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It's Not Magic: The Rebirth of a Small Manufacturing Company

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"It's not Magic" is a must read for anyone involved in constantly seeking improvement. The efficient mix of production techniques and management philosophy is needed to be successful in an increasingly competitive workplace. As anyone who has ever been on or around a production line knows the ultimate goal has to be seeking better methods to complete the work. It's very refreshing to see a real life example of how production and philosophy can work so well together. I look forward to the next publication by Klein and Zawacki.

It is refreshing to hear from a professor who has his feet on the ground. The easy stile of writing is very appealable, and the dialog flows easily while devulging the enjoyable relationship of owner, supervisors, line employees and Keen, the professor/consultant. All participate together in the rebirth of a small manufacturing company. All this takes place while decades'old organizational certainties meet with, blend, and in some cases are replaced by new discoveries. The author demonstrates that "salesmanship" is a key ingredient in effecting in-house change. A must read for anyone seeking to improve the bottom line. -- Rodger Faherty

As vice president for plant operations at a medium scale manufacturing plant in Saint Louis I have searched for an approach to improve the plant's productivity for many years. "It's Not Magic" has given me the tools to approach my problems differently. I have found the book's methods of management applicable to my manufacturing plant. Although I have only been able to test them out on a small scale, I look forward to being able to implement them plant wide. Kudos to Klein and Zawacki for hitting the nail on the head !

The book follows a small company as it starts down the road of modern management. The book is a fast read, and is similar to The Goal in style. In it the problems faced and the resources available reflect the real world of small to mid-size manufacturing. The key benefit to the reader is the blending of academic theory with shop floor reality. I enjoyed the book and learned some new ideas from it. More importantly, it also showed how to start putting those ideas into action.

It's Not Magic should be read by everyone involved in organizational change and improvement. It examines not only the need to change systems and structures but recognizes that success also requires the ability to bring about change in the organization's culture and way of thinking. In an easy to read and interesting format, Klein and Zawacki focus on a few fundamental concepts and illustrate how they actually applied these throughout an organization. The insights gained from their experiences are invaluable. Reading this book will motivate you to modify your outlook and organizational systems in order to transform your company into a world-class organization.