| |
I was introduced to Mr. Hirano in the mid - 1980s when I published JIT Factory Revolution: Pictorial Guide to Factory Design of the Future. It was quite simple to read and understand but, through the pictures, you could immediately begin to understand the power of the Toyota system. Around the same time, I started to have his JIT Implemental Manual translated into English. It was a great masterpiece for anyone serious about implementing JIT. To create a deep impression in serious students of JIT, we sold the two set manuals for $2000. This was the highest price set of books ever published by Productivity Press, and we sold bundles of them without a single complaint on the value to the customer. We felt that if they would pay that high a price they would go out and do JIT on the factory floor. “JIT Is Flow” is Hirano's and Furuya's latest publication and I believe gives us for the first time in the West an extensive practical overview of JIT/Lean. This book is a wonderful addition to Jeffrey Liker's The Toyota Way, and books by James P. Womack and others. I am sure that Mr. Ohno and Dr. Shingo would have approved. Here is a book, actually a manual in book form that can be used to drive your lean efforts. It is a jewel packed with information adding extensively to what was contained in the JIT Handbook. I believe the best way to use this book to your advantage is to read it in study groups. Then see if you can get teams of managers, engineers and employees to read a few chapters; then attempt to implement those ideas immediately. “Going through this book has been a rewarding experience. Hirano's "5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace" and "JIT Implementation manual" were classics. They contained detailed descriptions of the techniques and clear instructions that could be immediately implemented on the shop floor. However they were also very prescriptive and not so easy to adapt to other sectors. This book brings out the depth of the thought process behind Hirano's work. The know-why and the know-how that is contained in this book will be extremely useful to every business in today's scenario. The clarity which Hirano brings to each aspect of the transformation to JIT / Lean and the delineation of the principles involved will be invaluable to every leader and manager aiming for business excellence.
- Richard J. Schonberger, author or Japanese Manufacturing Techniques: Nine Hidden Lessons in Simplicity, The World Class Manufacturing: The Lessons of Simplicity Applied and World Class Manufacturing: The Next Decade
|
