1. Case Study: How Lean Failed

Adopting lean manufacturing is a journey. Sometimes, even the terminology is confusing, including a phrase in the title of this book: lean implementation. The best way to clarify is to say that a lean journey has multiple lean implementations that take place throughout an organization. But no matter how we phrase it, lean implementations can fail, bringing the journey to a halt. Throughout this book I discuss a variety of challenges and common failures in implementing lean manufacturing. I hope my experience will help you get a firmer grasp on what not to do and also will provide guidance for your lean journey.

My career has taken me all over the United States, and I have had the opportunity to meet many professional ...

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