8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a great common sense look at Lean, Jun 8 2006
By Bob Olson "Bob" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean: Lessons from the Road (Hardcover)
This book drives home some very critical thoughts around "Leadership"...a word that I feel is used too lightly...as it relates to Lean Implementation. In my opinion and based on what I take from this book, leadership is probably the most important aspect of the implementation. Without it you will fail!
"It is ideal to have senior leadership actively engaged in the lean journey, not just sitting in a seat, but also driving the vehicle. Unfortunately, senior leadership typically delegates the responsibility of guiding the lean journey to others of lessor authority." This sets up a fall guy rather than forcing leadership to look in the mirror to determine why they are not getting what they expected from lean. Challenge your leasdership to join the journey!
The book asks questions like; "Is leadership actively engaged?". This is such a good question but the answer may not be what you want to hear. Being engaged does not mean attending meetings!!
"Leaders can not lead if they can not teach." Wow...this is great...and to teach you must know the subject and to know it you must live it. If leaders are not hands on engaged they can't possibly "know" how to drive lean.
I could go on and on about the great material in this book but suffice to say...READ IT!! You will absolutely get more than your money's worth.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Hitchhiker's Guide: Don't leave home without it, Jan 25 2006
By Thomas L. Jackson - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean: Lessons from the Road (Hardcover)
The Lean Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean is one of very few books on lean enterprise on the market today that really, really "gets it". Authors Flinchbaugh and Carlino focus on the essential truth of lean enterprise, which is organizational learning. This is why your CEO, and not the "lean department," should be leading your lean transformation. Throughout the book, the authors make the point that lean is not just about manufacturing, it is way of managing continuous, evolutionary change in all conceivable dimensions: manufacturing, materials management, accounting, service--even personal life!
At core of the book is Flinchbaugh's and Carlino's important concept of a lean business operating system, which--much more than Just-In-Time production--makes lean tick. Why don't more lean gurus write about this?
In addition to getting it all right, the authors have wrapped their message in a highly readable, practical package.
Don't leave home on your lean journey without the Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Real-world experiences from the lean journey, Jan 18 2006
By Kevin Meyer "Author, Evolving Excellence" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean: Lessons from the Road (Hardcover)
There are many books on lean transformation that detail the tools and methods, with the better ones discussing the importance of culture and implementation. This book goes a step further by talking about the lessons learned from over 30 years of experience with real companies on the lean journey. The tips and ideas will reinvigorate your lean efforts and help you avoid potential pitfalls.