Leading the Lean Enterprise Transformation

Contributor:  Book Review
Posted:  11/11/2009  3:53:00 PM EST  |  0

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By George Koenigsaecker

Published by Productivity Press in 2009

At The Danaher Corporation, George Koenigsaecker led the lean transformations of both the automotive and tool groups. He also led The Hon Company’s successful lean conversion, which doubled productivity and tripled revenues, leading Industry Week to recognize HON on their list of the World’s 100 Best Managed Firms. Written to help executives in determining right from wrong during a lean initiative, Leading the Lean Enterprise Transformation shows that lean is more about an approach than it is about tools. It presents the successful strategies and case histories of several key American leaders who have been instrumental in bringing lean to the forefront of various industries.

Organized in the chronological sequence that a leader embarking on a lean journey would experience, this lively work:

• Describes the simple, yet powerful, True North metrics used by Toyota and describes how they drive every line item in the good direction
• Explains the use of value stream analysis at the leadership level
• Shows how to structure successful kaizen events that improve the value stream
• Presents tactical organizational steps necessary to sustain double-digit improvements
• Explores the development of a corporate assessment and review structure in support of a lean transformation
• Introduces leadership tools such as strategy deployment, transformation value stream analysis, and transformation plan of care

Lastly, the book discusses what may well be the least understood and most critical aspect of a lean transformation: the building of a lean culture. That ability is what separates the tactician from the technician. While many books exist that detail all the tools needed for a lean implementation, this book explains those tools needed at the enterprise level by executives, but more importantly it provides potential change agents with the skills to define, develop, and communicate a vision. It helps cultivate the willingness to innovate and learn by doing. Such a course is not for everyone, just leaders.