Going Lean: How the Best Companies Apply Lean Manufacturing Principles to Shatter Uncertainty, Drive Innovation, and Maximize Profits

By Stephen A. RUFFA

Going Lean sets aside the notion that efficient operations and powerful innovations are only possible when business is steady and demand is growing. Instead, companies must learn that sudden shifts or unpredictable conditions need not undermine their results. Led by a new breed of companies –Toyota, Wal-Mart, and Southwest Airlines—a powerful, yet unexpected mindset is reshaping the rules for business competitiveness. By using Lean Dynamics ™—based on the now-famous Toyota Production System—companies everywhere can thrive in virtually any environment. In Going Lean, readers will learn how to:

• become broadly effective in creating and sustaining value
• set a critical foundation for achieving sustained excellence
• identify sources of lag and create robust value streams that thrive in today’s dynamic conditions
• describe the underlying techniques to maintain steady and predictable flow
• create a system based on “pull,” or external demand that consistently introduces new innovation even during severe downturns
• strive for perfection
• deliver industry-leading returns

• Language: English
• Publisher: AMACOM
• Release date: Jun 30, 2008
• ISBN: 9780814410622

Stephen A. RUFFA

Stephen A. Ruffa is an aerospace engineer, a researcher, and the originator of the concept of lean dynamics. His distinctive observations are framed by a quarter-century of background engaged in supporting many of the Defense Department’s dynamic needs – from the design, manufacture, test, and repair of cutting-edge aircraft, to projects ensuring the availability of critical supplies for wartime demand surges. His joint government-industry study of lean manufacturing tools and practices across seventeen aerospace producers, together with his experience with implementing business improvement initiatives and his research on today’s leading firms gives him the unique perspective that made this project possible. His works have been widely cited and recognized; his previous book, Breaking the Cost Barrier: A Proven Approach to Managing and Implementing Lean Manufacturing (John Wiley & Sons, 2000) was awarded the 2001 Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing Research. He can be contacted at [e-mail].