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2 Second Lean
Book

2 Second Lean

How to Grow People and Build a Fun Lean Culture at Work & at Home

Paul A. Akers
Fastcap Press, 2014
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Recommendation

Entrepreneur and business writer Paul A. Akers narrates from his hands-on experience as he transforms his business into a “2 Second Lean” (his trademarked term) culture. His short manual bursts with enthusiasm and uses real-life pictures that show the before and after stages of his company’s Lean changes. Akers draws heavily from his leadership experience at FastCap LLC. He avoids manufacturing jargon and complex theory in this chatty, personal, humorous account. getAbstract recommends most of his suggestions to start-ups, business owners, shop floor staff and anyone seeking to optimize their business processes.

Summary

“Lean Thinking”

Imagine that you own a small business that produces innovative woodworking products. You are an expert in the field, and your bank gives you a big loan to expand your thriving business. You impress everyone with your success, but when you hire a consultant to optimize your inventory, the consultant says you lack expertise and that your manufacturing processes are not viable. Feeling somewhat humiliated, you start reading about the Toyota Production System. You learn about Lean thinking, which advises making every step in your process as efficient and simple as possible. You move gradually from “big batch” thinking – producing, say, 100 pieces at a time – to making only what you need when you need it. By adopting Lean thinking, you reduce the stock you manage and, instead, directly tackle two crucial maxims: cut waste and improve constantly.

“One-Piece Flow”

Running a big batch production process requires lots of space, machinery and people, plus the means to move products around. If, instead, you opt for “U-shaped manufacturing cells,” each worker becomes responsible for producing only one item from start to finish. This offers many benefits...

About the Author

Founder and owner of FastCap LLC, Paul A. Akers is an Extreme Lean enthusiast and hosts the radio show, “The American Innovator.”

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