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The current global economic downturn and considerable shifting in industrial and manufacturing activities have disturbed the industrial order. However, human work productivity is still one of the most important components of the industrial economy and a determining factor in global competiveness and influence as well as the potential for technologi

Written by a recognized leader in the manufacturing industry with nearly two decades of experience working for Toyota, this book supplies a firsthand account of the realities behind implementing the Toyota Production System (TPS). The Toyota Kaizen Continuum: A Practical Guide to Implementing Lean presents authoritative insight on how to use the TPS to drive operational value and improvement across all segments of an organization.Highlighting valuable lessons learned directly from the TPS masters at the Toyota factories in Japan, John Stewart provides a time-tested approach for implementing a process of continuous improvement. Delving into his wide-ranging experience that includes time as a team member on the assembly line and managing the vehicle assembly division for Toyota`s largest European operation in the United Kingdom he explains how to get the process started, how to get senior management excited about the possibilities, and details a process for implementing the TPS in your organization. Written by an industry veteran named one of the Top 10 Automotive Executives by Automotive News in 2007 Unveils the methods used within the walls of the worlds premier manufacturing organization Illustrates valuable lessons learned with real-world examples of TPS implementations Describes five simple steps for executing change in any organization The book includes case studies that illustrate real-life successes and failures behind the walls of the worlds largest automobile manufacturing organization. Detailing a five-step process for executing improvement initiatives, it supplies you with the tools and understanding of the core principles of the TPS needed to implement and sustain a culture of continuous improvement in your organization.

This new compendium of recent advances in the use of modern technology and management concepts-- from distributed virtual manufacturing enterprises to integrating green technology in a cost-effective manner to materials and energy savingswill offer engineers and technical managers the needed insight to plan for future growth and success. Greater utilization and availability of resources in the workplace are directly related to better design and better engineering in the manufacturing economy. The book will explore how energy-efficient smart materials and structures hold tremendous potential for realizing cost savings and improving energy use in the modern industrial workplace. It will also show how industrial engineers have developed a variety of analytical and computer-based tools and technologies for planning, forecasting and scheduling resources including time, labor, and more recently, energy. Readers will also find: -- New trends in'i-Manufacturing'-- Finding optimal ways to distribute goods and services -- Human Resources Management in the context of efficient manufacturing -- Resources Planning, Forecasting and Scheduling -- Distribution, Logistics and Supply Chain Optimization -- Green Design and Manufacturing.

Now more than ever, American companies are experiencing a nagging feeling that they could be doing much better. Globalization, digitization, and the development of cellular technology have increased competition by leaps and bounds. As a consequence, skating by on marginal performance isn't enough. It's time for businesses to find the tools that will help them excel. A turnaround expert, Marvin Davis has made a career out of transforming underperforming companies. He assesses their mistakes, issues a diagnosis, and has helped allay the fears of many CEOs across the country -- leaving businesses more efficient and ultimately more competitive. In Take No Prisoners, he gives hard-line, tough-love solutions to the real and difficult problems that hinder profitability. By addressing issues that may at first seem too messy or dangerous, companies can learn how to truly improve performance, increase profits, and boost cash flow. Companies shouldn't wait until they are in dire straits to make changes; they can alleviate many problems if they act now and meet them head-on. Through real-life examples of corporations who have made these solutions work successfully, Take No Prisoners tells American companies the truth about the state of their business, and how to make it even better.

LEAN PRODUCTION - How to Use the Highly Effective Japanese Concept of Kaizen to Improve Your Efficiency will appeal to both a general self-help audience, as well as those with business and manufacturing interests. It provides specific techniques and behaviours to improve our effectiveness and packages them into an easily understandable philosophy of reducing waste in our lives. The system described in this book has been used very effectively in manufacturing in Japan for over forty years. Those who have come into contact with it invariably and almost naturally adopt it to their personal lives. This book will assist self-helpers who wish to improve their inner peace or, less spiritually, show entrepreneurs, managers and employees how to hone that corporate edge; so essential in today's highly competitive global marketplace. Author, Jim Thompson, served as Personnel Director for the GM Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac Central Office. He studied lean production systems first-hand, as a member of the General Motors Technical Liaison Office (TLO) with NUMMI (a GM/Toyota joint venture) in Fremont, California. After fourteen years with General Motors, he became Vice-President of Human Resources for the Walker Manufacturing Company, a division of Tenneco. He is currently President of In•Sight Management, Inc, a lean production consulting firm. Mr. Thompson holds a BA, MA, EdS and MBA from the University of Michigan. He is a dynamic and humorous speaker who popularizes lean production techniques to eliminate waste and restore sanity to our lives.