Customer Reviews

Powered by Honda: Developing Excellence in the Global Enterprise

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Let me first say that I thoroughly enjoyed "Powered by Honda". I do agree with the review that some of the praise by the authors is a bit over the top, thus the four star review, but the fundementals of what they are teaching are excellent. Too many businesses don't pay attention to the details, both internally and externally, and "Powered by Honda" goes a long way in showing how important the customer/supplier relationship is in building quality products. W. Edwards Deming's PDCA circle and theory of continuous improvement are used throughout and I would suggest to anyone who finds the information in this book interesting to read the works of Dr. Deming, Juran, and Six Sigma teachings to learn more about the tools used by Honda. Anybody who is involved in quality improvement should enjoy the stories in the book and find a few ideas to add to their own work.

Powered by Honda is filled with valuable insights and uncommon sense. It is an excellent resource for managers who want to achieve world-class performance in their own organizations. Richard J. Schonberger, author of Building a Chain of Customers and World Class Manufacturing - The Next Decade

Powered by Honda is the inside story of Honda's BP program for enterprise excellence and is the best program of its kind in the United States. Robert W. Hall, Founder, Association for Manufacturing Excellence, Editor in Chief Target magazine

For those who think of Toyota as the leader in lean thinking, here's a colorful explanation of how Honda's 'racing spirit' is creating a truly lean enterprise in North America. Nelson, Mayo and Moody provide a step-by-step plan for building a smoothly flowing value stream from raw materials into the arms of the customer. Anyone who can't follow their simple instructions (and who doesn't get on the case immediately after putting this book down) has little chance of staying in the race. James Womack, President, Lean Enterprise Institute, co-author, Lean Thinking and The Machine That Changed the World

Powered by Honda tells the story of what Honda does by the people who do it. You can hear the belief and commitment behind their actions. With this book you experience the power of a unifying vision, unswerving support, deep human understanding, and the guts it takes to implement effectively. I knew they were good - but now I know why. Rick Dove, Chairman, Paradigm Shift Incorporated

Powered by Honda is for every leader's desk. If managers apply what they read in this book, their organizations will be dynamically improved, and their customers along with their associates will be delighted. Robert A. Kemp, PhD, CPM Former President, National Association of Purchasing Management President, Kemp Enterprises Former Professor Emeritus, Management, Duke University

Honda developed a unique approach to building a supply base and managing production that parallel the Toyota Production System, only Honda margins proved higher than Toyota's. Powered by Honda contains stories and examples illustrating how this simple kaizen-based system works. [...]

If you are looking for a "Toyota Way" level of insight in to Honda, it's definitely not here. If you want a manual for how to implement Honda's BP tools, it's not here. The BP material seems to be mostly just treated as magic that floats in and produces fantastic gains.

However, if you want some insight in to how Honda thinks, this is decent material. If you want a really good example of including purchasing as a key area of your business and not just people who squeeze suppliers for a few extra pennies, there is some good info here.

My first impression is that this is a 220 page fluff piece on how fantastic Honda's purchasing function is. This shouldn't have surprised me as it was written by Honda purchasing people, but it did. However, after some reflection, it did provide me some good insight on some of the interactions that I have had with HAM's purchasing team in the past and might have prepared me better for future interactions. Overall, I don't plan on reading it again, but it was worth the few bucks I paid for it used and I may keep it around on my shelf.

This is nothing more than a long puff piece, probably written to indoctrinate Honda employees. Alternately cryptic and jejune, it provides little insight into the workings of Honda's touted BP management system. Reflecting the American/Japanese duality in Honda culture, the book preaches in tones that are part Knute Rockne, part Zen Master. The overworked prose reaches its fawning heights in the section on Honda's racing team:

"All Honda team members share a fierce competitive spirit and an intense dedication to the task at hand."

"Under the stresses of racing, the driver, his vehicle, and his support team experience their greatest performance peaks. Each race, every lesson, and every failure are treasured."

"The company's leadership has consistently been drawn from the ranks of engineers who love engines and who share a passion to drive well-designed, robust, high-speed vehicles to their limits and beyond."

Yeeks!