Product Description

Your hands-on guide to the secrets of Toyota's success! Jeffrey Liker first revealed the management principles Toyota's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability in the international bestseller "The Toyota Way". Now, he and Toyota veteran David Meier take those lessons a step further with "The Toyota Way Fieldbook". You'll receive the diagnostic tools, worksheets, and exercises - many adapted from Toyota originals - so you can craft the most effective approach for your organization. Learn how to develop a long-term philosophy of cost reduction, build a culture that stops to fix problems quickly, develop leaders that live your system, and transform your company into a true lean learning organization that continuously improves, meets the needs of its customers, and positions itself for long-term success.Most importantly, you'll understand the thinking behind lean tools and approaches so you can implement Toyota's 4P Model for success in your organization: Philosophy - the company is a vehicle for adding value to customers, society, the community, and its associates; Process - when leaders follow the right process they get the right results, including long-term cost-reduction and quality improvement; People and Partners - add value to an organization by challenging its people and partners to grow and become more skilled and confident; and, Problem solving - continuously solve root problems to drive organizational learning.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31741 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 476 pages

From the Back Cover

Your hands-on guide to the secrets of Toyota's success!

Jeffrey Liker first revealed the management principles Toyota's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability in the international bestseller The Toyota Way.

Now, he and Toyota veteran David Meier take those lessons a step further with The Toyota Way Fieldbook. You'll receive the diagnostic tools, worksheets, and exercises--many adapted from Toyota originals--so you can craft the most effective approach for your organization.

Learn how to develop a long-term philosophy of cost reduction, build a culture that stops to fix problems quickly, develop leaders that live your system, and transform your company into a true lean learning organization that continuously improves, meets the needs of its customers, and positions itself for long-term success.

Most importantly, you'll understand the thinking behind lean tools and approaches so you can implement Toyota's 4P Model for success in your organization:

Philosophy--The company is a vehicle for adding value to customers, society, the community, and its associates.

Process--When leaders follow the right process they get the right results, including long-term cost-reduction and quality improvement.

People and Partners--Add value to an organization by challenging its people and partners to grow and become more skilled and confident.

Problem solving--Continuously solve root problems to drive organizational learning.

About the Author

Jeffrey K. Liker, the author of the bestselling The Toyota Way, is Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering and cofounder and Director of the Japan Technology Management Program at the University of Michigan. His work has appeared in The Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, and other leading publications.

David Meier is the President of Lean Associates and was Group Leader for Toyota Motor Manufacturing for ten years. He helps other organizations across many industries learn from the Toyota Way.

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Customer Reviews

Lean Principles and Philosophy
This books explores the 12 philosophies of lean management as seen in the Toyota Production System. It is not a "how to" book - there are no methodologies for lean tools; rather the book explores lean principles and concepts in considerable detail (400 + pages) and how they can be applied in practice. To my mind the best elements of the book are the sections on problem solving and implementing lean. As a whole the book suffers from a dense style that makes it heavy going at times. The book also suffers from some gaps - insufficient space is given to how to achieve "flow" in an organisation with very variable demand. In addition, the book mentions the use of temporary staff to manage demand peaks but says nothing about how these people are recruited, trained, managed and involved in lean. The feeling is left that these are the "cannon fodder" of lean.

Overall this is probably essential reading for anyone involved in lean - but be ready for heavy going !.

Highly recommended to understand lean principles.
There are some books that are special. They make a real impact in your reflection. This is one! Well organized in the sequence to go through the 4 principles of Toyota Way. Easy to read. Facilitates comprehension and reflection on each lesson learned.
The authors have done an outstanding job to help general public, and specially business leaders and people working on the continuous improvement spirit, to learn not focusing on the tools - you always have guides and other materials to learn about each tool - but focusing on the SYSTEMIC vision of the lean paradigm.

Why this is a book for lean thinkers
Whilst the book will be seen as using in simple examples for lean practitioners. I suggest that it is a must read for those who are less familiar or just starting their lean journey.
I have been implementing lean across Europe for a number of years and reccommend this book to all who have an interest in improving their business