New Book on Strategies for a Lean Office

Feb. 11, 2011 - PRLog -- Demystifying the application of Lean methods, Lean Office and Service Simplified: The Definitive How-To Guide goes beyond the basic tools to detail the key concepts of Lean as they apply to office and service environments. It begins by discussing value stream management, followed by chapters on standard work, flow, level pull, and visual management.

The book covers essential Lean tools, including 5S and mistake proofing. It breaks down Lean concepts into their elementary components, describes them in a nonmanufacturing context, and supplies readers with specific how-to methodologies. Providing detailed examples throughout, the text illustrates the functions found in most service organizations, as well as the administrative areas of manufacturing companies.

Drawing on more than two decades of practical experience, the author provides implementation strategies on a function-by-function and department-by-department basis. He examines the most common obstacles that readers are likely to encounter and supplies strategies to address those obstacles. The text includes a toolbox of helpful forms, charts, checklists, templates, and worksheets to help kick-start your Lean implementation efforts.

Endorsements

… a simple guide to help leaders drive the Lean transformation of themselves, their people, and processes.
—Glenn Marshall, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding

Drew is still one of the few practitioners who really understand the concept of the Lean Enterprise as opposed to Lean Manufacturing.
—Bill Beer, Wenger Corporation

... a plain language guide to transforming Office and Service industries into effective, efficient organizations. I recommend it strongly.
—Mike Robinson, Manager, Corning Cable Systems

… clear and straightforward methods for applying Lean thinking to administrative and support processes that apply across almost every industry … I highly recommend this book.
—Brian Maskell, BMA Inc.

… Locher’s book delivers! Every essential tool in the Lean toolkit is explored with enough simplicity for a beginner to understand and enough depth for an experienced Lean Thinker to draw from.
—Allan R. Coletta, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Inc.

About the Author

Drew Locher is currently Managing Director for Change Management Associates.  CMA provides various Business Improvement Consulting and Organizational Development services to industrial and service organizations.  CMA will assist organizations to successfully implement Systems and Quality Management principles within their operations to improve business performance.

Drew received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Delaware in Mechanical Engineering, as well as a Master of Science degree from Drexel University in Electrical and Computer Engineering.  He has also received a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University.

Lean Office and Service Simplified: The Definitive How-To Guide
ISBN: 9781439820315, 194 pp., Paperback, $39.95

# # #

Productivity Press is a premier source of authoritative information on organizational development offering the broadest selection of books and learning tools about lean methodologies, based on the Toyota Production System. http://www.productivitypress.com