How to Implement Lean Manufacturing
Book

How to Implement Lean Manufacturing

Lonnie Wilson
McGraw-Hill, 2009
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Lonnie Wilson brings decades of experience to this practical guide. He shows you how to put lean manufacturing to work in the real world without the usual windbag textbook theories and with plentiful examples. getAbstract finds that he provides solid information about what you need to do (and don’t need to do) to maximize lean’s benefits for your company. Wilson is clear and strikingly passionate. His manual is not difficult to understand, but it is somewhat technical. He directs his lessons – and his informed opinions – toward those who already know a good bit about manufacturing processes. He explains how Toyota uses lean within its Toyota Production System, but he also discusses how you can put lean into practice. Wilson describes how important corporate culture is to implementing lean manufacturing and notes which aspects of your organization must align with its approach. The book is full of checklists, assessments and charts to help you get to its core principles easily and grasp them quickly without ever getting lost in a fog of philosophy.

Summary

Is Toyota’s Production System a Synonym for Lean?

The Toyota Production System (TPS) flows from the company’s corporate culture. It is an overall way of doing business, not just a manufacturing system, like lean. Trying to remake your culture might yield positive results, but it would be an expensive, long-term project. However, you can realize definite gains in a relatively short time by implementing lean manufacturing, especially if you focus on process engineering. Using lean manufacturing mostly involves taking practical steps that you can measure, analyze and adjust. You will see the business results of your efforts quickly in terms of efficiency and profitability. TPS is Toyota’s philosophical and practical overarching system for controlling product quality. It incorporates a lean manufacturing system, but implementing lean does not require using TPS.

Toyota’s corporate pioneers – Taiichi Ohno, Shigeo Shingo and members of the Toyoda family – developed the Toyota Production System. This system is based on “just in time” (JIT) manufacturing, which ensures the production of goods exactly when your customers want them, and on “jidoka,” a manufacturing improvement...

About the Author

Lonnie Wilson has many years of experience with lean. He founded Quality Consultants, which helps small and large companies implement lean’s principles and techniques.

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