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Designing the Future: How Ford, Toyota, and other World-Class Organizations Use Lean Product Development to Drive Innovation and Transform Their Business
How companies are using lean development to revolutionize their product and service offerings―vital lessons any business leader can use as an engine of innovation
How did Ford Motors use Lean Development to pull off one of the most impressive corporate turnarounds in history? Largely by avoiding the mistakes that so many companies make when in a death spiral. They looked beyond manufacturing efficiency to change the very fundamentals of how they developed vehicles.
In Designing the Future, Lean product development expert James Morgan and world-renowned Lean guru Jeffrey K. Liker reveal why so many companies have achieved only moderate success with Lean in operations, with a limited impact on their overall business. They take you through the process of bringing the best of Lean management to your enterprise―in order to link your business strategy to superior value designed for customers.
The authors provide an actionable approach to building a better future for your business fueled by an iterative, integrated process that relies on simultaneous engineering, linking strategy and vision.They illustrate how to empower skilled and talented people to make collaboration and innovation a habit―hour to hour and day to day. It’s the secret of full implementation of Lean―and this groundbreaking guide takes you through every step of the process.
The best way to predict the future is to create it. With Designing the Future, you have everything you need to create a flexible, iterative business-transformation process that takes you from strategic vision to value stream creation for maximum customer value delivery.
How did Ford Motors use Lean Development to pull off one of the most impressive corporate turnarounds in history? Largely by avoiding the mistakes that so many companies make when in a death spiral. They looked beyond manufacturing efficiency to change the very fundamentals of how they developed vehicles.
In Designing the Future, Lean product development expert James Morgan and world-renowned Lean guru Jeffrey K. Liker reveal why so many companies have achieved only moderate success with Lean in operations, with a limited impact on their overall business. They take you through the process of bringing the best of Lean management to your enterprise―in order to link your business strategy to superior value designed for customers.
The authors provide an actionable approach to building a better future for your business fueled by an iterative, integrated process that relies on simultaneous engineering, linking strategy and vision.They illustrate how to empower skilled and talented people to make collaboration and innovation a habit―hour to hour and day to day. It’s the secret of full implementation of Lean―and this groundbreaking guide takes you through every step of the process.
The best way to predict the future is to create it. With Designing the Future, you have everything you need to create a flexible, iterative business-transformation process that takes you from strategic vision to value stream creation for maximum customer value delivery.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published October 10, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 5, 2023
Bonne introduction au Lean Product & Process Development (LPPD), des concepts bien recontextualisés (Concept paper, Chief engineer, jalons, obeya, set-based design, PDCA, Fixed & flexible). 3* car la forme est tres «
Bouquin de management à l’américaine » et je trouve la place à la critique du modèle faible : je trouve la comparaison avec tesla pas très objective.
——
Notes du livre :
Front-Loading & set-based approach
Conceptially, front loading is about generating lots of alternaties ay Concarefilly converging on multiple aspects of he design simultaneously.
The more traditional approach to development is point based: to quickly converge on a single solution and then iterate to make it feasible from multiple perspectives, for example, trying to make a product achieve a function and then later modifying it to make it more manufacturable.
The irony of a set- based approach is that a lot more time and efor the front end, which can delay decisions, actually leads to a beer de faster- from all perspectives, including an austomers.
Concept paper
That information must be turned into a clear and compelling vision or the product, prioritized performance characteristics, and a delivery plan that is shared with those who will help to deliver the program. The con. cept paper is developed and evolved during the study period, not just written at the end, and it is, in a sense, the "product of the study period.
We described in our previous book how the concept paper, also known as the chief engineer's vision inside Toyota, can be the culmination of many months of research, experimentation, and debate between the CE and key members of the team. The document rarely exceeds 25 pages and includes detailed quantitative and qualitative goals and objectives for the product's performance, as well as system-level targets for cost and qual-ity. It also includes project scope and schedule and provides a high-level financial justification for the project. But perhaps most importantly, it provides a compelling vision of what this product must be and what must be accomplished in order to deliver that vision. It should both inform and inspire the development team.
There are three primary steps when developing a concept paper: compile data and information, align with key stakcholders, and enroll the extended team.
To summarize, 4 steps :
1/ deep understanding of customers
2/ set-based design
3/ experiment to learn (PDCA)
4/ Concept paper
Milestones:
Purpose :
1/ Reference points to determine normal from abnormal. Milestones tell the team members if they are on track so that they can decide how best o proceed. They should define a "normal" condition for that point in the development process. This is not a "go of no-go" gate, but a key indicator to enable the team to take appropriate action to course-correct as required. The idea is similar to Sakichi Toyoda's loom or the lines on the foor of an assembly-line workstation, indicating the percentage of work to be completed at that point in the station. If a worker is at the 50 percent line, and only 25 percent of the work is complete, he or she can pull the andon to signal for help.
2/ Key integration points. Milestones are an important part of synchronizing work across functional groups. They should be designed to recognize key interdependencies between disciplines like software and hardware or design and manufacturing and provide common reconciliation points.
3/critical component of a development operating system
What’s a useful milestone ?
- a real purpose - ask "What problem are you
trying to solve with this milestone?"
- Clear quality of event criteria (QEC). (1) The QEC should be the critical few predictors of project success, not a wish list of every possible failure mode you can brainstorm. (2) Is the requirement binary? (3) If it can't be binary, is there a quantitative range that can be established, (4) IF it can’t be binary or quantitative, is there clarity about who decides if criteria have been met?
Milestones review rituals can be organized.
Fix & Flexible :
By building a fixed and flexible strategy around shared best-in-class components across vehicles, the companies were able to achieve both improved quality and scale. The standard designs and components removed some of the more routine design work, which allowed them to focus on the challenging problems that truly needed to be customized. We believe this seemingly simple concept can have profound implications for your development capability.
Fixed elements in product development are often expressed through standards that are experience-based solutions for typical and recurring problems. They are usually applied where new solutions will not add to customer value.
Flexible aspects of product development are those in which innovation and creativity add customer value and differentiate the product. They are the very heart of the product's unique value proposition--often the reason "why" we are doing this project. In this case, the high-level vision of "what" we are trying to do may be understood, but the "how" is not.
Consequently, the risk profile and gaps in knowledge are significant during this part of the project and will require substantive innovation.
Chief Engineers characteristics :
- passionate
- learner
- big-picture thinker
- communicator
- technical understanding
- player : know how to get things done by knowing company’s informal systems
the term management system is used in different ways, w believe a management system is the product of two elements: leadership behaviors and an operating system (LB X OS = MS).
Learning Organization = Culture × Occasions × Scientific Thinking X
Gatekeepers × Communication
Bouquin de management à l’américaine » et je trouve la place à la critique du modèle faible : je trouve la comparaison avec tesla pas très objective.
——
Notes du livre :
Front-Loading & set-based approach
Conceptially, front loading is about generating lots of alternaties ay Concarefilly converging on multiple aspects of he design simultaneously.
The more traditional approach to development is point based: to quickly converge on a single solution and then iterate to make it feasible from multiple perspectives, for example, trying to make a product achieve a function and then later modifying it to make it more manufacturable.
The irony of a set- based approach is that a lot more time and efor the front end, which can delay decisions, actually leads to a beer de faster- from all perspectives, including an austomers.
Concept paper
That information must be turned into a clear and compelling vision or the product, prioritized performance characteristics, and a delivery plan that is shared with those who will help to deliver the program. The con. cept paper is developed and evolved during the study period, not just written at the end, and it is, in a sense, the "product of the study period.
We described in our previous book how the concept paper, also known as the chief engineer's vision inside Toyota, can be the culmination of many months of research, experimentation, and debate between the CE and key members of the team. The document rarely exceeds 25 pages and includes detailed quantitative and qualitative goals and objectives for the product's performance, as well as system-level targets for cost and qual-ity. It also includes project scope and schedule and provides a high-level financial justification for the project. But perhaps most importantly, it provides a compelling vision of what this product must be and what must be accomplished in order to deliver that vision. It should both inform and inspire the development team.
There are three primary steps when developing a concept paper: compile data and information, align with key stakcholders, and enroll the extended team.
To summarize, 4 steps :
1/ deep understanding of customers
2/ set-based design
3/ experiment to learn (PDCA)
4/ Concept paper
Milestones:
Purpose :
1/ Reference points to determine normal from abnormal. Milestones tell the team members if they are on track so that they can decide how best o proceed. They should define a "normal" condition for that point in the development process. This is not a "go of no-go" gate, but a key indicator to enable the team to take appropriate action to course-correct as required. The idea is similar to Sakichi Toyoda's loom or the lines on the foor of an assembly-line workstation, indicating the percentage of work to be completed at that point in the station. If a worker is at the 50 percent line, and only 25 percent of the work is complete, he or she can pull the andon to signal for help.
2/ Key integration points. Milestones are an important part of synchronizing work across functional groups. They should be designed to recognize key interdependencies between disciplines like software and hardware or design and manufacturing and provide common reconciliation points.
3/critical component of a development operating system
What’s a useful milestone ?
- a real purpose - ask "What problem are you
trying to solve with this milestone?"
- Clear quality of event criteria (QEC). (1) The QEC should be the critical few predictors of project success, not a wish list of every possible failure mode you can brainstorm. (2) Is the requirement binary? (3) If it can't be binary, is there a quantitative range that can be established, (4) IF it can’t be binary or quantitative, is there clarity about who decides if criteria have been met?
Milestones review rituals can be organized.
Fix & Flexible :
By building a fixed and flexible strategy around shared best-in-class components across vehicles, the companies were able to achieve both improved quality and scale. The standard designs and components removed some of the more routine design work, which allowed them to focus on the challenging problems that truly needed to be customized. We believe this seemingly simple concept can have profound implications for your development capability.
Fixed elements in product development are often expressed through standards that are experience-based solutions for typical and recurring problems. They are usually applied where new solutions will not add to customer value.
Flexible aspects of product development are those in which innovation and creativity add customer value and differentiate the product. They are the very heart of the product's unique value proposition--often the reason "why" we are doing this project. In this case, the high-level vision of "what" we are trying to do may be understood, but the "how" is not.
Consequently, the risk profile and gaps in knowledge are significant during this part of the project and will require substantive innovation.
Chief Engineers characteristics :
- passionate
- learner
- big-picture thinker
- communicator
- technical understanding
- player : know how to get things done by knowing company’s informal systems
the term management system is used in different ways, w believe a management system is the product of two elements: leadership behaviors and an operating system (LB X OS = MS).
Learning Organization = Culture × Occasions × Scientific Thinking X
Gatekeepers × Communication
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2019
Lean Product Development as a System: A Case Study for Development at Ford
Lean product development is like just-in-time (JIT) process. Mass production emphasizes cost reduction within processes through economies of scale, while lean production emphasizes flexible response to the customer building in quality at every step of the value stream. In mass production, the principle of quantity is better. Each process builds to its own schedule and pushes inventory onto the next process resulting in large inventory buffers. The inventory buffers protect processes from each other; if one process shuts down or is slow it will not affect the next process until the buffer runs out. But lean production discussed in this book is based on the principle of just-in-time (JIT), building only the parts needed by the next process when they are needed based on a “pull” system. Processes are tightly coupled, and one process have an almost immediate impact on other processes in the linked chain. A system’s view of lean product development discussed in this book integrates people, process, and tools. The principles and methods based on this model of lean product development was applied to Toyota and Ford Motor Companies. This resulted in a record number of products leading to the financial success of these companies.
The principle of lean product development is also applicable to healthcare industry in the development of clinical processes. Readers interested in business management, medical technology and other diverse applications do appreciate this book.
Lean product development is like just-in-time (JIT) process. Mass production emphasizes cost reduction within processes through economies of scale, while lean production emphasizes flexible response to the customer building in quality at every step of the value stream. In mass production, the principle of quantity is better. Each process builds to its own schedule and pushes inventory onto the next process resulting in large inventory buffers. The inventory buffers protect processes from each other; if one process shuts down or is slow it will not affect the next process until the buffer runs out. But lean production discussed in this book is based on the principle of just-in-time (JIT), building only the parts needed by the next process when they are needed based on a “pull” system. Processes are tightly coupled, and one process have an almost immediate impact on other processes in the linked chain. A system’s view of lean product development discussed in this book integrates people, process, and tools. The principles and methods based on this model of lean product development was applied to Toyota and Ford Motor Companies. This resulted in a record number of products leading to the financial success of these companies.
The principle of lean product development is also applicable to healthcare industry in the development of clinical processes. Readers interested in business management, medical technology and other diverse applications do appreciate this book.
June 4, 2019
Designing the Future by James Morgan and Jeffery Liker takes the lessons learned from the Toyota Production System and applies them in a variety of scenarios across industries (although still with a heavy focus on the automotive) for the reader to understand the ways that Lean Product Development can be applied in different scenarios. This is a technical business book that offers good summaries at the end of every chapter and application questions to get the reader thinking about how to apply this in their industry and seems tailor made for an MBA class textbook. As other reviewers have noted the most useful chapter in the book is chapter 8 where Tesla is contrasted with the auto industry and probably does the best summary of thoughtful production led design vs design based decision making. Overall there is a lot to be gleamed from reading this book but some of the chapters can be skipped over if you are not in the automotive or other similar industrial heavy production industry. This is a useful application based approach of the Toyota way and one that is great for those looking for a practical based study on lean production.
June 23, 2021
Passionnant, c’était ouf. Je pense que c’est un must-read pour se mettre sérieusement à l’ingénierie de produit. C’est ultra dense je pense que je vais avoir besoin de le relire.
C’est un livre qui détaille chaque aspect du Lean Product and Process Development : comprendre la valeur pour les utilisateurs (High-tech anthropologist) et définir la meilleure architecture grâce au set-based concurrent engineering. Aligner les gens sur la vision du produit avec l’obeya et des milestones pertinents. Former des ingénieurs extraordinaires, créer une culture de l’apprentissage et de la « pursuit of product perfection ». Améliorer l’usine en même temps que le produit et innover pour délivrer des produits « valuable, reliable, sustainable and elegant »
C’est un livre qui détaille chaque aspect du Lean Product and Process Development : comprendre la valeur pour les utilisateurs (High-tech anthropologist) et définir la meilleure architecture grâce au set-based concurrent engineering. Aligner les gens sur la vision du produit avec l’obeya et des milestones pertinents. Former des ingénieurs extraordinaires, créer une culture de l’apprentissage et de la « pursuit of product perfection ». Améliorer l’usine en même temps que le produit et innover pour délivrer des produits « valuable, reliable, sustainable and elegant »
March 14, 2019
Excellent overview of the LPPD process. I found complete enjoyment in the fact about the authors outline success stories beyond Toyota. These stories include Menlo Innovations and Ford.
I love that each section includes a reflection section to solidify the learning of the chapter. I really think that more books should employ this type of reflection.
This is a must-read for anyone in the design field. It won't tell you how to employ lppd, but it will tell you why you should employ lean development strategies.
I love that each section includes a reflection section to solidify the learning of the chapter. I really think that more books should employ this type of reflection.
This is a must-read for anyone in the design field. It won't tell you how to employ lppd, but it will tell you why you should employ lean development strategies.
March 20, 2023
Decent read. More of a sales pitch on why your company should use lean production principles than it is a guide on exactly HOW to do it. That said, it was interesting hearing the story of how he came onto the CEO seat at Ford and utilized those skills to turn the company around. Gave me quite a few good ideas, so don't think the 3 star means it's not worth the read. I'll definitely be checking out more instructional material on the subject as a result of this book, so I suppose it served it's purpose well.
September 30, 2025
The was really a 3.5. I felt this book had some parts that were extremely on point, comparison of Tesla’s manufacturing approach and Toyota’s. I think the goal of the book was to provide how to put lean product development into practice, however it often veered off into sales pitches for Ford and Toyota. Oddly enough, the stories about these companies were the more interesting parts of the book. So I fund it an interesting read in sections, I felt the author’s goal for the book was inconsistent.
February 12, 2023
Livre de référence pour comprendre le Lean dans la fonction produit : Lean Engineering (aka TPD ou LPPD)
Beaucoup d’insights sur la philosophie et les outils (obeya, concept paper). Chapitre 8 top avec une comparaison de la stratégie Tesla et Toyota.
Je regrette en revanche le peu d’illustrations des outils et management visuels contrairement à Dantotsu.
Beaucoup d’insights sur la philosophie et les outils (obeya, concept paper). Chapitre 8 top avec une comparaison de la stratégie Tesla et Toyota.
Je regrette en revanche le peu d’illustrations des outils et management visuels contrairement à Dantotsu.
June 2, 2019
Interesting and insightful, but also long and dense. The main focus is car makers and the Toyota philosophy of "lean product development" - lots of good nuggets, but also lots of irrelevant details unless you're curious about the auto industry.
January 11, 2020
If you're an Agile/Lean practitioner, and you want to learn more about the evolution of the Lean methodology where it began, this book provides lots of information. It provides proof that we live in a dynamic, exciting age.
January 17, 2019
Much has been written about Toyota’s product development excellence. However, many product development professionals wonder if the principles followed by Toyota will work for them. Fortunately, Morgan and Liker have observed Lean Product and Process Development in a variety of organizations from robotics to health care. Their latest book – Designing the Future – summarizes their observations into a set of principles that can be followed by anyone willing to improve. Toyota still plays a prominent role, but we also get to see into the product development practices of Ford, Herman Miller, GE Appliances, Bose, Solar Turbines, Embraer, Michigan Medicine, TechnipFMC, Schilling Robotics, and Menlo Innovations. The variety of cases and hard-won knowledge show the power of these principles to create new products and services that will bring joy to your customers.
November 11, 2018
The authors have delivered a great book on the lean product development framework., The stories that are a part of the book are detailed and add to the framework. They also derive examples from a variety of industries showing that the framework holds good in most industries as long as the implementation of the same is done in a culture of transparency and accountability.
Overall a great book for leaders of large organisations who want to improve their product development process.
Overall a great book for leaders of large organisations who want to improve their product development process.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews