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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Recommended to Those Wanting to Apply Lean Techniques, August 31, 2009
This review is from: How To Implement Lean Manufacturing (Hardcover)
An industrial contractor once told me that he really liked the fact that companies were trying to apply Lean because he got a lot of work as a fallout of poor application.
It's amazing to me that companies will try to adopt state-of-the-art manufacturing concepts, such as Lean, without a good understanding of what they hope to accomplish or even why the concepts have become popular.
I think part of the reason is that there is not much useful, practical advice on how to do it.
This book goes a long way toward filling that void.
It is loaded with practical examples and exercises to clarify the application methods and benefits. It has some suggestions on getting started that can make you money almost immediately.
Chapters 2-5 provide a good overview (and there is a glossary for quick reference). Chapters 6-8 give a step-by-step procedure for getting started. Other chapters explain how to advance a process already in place and several chapters have excellent case examples. I especially liked chapter 18 where there is a simple experiment with dice to show the effect of variation on plant capacity.
I very much enjoyed reading this book because it helped me understand the principles and how to apply them. I was also impressed with how much the case studies reinforced the principles and tied them to real events. I recommend it to those who wish to implement lean in their facility.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding Practical Guide to Lean Manufacturing!, September 22, 2009
This review is from: How To Implement Lean Manufacturing (Hardcover)
If you have read "LEAN THINKING" by James P Womack and Daniel T. Jones, you may have been left wondering what Lean Manufacturing and the Toyota Production System was all about. It may have seemed mysterious and not well defined. Lonnie Wilson's "HOW TO IMPLEMENT LEAN MANUFACTURING" is a guidebook to Lean Manufacturing that will take the mystery out of process for you. It is a practical HOW-TO guide that can be used by plant managers, executives, quality managers and production personnel to implement the Lean Systems within their facilities.
This book not only addresses the strategy on how to implement Lean Manufacturing but also addresses cultural change necessary for a successful transformation. In the end you have to sustain the gain and the book tells you what is necessary.
What makes this book standout from other Lean texts is that the book itself is written in a Lean style of writing. Lonnie uses "Points of Clarity" to highlight important concepts within the book. Additionally he uses hundreds of visual graphics and tables that draw the reader's attention. Visual clues and organization is a key concept in Lean. I don't think you can turn two or more pages without being grabbed by a new visual to help make a point in the book.
I was impressed with the level of practical detail. Need to calculate OEE or the proper KANBAN size? Does Value Stream Mapping have you confused? The book provides the formula's necessary. It places these concepts in context to the big picture of efficiency, lead-time or cycle-time reduction. The book is filled with personal examples from Lonnie Wilson's career leading transformation efforts. Case studies are also given to drive home and follow the complete process of a successful Lean project and some that are not so successful.
This is a book I would personally recommend to anyone getting ready to attend a Lean training workshop. Read this book first and you will be prepared for your class. As a university instructor, I like to tell my students, "The answer is in the book". I think you will find many insightful answers about Lean in Lonnie Wilson's "HOW TO IMPLEMENT LEAN MANUFACTURING".
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A how to manual to Lean Manufacturing in the real world, September 15, 2009
This review is from: How To Implement Lean Manufacturing (Hardcover)
The Japanese word "sensei" is usually translated into English as "teacher" but the literal translation, and possible better translation for this purpose, is "one that has gone before".
Lonnie Wilson's practical and pragmatic new book "How To Implement Lean Manufacturing" shows why Lonnie deserves the title "sensei". Lonnie shows us the way, and the potholes, because he has gone this way before, many times.
Mixing lean, theory of constraints, and six sigma (aka variation reduction), Lonnie shows how to move companies forward towards a better business model and greater profits. His writing style is personal and direct which makes the book easy to read in addition to causing deep thought about our own experience, leadership, and business situation. Lonnie does not lecture on about theory but shows practical applications and examples of how to use the Toyota Production System and Lean Manufacturing in our companies here and now.
After reading this book cover-to-cover I will keep it handy for reference and to have colleages read sections and discuss. I think everyone that is engaged in implementing Lean, or considering implementing Lean, should read this book.
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