Becoming Lean: Inside Stories of U.S. Manufacturers | 
 enlarge | Creators: James P. Womack, Jeffrey K. Liker
Publisher: Productivity Press
Category: Book
List Price: $40.00
Buy New: $8.75
You Save: $31.25 (78%)
New (13) from $8.75
Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 464526
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 560
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.5
ISBN: 1563271737
Dewey Decimal Number: 658.500973
EAN: 9781563271731
ASIN: 1563271737
Publication Date: November 12, 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
What is Lean?
Pure and simple, lean is reducing the time from customer order to manufacturing by eliminating non-value-added waste in the production stream. The ideal of a lean system is one-piece flow, because a lean manufacturer is continuously improving.Most other books on lean management focus on technical methods and offer a picture of how a lean system should look like. Other books provide snapshots of companies before and after lean was implemented. This is the first book to provide technical descriptions of successful solutions and performance improvements. It's also the first book to go beyond snapshots and includes powerful first-hand accounts of the complete process of change; its impact on the entire organization; and the rewards and benefits of becoming lean. At the heart of Becoming Lean are the stories of American manufacturers that have successfully implemented lean methods. The writers offer personalized accounts of their organization's lean transformation. You have a unique opportunity to go inside the implementation process and see what worked, what didn't, and why.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 Very Informative July 21, 2005
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is exactly what I was looking. It provides an detailed overview of Lean Manufacturing, from its history to examples of implementation in US manufacturing facilities today.
If you are looking for a detailed overview and want to understand what lean manufacturing is all about, then I highly recommend this book. I have passed it on to our CEO (with specific sections marked) and it has sparked great discussion concerning our manufacturing methods.
 PRACTICAL April 30, 2003
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
BECOMING LEAN
Probably one of the better "lean" production books, because most books will tell you what lean production is. We have all heard the buzzwords, kaizen, quality circles, empowerment, kanban, benchmarking. but one is still left with their peculiar situation. There is always the thought that this particular company or industry is does not lend itself to lean production and is the exception to the rule. "Becoming Lean" is the account of some diverse companies on the road to lean production. The attempt of make each company fit a certain production model and achieve its goal. I recommend this book for teaching by example, instead of dealing with just theory.
A Data Bound Argument for Lean January 28, 1999
22 out of 23 found this review helpful
This is the real stuff - not academic theory but real examples of "lean" written by the people that made it happen. The concluding chapter on "what we have learned about becoming lean" pulls it all together in a neat package. This is a must read for anyone who enjoyed Womack's book on "Lean Thinking". We have applied these learnings at this company with great results.
The most insightful first-hand account of implementing lean. January 13, 1999
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
This book covers a number of great insights into the journey to leanness. It has the unique angle of having its case studies written by the people from the companies profiled in the studies. This gives a first hand review of the accomplishments and roadblocks that are part of becoming lean by those that went through them. Becoming Lean also gives accounts from people with personal experience from working for Toyota while they transplanted to North America to how the Japanese school system compares to and contrasts from the American school systems. In general, this book gives an excellent understanding that only a first-hand account can do. If you want to learn what it means to become lean this book is a must and should be used as a reference book while going through the lean transformation!
A must read for companies thinking of lean implementation. January 12, 1999
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
"Becoming Lean" delivers the promise of its title by documenting case studies of successful lean implementations in diverse industries. The step-by-step accounts of the implementors (CEOs, Presidents, and consultants) identify successful strategies and execution, as well as problems encountered during the implementations. Having worked in manufacturing for 29 years, I'm ecstatic that American companies are now understanding that we engineer and manufacture products in a global market. The only way to ensure long term survival is to deliver the highest quality at an affordable price (and cost), precisely when the customer wants it! Lean Manufacturing is the only way to achieve ALL of these fundamental requirements. "Becoming Lean" provides the tools to get your company either started, or back on track, on the road to Lean success.
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