The Toyota Kaizen Continuum: A Practical Guide to Implementing Lean (Paperback)

Introduction
Don’t Believe Everything That You Read in a Book
ABC’s of TPS
The Kaizen Continuum

Foundational Elements of the Toyota Production System
An Overview of the Toyota Production System
Toyota’s Recent Turmoil
A History of the Toyota Production System
Kentucky Alchemy
Keep It Simple
The Toyota Production System versus Lean Manufacturing
Standardization
     Quest for the Cube
     Visiting the Plant Floor
     Understanding Standardized Work
Just In Time (JIT)
     The Pull System
     Flow Production
     Takt Time
Jidoka
Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)
Developing the Tools

Why the Toyota Production System Makes Sense: Common Sense
Common Sense 101
Understanding Value
Understanding Demand
Common Sense in Action

Common Misconceptions and Misunderstandings Regarding the Toyota Production System
TPS Misconceptions and Misunderstandings
Which Way Is Best?
Toyota Production System Historical Overview
Kanban System Overview
The Toyota Way
The Customer Knows Best
Go. See. Act

Waste Management … Improving the Manufacturing Process One Kaizen at a Time
Gap Management
The Three M’s
     Muda
          Transportation
          Waiting
          Overstock
          Overproduction
          Repair
          Overprocessing
          Non-Value-Added Work 
     Muri
     Mura
Classification of Muda
     Transportation
     Waiting
     Overstock
     Overproduction
     Repair
     Overprocessing
     Non-Value-Added Work
Muda Countermeasure Methods
Waste Elimination Example

The Golden Rules of the Toyota Production System
Fundamentals
The Golden Rules of TPS
     Simplify
     Standardize
     Specialize
Capital Investment Guidelines
     Tangible Return on Investment Period
     Recycle, Redeploy, and Reuse
     Simple, Safe, and Reliable

Cost Management for Profitability
Understanding the Death Spiral
Understanding the Cost Structure
     Fixed and Variable Costs
     Minimum Variable Costs
     Break-Even Point
     Managing Costs
     Managing Cost Example

Execution
Facing Reality
The Five-Step Process for Executing Improvement Initiatives
     Assessment: Understanding the Business
     Setting the Course
          Identify the Project Leader
          Completely Understand the Project Assessment
          Completely Understand the Project Target
          Identify the Project Resources
          Determine the Roles and Responsibilities
          Develop the Plan
          Completely Understand the Costs
          Communicate
          Execution
     Rapid Implementation
     Stabilization
     Continuous Improvement
Conclusion

Index