Lean for Dummies

Have you thought about using Lean in your business or organization, but are not really sure how to implement it? Or perhaps you’re already using Lean, but you need to get up to speed. Lean for Dummies will show you how to do more with less and create an enterprise that embraces change.

In plain-English writing, this friendly guide explores the general overview of Lean, how flow and the value stream works, and the best ways to apply Lean to your enterprise. You will understand the philosophy of Lean and adopt it not as a routine, but a way of life. This highly informative book teaches you:

• The foundation and language of Lean
• How to map the value stream and using it to your business's advantage
• The philosophy of Kaizen
• Different tools to improve management, customer service, and flow and pull
• How to "Go Lean" within your business and across the industry
• Avoid common mistakes in implementation
• Seek out resources for assistance

This simple, continuous improvement approach that minimizes waste and adds customer value is changing organizations of all sizes all over the world. Lean for Dummies will show you to take charge and engage your enterprise in a Lean transformation!

• Introduction
  • About This Book
  • Conventions Used in This Book
  • Foolish Assumptions
  • How This Book Is Organized
    • Part I: Lean Basics
    • Part II: Understanding Flow and the Value Stream
    • Part III: The Lean Toolbox
    • Part IV: The Lean Enterprise
    • Part V: The Part of Tens
  • Icons Used in This Book
  • Where to Go from Here
• Part I: Lean Basics
  • Chapter 1: Defining Lean
    • What Is Lean?
      • Waste not, want not
      • The logic of Lean
      • Where is Lean?
      • What it's not
      • What makes Lean so special?
    • The Lean Pedigree
      • Toyoda and Ohno
      • The Toyota Production System
    • Lean and Its Continuous Process Improvement Cousins
      • Total Quality Management (TQM)
      • Six Sigma
      • Theory of Constraints (TOC)
      • Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
      • ISO-9000
      • Business Process Management (BPM)
  • Chapter 2: The Foundation and Language of Lean
    • Understanding Lean Basics
      • Creating the foundation
      • Learning from TPS
      • Foundational wisdom
    • Getting into Shape
      • Muda, muda, muda
      • All in the family
• Part II: Understanding Flow and the Value Stream
  • Chapter 3: Seeing Value through the Eyes of the Customer
    • What Is Value?
    • To Add Value or Not to Add Value, That Is the Question
      • Defining value-added
      • Defining non-value-added
      • When non-value-added seems like value-added
    • Understanding How the Customer Defines Value
      • Uncovering the elusive customer
      • Considering customer value
    • Understanding How the Consumer Defines Value
      • Responding to the consumer
      • Understanding what consumers value
    • Introducing the Value Stream
      • Visualizing the value stream
      • Looking at the flow of information
  • Chapter 4: A Resource Runs through It: Value Stream Mapping
    • The Who, What, and Why of Value Stream Maps
      • The purpose of a Value Stream Map
      • The person who use a Value Stream Map
      • The elements of a Value Stream Map
    • Row, Row, Row Your Boat: Getting Started
      • Identifying the natural owner
      • Gathering the crew
      • Using mapping tools
      • Gathering supporting information
      • A VSM example: Pre-made gourmet salads
    • Sorting Through the Tributaries: Creating the Current-State Value Stream Map
      • Identifying the activities
      • Qualifying and quantifying
      • Determining the information flow
    • Summing Up the Process
      • The box score
      • Takt time
    • Check the Chart: Validating the Value Stream Map
  • Chapter 5: Charting the Course: Using Value Stream Maps
    • Investigating the Value Stream for Clues
      • Rounding up the usual suspects
      • Analyzing from different perspectives
      • Evaluating the evidence: An analyzed example
    • Painting a Picture of the Future
      • Creating the Ideal-State Value Stream Map: Where all is perfect in the world
      • Stepping closer to perfection: The Future-State Value Stream Map
    • Creating the Mosaic of Continuous Improvement: Setting the Stage for Kaizen
      • Looking toward the annual horizon
      • Future-State implementation
  • Chapter 6: Flowing in the Right Direction: Lean Projects and Kaizen
    • Kaizen: A Way of Life
      • Kaizen: The philosophy
      • Kaizen in action
    • Improving the Value Stream with Kaizen
      • Selecting projects
      • Project methodology
      • Individual projects
      • Group projects
    • Kaizen: The Workshop
      • Planning the Kaizen workshop
      • Conducting the Kaizen workshop
      • Sustaining the Kaizen-workshop gains
• Part III: The Lean Toolbox
  • Chapter 7: Customer and Value-Stream Tools
    • Communicating with the Customer
      • Capturing the voice of the customer
      • Understanding customer satisfaction
      • Sizing up the competition
    • Working with the Value Stream
      • Quantifying the value stream
      • Making Woodward and Bernstein proud: Investigating your value stream like a reporter
    • Using Quaitative Tools
      • Relations Diagrams: Relating to each other
      • Affinity Diagrams: Like meets like
      • Tree Diagrams: From trunk to leaves
      • Matrix Diagrams: Where information meets
      • Matrix Data Analysis Charts: Comparing multiple characteristics
      • Process Decision Program Charts: Understanding and mitigating risk
      • Activity Networks or Arrow Diagrams: Networking activities
    • Working with Software Tools
  • Chapter 8: Flow and Pull Tools
    • Flow
      • Establishing order through 5S
      • Take one, make one
      • Preventing blockages to flow
    • Pull
      • Smoothing out the bumps
      • Signaling replenishment
      • Changing logistics
  • Chapter 9: Perfection Tools
    • Beginning with Standardized work
      • Guiding rules for standardized work
      • Implementing standardized work
    • Improving with Kaizen
    • Seeing Is Knowing: Visual-Management Tools
      • Andon
      • Display boards
      • Cross-training charts
      • Pictograms
    • Everyday Improvement Tools
      • The 5 Whys
      • The seven basic tools of quality
    • Computer Tools
  • Chapter 10: Management Tools
    • Managing Strategy
      • Hoshin: Balanced planning
      • The Balanced Scorecard
      • BAM! BAM! Management dashboards
      • Creepy, crawly spider charts
    • Go and See
      • Genchi genbutsu
      • Gemba walks
    • Software and Information Management
      • Lean facilitation software
      • Statistics and graphics analysis
      • Business Process Management
• Part IV: The Lean Enterprise
  • Chapter 11: Lean in the Organization: Principles, Behaviors, and Change
    • Assessing Organizational Culture
      • Will the real principles please stand up?
      • Getting the culture to the starting line
      • Measuring the gap
    • Changing the Organization
      • Going through the five phases of change
      • Hurdling roadblocks to success
    • Forecasting the Future
      • The journey that never ends
      • Propagating the principles
      • Differentiating the parts from the whole
  • Chapter 12: Power to the People
    • The Human Side of Change
      • Change and the individual
      • Change and the team
      • Change and the managers
    • The Master and the Students
      • The Lean sensei
      • Lean students
  • Chapter 13: Go Lean: Implementation Strategy, Startup, and Evolution
    • Preparing to Go Lean
      • Starting from the top
      • Creating the Lean infrastructure
    • Beginning the Journey: The Lean Rollout
      • Minding the big picture
      • Picking the starting point
      • Creating awareness
      • Avoiding program-of-the-month syndrome
      • Measurements: The enterprise at a glance
    • Living Lean
      • The Lean evolution
      • Building the learning organization
      • Creating the continuous-improvement mindset
      • Facilitating with finance
      • Getting support from IT
      • Now I am the master
  • Chapter 14: Lean within the Enterprise
    • Lean Enterprise Management
      • It's a Lean, Lean, Lean, Lean world
      • Leaning up the support functions
    • Lean Product Development
      • Product development: The systems approach
      • Hearing the voice of the customer
      • Front-loading the engineering process
      • Concurrent engineering
      • Genchi genbutsu: Go and see
      • Rigorous standardization — for maximum flexibility
      • Designing for manufacture
      • Built-in learning
      • A few words about software development
    • Lean Supplier Management
      • Behaving like one entity: The architecture of supply
      • Binding the links
      • Let it flow
      • Logistics
      • Positioning stock strategically in the chain
    • Lean Production Processes
      • Lean Customer Management
      • Selling the customer
      • Servicing the customer
    • Lean and the Quality Organization
  • Chapter 15: Lean across Industry
    • Starting with What's Common
    • Lean Manufacturing
      • From batch to flow
      • Safety: "The sixth S"
      • Reducing inventory
      • Kanban, just-in-time, and the pull system
      • Volume and variety
    • Lean Services
      • Commercial services versus internal services
      • A service is a product too!
      • The seven forms of service waste
      • Improving services the Lean way
    • Lean Transactions
    • Lean Government
    • Lean in Healthcare
      • Improving healthcare through Lean
      • Defining waste in healthcare
    • Lean Everywhere
      • Nonprofit organizations
      • Retail
• Part V: The Part of Tens
  • Chapter 16: Ten Best Practices of Lean
    • Feel the Force (of the Customer), Luke
    • Step by Step, Inch by Inch
    • Follow the Value Stream
    • Eat Your Vegetables
    • Turn Over a Rock
    • People First!
    • Genchi Gambutsu
    • The Art of Simplicity
    • At a Glance
    • Standardize Something — Standardize Everything!
  • Chapter 17: Ten Pitfalls to Avoid
    • Yawn
    • Same-Old Same-Old Senior Management
    • Quick Fix!
    • Cherry-Picking
    • Beans Are Beans
    • Playing the Shell Game
    • The Grease Monkeys
    • Busy Bees
    • Stuck in the Middle Again
    • Lean Six Sigma
  • Chapter 18: Ten Places to Go for Help
    • Books and Publications
    • Online Information
    • Blog Sites
    • Professional Societies and Associations
    • Conferences and Symposia
    • Consultants, Facilitators, and Trainers
    • Lean Periodicals
    • Software Providers
    • Practitioners
    • Related Genres

An excellent introduction to Lean and the concepts of Lean. The authors even manage to sometimes be critical of the concept, which just gives them added credibility.

Recommended as a first time Lean book. It covers what you need to understand.