Forord - If Lean is the solution - what is the problem? - TILBAGE

Of course, by now, there are hundreds of books on Lean topics. So why yet another book?

Well, this book is different. It is not another regurgitation of oft-repeated platitudes that have unfortunately become so common in the Lean literature. What this book is, is one that stands back and asks, throughout, the two fundamental questions of "What is the problem?" and "How do you know that THIS is the problem?" Believe me, these are questions that are seldom asked, ignored, or simply swept aside as being ridiculous.

If that is you, stop right now; you probably have what Carol Dwek calls "a fixed mindset". But if you have a curiosity about some of the big issues that challenge successful Lean implementation, you will find this book contains many gems of experience and knowledge, brought together in one package.

For me, the structure of the book is instructive, working through chapter headings that should be major questions and concerns for all serious Lean leaders. I think these chapters can well be read as stand-alone or as relatively quick thought-provoking reminders when facing these issues. I particularly like the blend of "systems thinking" with Lean concepts. I also like the fact that this is not a book on manufacturing or service, but on the appropriate integration of both.

For even quicker provocation, just pick up the quotations given in boxes throughout each chapter!

Like me, you will probably not agree with all the views expressed. But that too is good. Lean should continually challenge our thinking.

Jacob was a "different" student when he did the MSc in Lean – not by any means a passive acceptor but rather an assertive thinker. (And that is saying something in a Masters group comprising, exclusively, experienced managers!) It is a great source of satisfaction to see a former student continuing to take up ideas he has picked up, churning them over and developing them in his mind, and then applying them in practical situations. You, the reader will benefit from this. So did I!

Best wishes

John Bicheno
Director, MSc Lean Enterprise
University of Buckingham

Forord - If Lean is the solution - what is the problem? - TILBAGE

Knowing how to use a hammer, a saw, a screwdriver, a wrench, and other construction tools does not enable one to successfully design and build a house. Other capabilities are needed as well. So it is with the tools of Lean.

Any organisation is a system that requires optimisation and understanding of the interdependencies of the components of the system, and insight into the effects changes in one place will have in other parts of the system.

In this book, Jacob Austad talks about the context in which the tools of Lean are used and argues that better management and improved performances require an understanding of systems and of people. He advocates abandonment of Command and Control management and its replacement by Leadership. He suggests that current management practices constrain employees and do not enable them to develop.

He argues for more intelligent use of measurements and points out that to managing costs will most likely drive costs up. He challenges the approach of those he calls "tool-people" who apply the tools of Lean without consideration of the potential effects of the application on the system as a whole.

My esteemed friend, Peter Scholtes, once told of an executive in one of his seminars who came at the end of the seminar and said, "You shook my brains!" I have no doubt that Jacob Austad intends to shake your brains with this book.

The reader should reflect on what they agree with in the book, what they disagree with, and what avenues they should pursue for further learning. If the reader does those things and continues to learn, Jacob will have achieved his intent.

Shoichiro Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota from 1992 to 1999, said, "There is not a day I don't think about what Dr. Deming meant to us. Deming is the core of our management."

W. Edwards Deming's influence contributed to the development of the Toyota Production System, a worldwide model for design and management of production. Until his death in 1993, Dr. Deming continued to learn and develop his ideas. He was a model for lifelong learning.

Jacob Austad is a lifelong learner. This book is a step on his learning journey. I do not always agree with him, but I respect him for expressing his viewpoint and for inviting others to engage in conversations that enable everyone to learn. I have no doubt that his next book will express a different view, enabled by his learning in the interim. In the meantime, enjoy and learn from this one!

...and keep on learning.

Gipsie B. Ranney
January 2014