Springer The Lean Enterprise: From the Mass Economy to the Economy of One (Springer Texts in Business and Economics)

A clear and methodical guide to implementing ‘lean’ management, describing each step in a distinctive method-based ‘European’ process that contrasts with tools-based Japanese systems. Case studies from a range of industries provide invaluable real-world models. From the Back Cover  The book is divided into three parts. Part I. The Rising economy of “one” gives an overview of what is changing in the social system of production, focusing on the shrinking role of central planning and the rising power of individuation in the value creation chain.    Part II. Lean Enterprise in theory refers to the principles of lean thinking, the transfer of lean philosophy from East to West, and discusses the necessary adaptation to the Western way of thinking and practice. It presents a practice-proven method for achieving a lean integrated demand and supply chain and analyses in detail the related implementation steps. Criteria for the successful transition of a company to a lean state are presented.   Part III. Lean Enterprise in practice provides a number of implementation cases in different types of production companies using the method presented in Part II. The goal is to help the reader comprehend how the method can be applied to real lean implementation situations in resolving various issues, ranging from production to the supply chain. A vision of implementation to lean electricity rounds out the book. This tripartite approach parallels the three categories of the body of knowledge required by managers and engineers who will be involved in the development and management of the lean enterprises: basic principles of the new social system of production, the method and its use in practice. Part I focuses on the emergence of the economy of “one” and the principles of the new way to create value. Part II focuses on the body of knowledge of a practice-proven method for the design of a roadmap leading a company to its lean goal. Part III is devoted to building the road and on creating new value with an emphasis on production and the supply chain. With this body of knowledge, managers and engineers can grasp how a lean production company can be designed and managed to achieve lean sustainability.