The Hitchhikers Guide to Lean: Lessons from the Road by Jamie Flinchbaugh


The Hitchhikers Guide to Lean: Lessons from the Road
Title : The Hitchhikers Guide to Lean: Lessons from the Road
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 0872638316
ISBN-10 : 9780872638310
Language : English
Format Type : Hardcover
Number of Pages : 196
Publication : First published December 1, 2005

Embarking on a lean journey is similar to hitchhiking -- there are many roads on which to wander and no single one is right for all. This book reveals the most critical lessons learned over the authors' combined 30-plus years of exploring lean highways and shares stories based on real-world applications. The authors focus on areas where most lean efforts fail to illustrate steps to take to reenergize, accelerate and sustain a lean transformation. The book's ten chapters cover lean principles and thinking, lean leadership moves, the roadmap for lean transformation, common pitfalls of lean journeys, building an operating system, lean accounting, lean material management, lean in service organizations, and how individuals can apply lean to improve themselves. The book concludes with interviews of lean practitioners on the front lines of change at Chrysler, Ross Controls, DTE Energy. RSR Corporation, and Nemak.

The Hitchhikers Guide to Lean: Lessons from the Road Reviews

  • Elinor

    Did you know that everything you need to know about Lean is conveniently, improbably and irritatingly arranged in groups of five? Five phases, five dimensions, five keys, five factors, etc.

    Between the forced five groupings (unfortunately no Fox Force Five) and the dry writing style, readers of this book will acquire some truly useful and information about Lean but will also most likely alternate between boredom and annoyance.

    Great concepts with a flawed execution. I'll be keeping it for reference, but doubt that I'll ever have the patience to read it cover-to-cover again.

  • Stephen

    READ MAR 2022

    Good book for anyone considering embarking on a lean approach. Authors do a good job of focusing in the principles and idea of "lean thinking" to achieve culture change versus lean as a "program" to be implemented.

  • Mike Thelen

    Flinchbaugh uses some different terms, but his lessons were identical to my lessons from my Toyota mentor. As a professional colleague, I can say his thinking is identical to my own, his experiences similar, and his commitment to Lean second to none. One of my favorite Lean books.