Description
Book SynopsisThis book is about an actual Lean transformation that took place in a 100-year-old North American manufacturer''s factory. Lean Today, Rich Tomorrow: Succeeding in Today''s Globalization Chaos tells the story of how an obsolete factory destined for closure was transformed into the most productive North American manufacturer in its field, but this shift didn''t happen without its share of obstacles.
Despite the problems the company encountered, the implementation of the Lean/TPS with JIT and Kaizen absolutely ensured its survival while many companies in the field fell under the shadow of bankruptcy. The company eliminated the bad habits associated with its antiquated push system, including piecework, batch process, and rework, and transformed its factory into a JIT/Lean philosophy-driven plant with one-piece flow, U-shaped production lines, and productivity sharing.
Telling a tale of adventure, the book guides readers through the steps taken by t
Table of Contents
Ten Years Later. Setting the Challenge. Rethinking the Factory’s Layout and Production Philosophy. New Layout and Training. Reviewing the Salary, Structure, and Bonus System. Organizing the Work. Overcoming the Obstacles. Establishing a Gain-Sharing System to Stimulate Productivity. Carrying Out a First Assessment and Detecting Errors along the Way. Putting Kaizen into Practice in the Factory. Tour of a Chinese Supplier: A Wake-Up Call. End of an Era. Winning Conditions for a Successful JIT and Kaizen Implementation Project. Toyota’s Lean Production System, Kaizen, and Related Concepts. Tour of World-Class Japanese Factories. Myths and Realities of Japanese Industry Workers.
