Strategic KAIZEN™: Using Flow, Synchronization, and Leveling [FSL™] Assessment to Measure and Strengthen Operational Performance (BUSINESS BOOKS) - Hardcover

Imai, Masaaki

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 126014383X ISBN 13: 9781260143836

Publisher: McGraw Hill, 2021

Synopsis

Transform your company’s critical operations―and its destiny―through a powerful kaizen-focused strategy designed for 21st century efficiency

A pioneer of the operational excellence movement that continues to transform businesses across the world, Masaaki Imai takes you to the next step of continuous improvement―developing an overall strategy for measuring your company’s operational performance and improving processes in ways that boost efficiency and gain competitiveness. 

In Strategic KAIZEN™, Imai walks you through the process of shifting your focus from volume and speed to his revolutionary Flow, Synchronization, and Leveling (FSL™) evaluation―the most effective Lean paradigm available. At the heart of his approach is the concept of flow―ensuring that each work piece flows between processes without interruption and stagnation. This game-changing guide teaches you:

• The critical importance of assessing corporate performance from both the financial and operational standpoints
• How to identify basic structures of the ideal production and operating systems
• Proven ways of implementing FSL to establish where improvements are most needed and build a strategy that takes you to new heights of corporate performance

Certain to be another instant classic from Masaaki Imai, Strategic KAIZEN™ provides an abundance of case studies from companies that have successfully implemented FSL™ and tangible know-how to improve FSL™ status to achieve a lean summit.

Whether you run a business, serve in public service, or practice Lean, this groundbreaking guide provides everything you need to transform your organization―and help lead it to the top of your industry, trade, or business.

About this title

About the Author

Masaaki Imai is a pioneer of continuous improvement and of modern business operational excellence. He was a close associate of Toyota’s Taiichi Ohno and first introduced Lean management philosophy to the world.

From the Back Cover

In his third book Masaki Imai asks the important question, “Why after all these years have so few companies adopted the Lean approach?” He lays blame squarely on the CEO and Board of Directors focusing on shareholder delight not customer delight. The brilliance of this book is that Imai offers a very clear and detailed approach to solving this problem with his FSL, (Flow, Synchronization, and Leveling) assessment to determine a company’s operational and lean status. As in his prior books, Imai is making an important contribution to managers everywhere, and I would recommend that all CEOs, Board members, and senior managers read it.
—Art Byrne, former CEO of the Wiremold Company, and author of The Lean Turnaround and The Lean Turnaround Action Guide

Masaaki Imai deftly presents the opportunities and challenges of turning traditional companies into Lean companies from a strategic perspective. Imai-san succinctly delivers the challenge when he says, "Traditional companies employ maximum resources for minimum outputs, while Lean companies employ minimum resources for maximum outputs." This challenge cannot and must not be ignored by leaders. Strategic KAIZEN presents numerous examples illustrating the positive impact that kaizen has had on organizations to achieve results that any senior leadership team craves.
—Professor Bob Emiliani, Connecticut State University

Edition details

• Publisher: McGraw Hill
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 126014383X
• ISBN 13: 9781260143836
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288