Let's Fix It!: Overcoming the Crisis in Manufacturing [Hardcover]

Richard J. Schonberger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 4, 2001

Reporting on his research on 500 leading companies, a leading expert reveals that the world's most admired manufacturers have become complacent - that with their bulging inventories their profits are in danger, and presents a four part plan for getting back on track. In 1996, Richard Schonberger's WORLD CLASS MANUFACTURING: THE NEXT DECADE, winner of the Shingo Prize for manufacturing research, presented eye-catching results. Manufacturing firms had reached peaks of excellence and promised that there was more to come. Now, in his most important work yet, Schonberger rings the warning bell: record profits are covering up waste and weakness and companies must act now or fall prey to low-cost upstarts in China, the Near East, and Latin America. Schoenberger reveals that by the critical standard of lean production, shedding inventories, nearly seventy five percent of the world's leading manufacturers, including General Electric, General Motors and Toyota, have stopped improving. Amidst prosperity, these companies have inventories that are bursting at the seams. With upstarts around the world waiting to pounce, Schonberger argues that these companies need shock treament now. His revolutionary four part success formula shows manufacturers how to create Dynamic Tech Centres that develop or acquire new products, eliminate manufacturing wastes, simplify and standardize production and move production abroad for high volume manufacturing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The global economy has ushered in competition from all corners of the earth, and manufacturers haven't changed their ways to accommodate the new order, says Richard J. Schonberger in Let's Fix It!: Overcoming the Crisis in Manufacturing. Having conducted research on 500 companies, Schonberger (World Class Manufacturing) believes that the top manufacturers are resting on their laurels and will soon regret their neglect of the principles of lean production, i.e., getting rid of inventory. GE, GM, Mercedes and Toyota are just a few of the companies that come under his gimlet eye. He proposes a four-step solution involving new product development and acquisition, streamlining production, eliminating manufacturing wastes and, of course, looking at manufacturing possibilities overseas. Regardless of the market's state, companies will need to heed such thoughtful advice in the face of rapid-fire economic changes.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A well-known consultant in production and manufacturing and former professor of management at the University of Nebraska, Schonberger (Japanese Manufacturing Techniques) argues that our biggest manufacturing companies are losing strength. Problems stem from complacency, satisfaction with large inventories, poor job designs, bad equipment, outmoded organizational structures, managers who frequently change jobs, and even stock deals that pleased investors during the boom years of the 1990s. A skilled researcher, Schonberger designed a self-grading questionnaire and sent it to 500 companies (e.g., General Electric, General Motors, Toyota). Their scores led him to conclude that something has to be done to fix the situation. Attention to customers, plant design, better inventory control, and global implications are key areas companies must focus on in order to reverse the downward trend. The book is filled with acronyms and management and production jargon, but it is well-written and contains brief case studies and company anecdotes. An extensive bibliography and appendixes support the writing and research methodology. A good consideration for business school libraries as well as special libraries in many corporations, this book will appeal to executives, managers, supervisors, and students. Steven J. Mayover, Philadelphia

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1st edition (December 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743215516
• ISBN-13: 978-0743215510
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,138,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's about time, January 22, 2002

By 

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

This review is from: Let's Fix It!: Overcoming the Crisis in Manufacturing (Hardcover)

Schonberger opened the door to Japanese manufacturing techniques almost twenty years ago. Now, he looks at the primary indicator of mfg. performance - inventories - and proves how our early Just-in-time and Lean improvements gave way to bad practices and inventory growth. Using his data base of several hundred companies, he shows which ones fell down, which ones gained ground, and what needs fixing. An important piece for a confused and painful time in industry.