Lean laboratory

About: Lean laboratory is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1763 publications have been published within this topic receiving 74025 citations.

The Machine That Changed the World

Abstract: This book is based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 5-million-dollar 5-year study on the future of the automobile. Designated the International Motor Vehicle Program (IMVP), the MIT study explored the differences between mass production and lean production in the automobile industry. Lean production, pioneered by Eiji Toyoda and Taiichi Ohno at the Toyota Motor Company in Japan, combines the advantages of craft and mass production, while avoiding the high cost of the former and the rigidity of the latter. Toward this end, lean producers employ teams of multiskilled workers at all levels of the organization and use highly flexible, increasingly automated machines to produce volumes of products in enormous variety. Lean production (a term coined by IMVP researcher John Krafcik) is "lean" because it uses less of everything compared with mass production. Also, it requires keeping far less than half the needed inventory on site, results in many fewer defects, and produces a greater and ever growing variety of products. Lean production changes how people work. Most will find their jobs more challenging and will become more productive, but, at the same time, they may find their work more stressful. Lean production calls for learning far more professional skills (than in mass production) and applying these creatively in a team setting (rather than a rigid hierarchy). This book is organized in three sections. The first, "The Origins of Lean Production," traces the evolution of lean production. The second, "The Elements of Lean Production," looks at how lean production works in factory operations, product development, supply-system coordination, customer relations and as a total lean enterprise. Finally, in the third section, "Diffusing Lean Production," the authors examine how lean production is spreading across the world and to other industries and, in the process, is revolutionizing how people live and work. Also examined are the barriers that are preventing companies and countries from becoming lean. Creative ways leanness can be achieved are suggested.

Toyota Production System : Beyond Large-Scale Production

Abstract: In this classic text, Taiichi Ohno--inventor of the Toyota Production System and Lean manufacturing--shares the genius that sets him apart as one of the most disciplined and creative thinkers of our time. Combining his candid insights with a rigorous analysis of Toyota's attempts at Lean production, Ohno's book explains how Lean principles can improve any production endeavor. A historical and philosophical description of just-in-time and Lean manufacturing, this work is a must read for all students of human progress. On a more practical level, it continues to provide inspiration and instruction for those seeking to improve efficiency through the elimination of waste.

The Toyota way : 14 management principles from the world's greatest manufacturer

Abstract: 'This book will give you an understanding of what has made Toyota successful and some practical ideas that you can use to develop your own approach to business' - Gary Convis, Managing Office of Toyota. Fewer man-hours. Less inventory. The highest quality cars with the fewest defects of any competing manufacturer. In factories around the globe, Toyota consistently raises the bar for manufacturing, product development, and process excellence. The result is an amazing business success story: steadily taking market share from price-cutting competitors, earning far more profit than any other automaker, and winning the praise of business leaders worldwide."The Toyota Way" reveals the management principles behind Toyota's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability. Dr. Jeffrey Liker, a renowned authority on Toyota's Lean methods, explains how you can adopt these principles - known as the 'Toyota Production System' or 'Lean Production' - to improve the speed of your business processes, improve product and service quality, and cut costs, no matter what your industry.Drawing on his extensive research on Toyota, Dr.Liker shares his insights into the foundational principles at work in the Toyota culture. He explains how the Toyota Production System evolved as a new paradigm of manufacturing excellence, transforming businesses across industries. You'll learn how Toyota fosters employee involvement at all levels, discover the difference between traditional process improvement and Toyota's Lean improvement, and learn why companies often think they are Lean-but aren't. The fourteen management principles of the "Toyota Way" create the ideal environment for implementing Lean techniques and tools.Dr. Liker explains each key principle with detailed, examples from Toyota and other Lean companies on how to: foster an atmosphere of continuous improvement and learning; create continuous process 'flow' to unearth problems; satisfy customers (and eliminate waste at the same time); grow your leaders rather than purchase them; get quality right the first time; and grow together with your suppliers and partners for mutual benefit.Dr.Liker shows the Toyota Way in action, then outlines how to apply the "Toyota Way" in your organization, with examples of how other companies have rebuilt their culture to create a Lean, learning enterprise. "The Toyota Way" is an inspiring guide to taking the steps necessary to emulate Toyota's remarkable success. What can your business learn from Toyota? How to double or triple the speed of any business process? How to build quality into workplace systems? How to eliminate the huge costs of hidden waste? How to turn every employee into a quality control inspector? How to dramatically improve your products and services! With a market capitalization greater than the value of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler combined, Toyota is also, (by far), the world's most profitable automaker.Toyota's secret weapon is Lean production - the revolutionary approach to business processes that it invented in the 1950's and has spent decades perfecting. Today businesses around the world are implementing Toyota's radical system for speeding up processes, reducing waste, and improving quality. "The Toyota Way", explains Toyota's unique approach to lean - the 14 management principles and philosophy that drive Toyota's quality and efficiency-obsessed culture. You'll gain valuable insights that can be applied to any organization and any business process, whether in services or manufacturing.Professor Jeffrey Liker has been studying Toyota for twenty years, and was given unprecedented access to Toyota executives, employees and factories, both in Japan and the United States, for this landmark work. The book is full of examples of the 14 fundamental principles at work in the Toyota culture, and how these principles create a culture of continuous learning and improvement. You'll discover how the right combination of long-term philosophy, process, people, and problem solving can transform your organization into a Lean, learning enterprise - the Toyota Way.

Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation

Abstract: (1997). Lean Thinking—Banish Waste and Create Wealth in your Corporation. Journal of the Operational Research Society: Vol. 48, No. 11, pp. 1148-1148.