that chaos should be the norm. By using "Lean Dynamics" - based on the now-famous Toyota Production System - success can be the outcome.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“In this extremely well-written book… useful resource for those interested in operations management, business policy, and related topics." -- Choice

“Stephen Ruffa’s new book titled, Going Lean, is very timely. In this time of the economic crisis when recession has plagued the world’s economic arena, Going Lean teaches us how to live and adapt with change...This book is a must read.” -- Sixsigma.com

“…unique and important insights into entering and sustaining—forever—a lean journey of waste reduction and continuous improvement…” -- Cutting Tool Engineering

“In GOING LEAN, Stephen A. Ruffa spotlights examples from the automotive, airline, and retail industries, offering potent lessons on how companies drive innovation, promote sustainability and create value in the face of uncertainty. The backbone of the book lies in the well-thumbed ideologies of the Toyota Production System.” -- T & D magazine

"With excellent timing, considering recent events in the global economy, this book demonstrates how companies can use lean principles to help them steer through tough times. Using examples from successful companies that survived crises such as 9/11 and the resulting economic downturn, as well as the oil crisis of 1980s, Ruffa shows how the techniques those companies used can be employed to help weather a crisis." -- Houston Business Journal

“…should be read by manufacturing executives and their staffs…shows how to introduce innovation during downturns, strive for perfection and deliver excellent performance.”

Quality Progress

From the Back Cover

With excellent timing, considering recent events in the global economy, this book demonstrates how companies can use lean principles to help them steer through tough times. Using examples from successful companies that survived crises such as 9/11 and the resulting economic downturn, as well as the oil crisis of 1980s, Ruffa shows how the techniques those companies used can be employed to help weather a crisis."

--Houston Business Journal

“In GOING LEAN, Stephen A. Ruffa spotlights examples from the automotive, airline, and retail industries, offering potent lessons on how companies drive innovation, promote sustainability and create value in the face of uncertainty. The backbone of the book lies in the well-thumbed ideologies of the Toyota Production System.”

---T&D magazine

 “Ruffa describes the concept of lean dynamics for use in improving business during uncertain times, which combines lean manufacturing with initiatives that use internal measures to deal with external conditions. He argues that efficient operations and innovation do not have to only occur in times of stability and uses examples from companies like Toyota, Southwest Airlines, and Wal-Mart for illustration. Ruffa is an aerospace engineer and researcher who originated the concept of lean dynamics.”

---Book News

(Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Book News:  http://booknews.com/ref_issues/ref_nov2008/amacom1.html

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (June 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081441057X
• ISBN-13: 978-0814410578
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #587,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephen A. Ruffa is an aerospace engineer, a business researcher, and a Shingo Prize winning author. His distinctive observations on lean dynamics are framed by his unique government-industry study of aerospace producers, his projects demonstrating key underlying principles, and his research of today's leaders across manufacturing and service industries.

Mr. Ruffa spent the first 25 years of his career engaged in activites supporting the Defense Department's dynamic needs--from the design, manufacture, test and repair of cutting-edge aircraft, to implementing major business improvement initiatives. He ultimately led a worldwide manufacturing benchmark study of 17 major aerospace manufacturers, demonstrating how "lean" concepts could break the cycle of escalating costs in aircraft production. His results were praised by the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office, the Aircraft Industries Association, and academia.

Mr. Ruffa conducts research and provides training and consulting in applying lean principles to overcome challenging business conditions through his firm, Lean Dynamics Research, LLC. Learn more at www.leandynamics.net

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lean Dynamics in a Chaotic World, July 16, 2008

By 

Patricia E. Moody CMC "Tricia" (Manchester by the Sea, Ma USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Going Lean: How the Best Companies Apply Lean Manufacturing Principles to Shatter Uncertainty, Drive Innovation, and Maximize Profits (Hardcover)

When traditional managers apply traditional methods to chaotic events - Katrina, for example,or steep oil price increases - they get - you guessed it - traditional, disappointing results. Enter Steve Ruffa's approach to lean, as demonstrated by Toyota,Walmart and Southwest Airlines, three notches and two thousand miles above day to day lean operations. Ruffa provides hard answers and clear examples to the questions managers have been struggling with for over 15 years - how to take lean into bigger, crazier, more dangerous environments. Cross a hard aerospace engineer who loves real numbers, with great and flexible lean giants, and what you get is an over-riding lean approach dubbed Lean Dynamics by Shingo Prize winning author Ruffa, that US industries need right now. My only complaint? The title should have been Lean Dynamics.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must have for the Lean Practitioner!, July 13, 2008

By 

Joseph J. Hall "Lean Meister" (Irvine, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Going Lean: How the Best Companies Apply Lean Manufacturing Principles to Shatter Uncertainty, Drive Innovation, and Maximize Profits (Audio CD)

This Audio CD of the Book "Going Lean" by Stephen Ruffa is a must have for the Lean Practitioner or any one in a leadership postion in the 21st Century who wants to lead their team to excellence.

Ruffa does a great analysis and expands on current (2008) global business culture for multinational corporations in current times. Going Lean brings us up to date on earlier publication by Jim Womack, (The Machine that changed the World, Lean Thinking) and Liker's (The Toyota Way). Ruffa also gives credit and supports the early Lean Pioneers (Henry Ford, Ono, Deming, Peter Drucker and more experts within the recent age of digitalization and globalization.

A good reference source for Business school students at the undergraduate and Graduate School Level.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, January 12, 2009

By 

David J. Rizzardo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Going Lean: How the Best Companies Apply Lean Manufacturing Principles to Shatter Uncertainty, Drive Innovation, and Maximize Profits (Kindle Edition)

Going Lean is a must read for both the Lean veterans and those just initiating their Lean journeys. Again, Ruffa successfully provides an excellent book that doesn't just fall into the "same as" type of Lean category. By providing data on organizations across diverse sectors, he shows the far reaching applicability of Lean principles. His "value curve" clearly depicts the separation of the Lean versus the not-quite-so Lean organizations, and Ruffa's work, as usual, is backed by solid research. I highly recommend this book.