Creating Continuous Flow: An Action Guide for Managers, Engineers & Production Associates

by Mike Rother, Rick Harris

Creating Continuous Flow narrows the focus of Learning to See from the door-to-door value stream perspective to achieving true continuous flow at your critical pacemaker processes. This new workbook explains in simple, step-by-step terms how to introduce and sustain lean flows of material and information in pacemaker cells and lines, a prerequisite for achieving a lean value stream. Creating Continuous Flow takes you to the next level in cellularization where you'll achieve even greater cost and lead time savings. You'll Learn:

Genres: Business, Management

105 pages, Spiral-bound

First published December 1, 2001

Reviews

[Bob Wallner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going back to my library and reading items that have been on my shelf for a while. The last time I read this was 2015 and the time before was 2006 when I started my lean journey.

So many books coming out today focus on the leadership aspect of lean. Yes, leadership is critical, but I feel that we are now ignoring the nuts and bolts of lean. The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step, but if that step is in the wrong direction we could end up 1000 miles in the wrong direction. I have that phenomenon called LAME, Fake Lean, and many other things, but we need to go back to our basics and understand them thoroughly if we want to create a lean system.

Flow is what we lean practitioners are always striving for. Books like "The Red Book" focus on flowing the entire system, not just ad hoc improvements. This book walks you through how to do everything from a time study to paper kaizen to line balancing. Each section builds upon the previous to demonstrate how to make the material flow.

Upon re-reading there were many "Oh-Yeah" and "I remember doing that" moments. I cannot wait until my organization asks me to help create flow, because it won't happen. It's up to me to put these tactics to work for my organization.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent resource on ways to document and create continuous flow through a system. It is very focussed on manufacturing systems making physical products, but the lessons can also be applied to software development. It helped me realise that manufacturing is more complex & so software should be easier.

[Faisal Alarifi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very rich in concepts, and is more of a study case for a manufacturing plant.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could have used this book as I was starting out in my own Lean/CI education/journey. This boils down to a very practical and readable guide into how to successfully run/lead a kaizen event. All the aspects are there - planning/preparation, bringing together and leading a team, and using a bias for action to get whatever is planned done. Definitely something I will refer people to as I continue my career.

[Aleksander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great and inspiring book. It is very practical not only for production managers, but for trading and service companies as well.

Great and inspiring book. It is very practical not only for production managers, but for trading and service companies as well.

[Stephen Jarman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good basics of process improvement via line balancing

[Mustafa Mahmoud]

Good