Page 13 - How To Implement Lean Manufacturing

xii Pr ef a c e

Regarding the books on Lean, I find the materials to be in two categories.
First, some literature is just way too complicated for many to deal with, at least
regarding the initial phases of implementation. Although there is a reasonable amount
of good literature on Lean, some of it does not really reach the audience I am trying to
reach, such as those starving for information on “Just how do I implement this thing
called Lean?” For example, the best source of Lean information, for me, is Ohno’s book
(Ohno, 1988). I find it rich in both information and insights. But his book is a hard read.
It’s sometimes difficult to follow Ohno’s train of thought. In addition, he has the ability
to say some very powerful things in very simple sentences. As a result, the depth of his
statements often goes unnoticed by those just beginning their study of Lean or the
Toyota Production System (TPS). Thus, Ohno is often misunderstood. Worse, some of
what he says goes completely unnoticed by the novice. I am not sure who Ohno
characterizes as his audience, but he takes many things for granted that the typical
reader does not fully comprehend, especially if they are just beginning to research Lean.
For example, Ohno’s explanation of how quality was under control when they first
∗
launched the TPS is not fleshed out fully enough for the novice. Such things make his
book, as well as Shingo’s, a bit ineffective with some readers (Shingo, 1989).
Still other books have been written by ex-Toyota personnel. Some of these books are
quite good yet many readers are unable to identify with them. I found this curious,
since usually books written by insiders are quite good. Nonetheless, I would get
comments from readers like, “Sounds good, but it’s not something we can do here,” or
other remarks about the ideas’ inapplicability, despite the fact that the system could
indeed be applied to their situation. Still, it prevented these people from using these
resources as they embarked on their own Lean journey—or worse yet, it prevented
them from even starting a Lean implementation. Hence, I have written this as a
simplified version of “How to Implement Lean,” complete with a methodology for
assessing a company’s needs, as well as a prescription for implementation.
The second intimidating factor about some of the literature has to do with the deep
cultural changes needed to fully implement Lean. For example, some people embarking
on a potential Lean journey will read about how the line operator is empowered—
actually required—to shut down production when problems occur. They then contrast
this to their facility where they see this outcome as a practical impossibility. The gap is
just too intimidating for them. Or perhaps they read about the belief that defects and
failures are seen as opportunities to improve production rather than as obstacles to
overcome, and they just cannot envision this idea as part of their culture. These are not
technical issues, they are cultural issues, and in some cases they will require huge
changes—changes larger than they can imagine. And so they become discouraged.
Make no mistake about it, these are powerful aspects of Lean, aspects that separate
it from other manufacturing philosophies, and aspects that should be sought after.
Again, make no mistake. Toyota, as well as others that developed these cultural
changes, spent a significant amount of effort and time on the process, and it came with
many bumps, bruises, and wrong-paths-taken. But these cultural changes were exactly
what was required—in fact, they are the reasons Ohno was so successful. He guided his
culture through the murky waters of change, and did so with skill.
These required cultural changes should be the reason people adopt, not avoid, a
Lean implementation effort.

∗ See the section “It Is Not a Complete Manufacturing System” in Chap. 2.