Lean Manufacturing for the Small Shop, Second Edition

Thousands of people at hundreds of companies have used the Shingo Prize Award-winning first edition of Lean Manufacturing for the Small Shop as their how-to guide to shortening delivery times, eliminating waste, improving quality, and reducing costs.

Revised and expanded, the second edition describes not only what to do, but includes many tools useful to the reader describing how to do it. The principles of the Toyota production system are effective in any industry and within any company. But the challenge is to apply the right tool, at the right place, at the right time, while maintaining the flexibility and nimble nature required of smaller shops. Customized to be applicable to this environment, some of the tools explored include kaizen, value stream mapping, takt time, determining optimum lot sizes, setup reduction, flow, standard work instructions, problem solving, overall equipment effectiveness, jidoka and poka yoke, pull systems, standard work-in-process, and facility planning. To help a company benchmark progress, there is also a lean self-assessment included.

The lean journey requires a long-range vision. It is a never-ending process of improvement and change. No easy matter, adopting the lean culture requires thoughtful attention to modifying behaviors, long-held beliefs, and values. Chapters on leading change, training, teams, and people relate helpful tips, examples, and strategies for transforming to a lean and green culture.

Author Gary Conner has added new case studies, anecdotes, tools, and techniques he has developed through his experiences in implementing lean in many "mom and pop" shops. Kaizen is hard work. The techniques and methods he shares will help lean implementers ensure that the transformation provides long-lasting gains.