Welcome to ""Leanberg 80/20."" This book aims to help readers understand the 18 Toyota Way secrets that can greatly improve their organization's manufacturing productivity. By revealing the often-hidden aspects of Toyota Way concepts, readers will appreciate their importance and be inspired to use them in their workplaces.
As you read this book, you'll uncover the true essence of Lean, a method that has transformed industries worldwide. Lean is a major shift in manufacturing, similar to the mass production ideas introduced by Henry Ford and Frederick Taylor in the early 20th century. After World War II, Japanese manufacturers needed to innovate due to limited domestic demand and low profits from mass production. They created a system to handle low volumes and changing market demands effectively, leading to the birth of Lean manufacturing in Japan.
However, as Lean has spread to the Western world, it's often applied without the necessary cultural changes, resulting in what is called the mechanistic form of Lean. These mechanical tools offer short-term productivity boosts but fail to address the important cultural and behavioral patterns within an organization. They only scratch the surface, while the true essence of Lean is hidden beneath a deep socio-cultural layer. Many industrial leaders get caught up in the quick benefits of these tools, ignoring the need for broader cultural transformation. In the end, the temporary gains from this approach show that the real benefits of Lean come from its deeper, cultural aspects.