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The Lean Toolbox

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This is the Fifth Edition of what has become a standard bestselling text on the tools, systems, and principles of Lean Manufacturing and Lean Operations. The Lean Toolbox covers Lean Philosophy, The Science of Lean, Improvement, Change, Strategy, Flow, Mapping, Scheduling, Layout, Quality, Product Development, Supply Chain, Lean Accounting, and Lean beyond the factory floor. It is aimed at managers and practitioners. Previous editions were known for their concise style and wide coverage. Over 110,000 copies of the previous editions were sold. The last edition was recommended by APICS for their International CPIM (Certified in Production and Operations Management) examinations. The book is prescribed by several universities in UK, USA, Denmark. The 4th edition remained on Amazon UK's top 10 on manufacturing for 5 years. This is a complete revision and update including 40 additional pages.

342 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2016

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John Bicheno

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7 reviews
January 26, 2025
I purchased "The Lean Toolbox, 5th Edition" in 2018 shortly after leaving my first job, where I had a background in Quality Management. At my last function in that company, I was responsible for overseeing the quality of 400,000 tons of steel annually across two steel processing plants. As I prepared to transition into a new job, I recognized that acquiring knowledge of LEAN principles could provide me with a competitive edge in the job market.

This book fundamentally transformed my way of thinking, enabling me to identify waste in every factory I visit. The concept of "Muda" (waste in Japanese) became ingrained in my mindset. The book introduces a handy acronym, TIM WOOD, to easily remember the seven types of waste: Transport, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Overprocessing, Overproduction, and Defects.

My next role was as a quality engineer at a medium-sized metal plate shop. The insights I gained from this book were invaluable in my new position. The clients, both Japanese and European, demanded high quality and constant improvement. Although I was already well-versed in quality management, my understanding of LEAN provided an added advantage.

The book equipped me with a deep understanding of our customers' expectations. I vividly recall the reaction of our Japanese partners when I introduced "Single Minute Exchange of Die" (explained in the book) to my boss in a business meeting.

LEAN is a versatile methodology, unlike some of its predecessors, such as Total Quality Management. It can be applied to almost any type of company, regardless of size or industry. After switching careers, I now work in Information Technology, I hope to use the same LEAN principles to coding management one day. (I think it’s called DevOps in IT).

I have read this book twice so it is a very favorable review.
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