James K. Franz – författare

Building upon the international bestselling Toyota Way series of books by Jeffrey Liker, The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement looks critically at lean deployments and identifies the root causes of why most of them fail. The book is organized into three major sections outlining:

Why it is critical to go beyond implementing lean tools and, instead, build a culture of continuous improvement that connects operational excellence to business strategyCase studies from seven unique industries written from the perspective of the sensei (teacher) who led the lean transformationLessons about transforming your own vision of an ideal organization into reality

Section One: Using the Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA) methodology, Liker and Franz contrast true PDCA thinking to that of the popular, superficial approach of copying "lean solutions." They describe the importance of developing people and show how the Toyota Way principles support and drive continuous improvement. Explaining how lean systems and processes start with a purpose that provides a true north direction for all activities, they wrap up this section by examining the glaring differences between building a system of people, processes, and problem- solving that is truly lean versus that of simply trying to "lean out" a process.

Section Two: This section brings together seven case studies as told by the sensei who led the transformation efforts. The companies range from traditional manufacturers, overhaul and maintenance of submarines, nuclear fuel rod production, health care providers, pathology labs, and product development. Each of these industries is different but the approaches used were remarkably similar.

Section Three: Beginning with a composite story describing a company in its early days of lean implementation, this section describes what went right and wrong during the initial implementation efforts. The authors bring to light some of the difficulties the sensei faces, such as bureaucracies, closed-minded mechanical thinking, and the challenges of developing lean coaches who can facilitate real change. They address the question: Which is better, slow and deep organic deployment or fast and broad mechanistic deployment? The answer may surprise you. The book ends with a discussion on how to make continuous improvement a way of life at your company and the role of leadership in any lean transformation.

The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement is required reading for anyone seeking to transcend his or her tools-based approach and truly embrace a culture of continuous improvement.

Four E-Books in One

The Toyota Way

TOYOTA. The name signifies greatness—world-class cars and game-changing business thinking In factories around the world, Toyota consistently makes the highest-quality cars with the fewest defects of any competing manufacturer, while using fewer man-hours, less on-hand inventory, and half the floor space of its competitors. The international bestsellerThe Toyota Way written by Jeffrey Liker, is the first book for a general audience that explains the management principles and business philosophy behind Toyota''s worldwide reputation for quality and reliability.

The Toyota Way Fieldbook

The Toyota Way Fieldbook is a companion to the international bestseller The Toyota Way . The book builds on the philosophical aspects of Toyota''s operating systems by detailing the concepts and providing practical examples for application that leaders need to bring Toyota''s success-proven practices to life in any organization..

The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership

In The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership, Jeffrey Liker and Gary L. Convis present a four-step model top leaders can use to create a culture dedicated to continuous improvement. The authors provide the tools to getting employees to refocus their efforts—from simply performing their singular function to delivering value across all functions. Managers learn how to foster self-development in every employee, at every level; put each employee in the position to develop others; and remove obstacles and set the types of goals that ensure every team contributes to continuous improvement and the attainment of long-term goals.

The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement

In The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement, Jeffrey Liker, bestselling author, teams up with former Toyota production engineer James Franz to explain the underlying thinking behind continuous improvement and why any company needs a disciplined approach to process improvement in every part of the organization. Liker and Franz outline the common mistakes in thinking that limit results, and they reveal how Toyota achieves its dual objectives of improving business performance and developing its people through following Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s teachings of Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA).