Lean Field Manual
The Lean Field Manual was developed for the lean practitioner in mind. So many times lean is sold as a corporate program or a high level set of complicated tools.The truth is that lean takes place where the value is added with incremental improvements occurring every hour of every day using very basic techniques. Lean does not require a formal education or vast experience. The most effective lean approach is to begin learning the basic waste reduction techniques and simply trying them with your team in your process.
Every technique in this book is a low cost or no cost technique requiring little or no capital investment. Using these techniques will provide extensive process improvement with potentially game changing results. Most of the techniques found in the Lean Field Manual will cost nothing except for your time, effort, learning and most importantly your willingness to change. Once this process is started, there is no finish line. Waste reduction should be part of everyone's job in your organization on an ongoing basis.
The techniques you will read about are very basic and simple. No computers or software are required. The manual was designed and organized to be carried on the practitioner into the field so as to have quick and easy access to the various techniques to solve a given problem or improve a certain aspect of a process while working in the process. It was also designed to get back to the basics of waste reduction and process improvement. The point of The Lean Field Manual is to cut through all of the smoke and mirrors, put aside all the politics and strip away all the program bells and whistles to get down to the brass tacks of Lean and get back to the basics of waste reduction. The bottom line is lean doesn't have to be complicated.
These lean techniques and this manual were designed with the practitioner in mind. No matter your level in the organization, the basic principles stay the same. This manual is for everyone in any organization from the front line associate to the vice president. Everyone in the organization should have access to these techniques. Many of these techniques can be and should be applied to non-manufacturing processes as well.
Finally, these techniques work. I have been working with Lean for 15 years and use only these basic tools 95% of the time. I have completed successful operational turnarounds of various companies using only the techniques in this manual. These were companies with hemorrhaging cash flows due to cost issues, poor customer quality and inconsistent on-time delivery. I have found that keeping the techniques simple and standard allows for a much more successful process improvement approach.
The Lean Field Manual is setup to provide easy access to the required Lean technique. Its presented in a clear and concise manner so any one of the techniques can be learned and understood under 2 minutes. Most are condensed down and presented on a single page with diagrams and/or examples as well as a brief description about how it works.
I hope you enjoy working through the many techniques found in this book.
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