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August 5, 2005
The Constraints Management Handbook
Cox, J.F. and M.S. Spencer, The Constraints Management Handbook. Boca Raton, FL : St. Lucie Press, 1998
A book claiming to be a handbook should serve as a reference for implementers, provide a framework or structure you can use, and examples of similar situations. The Constraints Management Handbook* provides all three along with some other useful information.
The book is divided into three sections.
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August 5, 2005
Lean Manufacturing for the Small Shop
Connor, Gary, Lean Manufacturing for the Small Shop. Dearborn, MI: Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 2001.
Small manufacturing companies face many of the same problems faced by larger organizations as they seek to improve their operations. Smaller organizations, however, also face lower product volumes, wider product variety, more inconsistent schedules and greater lack of resources than large higher volume manufacturers.
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August 5, 2005
The Manufacturer's Guide to Implementing the Theory of Constraints
Woeppel, Mark J., The Manufacturer’s Guide to Implementing the Theory of Constraints. Boca Raton, FL: St. Lucie Press, 2001.
Implementation projects, although characterized by twists and turns and the occasional setback, are pretty much linear. The sequence of activities includes the development of a plan, a kickoff, a series of tasks, a conclusion and periodic follow up to make sure the gains aren't lost. Implementations are also excellent teachers - you can learn a lot by doing.
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August 5, 2005
Running Today’s Factory: A Proven Strategy for Lean Manufacturing
Standard, Charles and Davis, Dale, Running Today’s Factory: A Proven Strategy for Lean Manufacturing. Dearborn, MI: society of Manufacturing Engineers, 1999
Are you a “rule follower” or a “rule breaker”? Rules are generally good things. They give us clear direction. As parents we use rules to teach right from wrong. What do we do though, when a rule doesn’t quite fit?
Manufacturing performance improvement is no stranger to rules. Books and seminars list the rules of today.
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August 5, 2005
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
Maxwell, John C.: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: follow them and people will follow you. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1998
Are leaders born or made? Can you learn how to be a better leader? John Maxwell, in his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership has an interesting answer to the first question and answers the second question with a resounding yes. John Maxwell divides leadership into 21 bite sized pieces that make it easier to understand and improve our own styles.
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August 5, 2005
Good to Great
Collins, James C.: GOOD TO GREAT: why some companies make the leap…and others don’t. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2001
Why do some companies become truly great while others, faced with identical circumstances, languish or fail? Can other firms take similar steps and realize similarly spectacular results? Jim Collins, in the book Good to Great , examines 11 companies that made a significant change to greatness in a short time.
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August 4, 2005
The Gold Mine: A Novel of Lean Turnaround
Balle, Freddy and Balle, Michael. Brookline, MA: Lean Enterprise Institute, 2005.
Generally, we read novels for enjoyment and textbooks for their educational value, but once in a while a book comes out that is both. The classic example in manufacturing is The Goal, the book about theory of constraints, by Goldratt. This book, however, has a common complaint: it provides more concept than direction.
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July 26, 2005
Practical Lean Accounting
Maskell, Brian, and Baggaley, Bruce. New York, NY: Productivity Press, 2004
Once upon a time when lean was new, we considerably improved one area in our shop. We were able to produce in a little more than a day what used to take a week. Naturally, we were proud of ourselves . . . until the controller chewed us out for quadrupling the overhead rate for that area of the plant and demanded the parts be outsourced because they were too expensive to be made inside.
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