| | |  | Lean Software Development | Home » » » » Andy & Me: Crisis and Transformation on the Lean Journey | | | | | | | Description: | | 2006 SHINGO PRIZE for EXCELLENCE in MANUFACTURING RESEARCH
Based on the author's personal experience with Toyota’s master teachers and with companies in the midst of great change, Andy & Me is a business novel set in a failing New Jersey auto plant focusing on the tribulations of Tom Pappas, the plant manager. The situations, characters and plant politics will ring true with many readers. In a cool, readable style, Andy & Me follows Tom's relationship with Andy Saito, a reclusive, retired Toyota guru whom Tom persuades to help save his plant through the teaching of the legendary Toyota Production System (TPS). On this journey, the reader learns that TPS is more than just a collection of tools; it entails a new way of thinking and behaving. Though Tom finds success — both in his plant and in his personal life — he learns from Andy that successful improvement is "endless and eternal." | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Pascal Dennis | | Paperback:
| 192 pages | | Publisher:
| Productivity Press | | Publication Date:
| February 01, 2005 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 1563272989 | | Product Width:
| 1.37 centimeters | | Product Height:
| 2.0 centimeters | | Product Weight:
| 0.01 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.8 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.4 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.5 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.3 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 14 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 14 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Excellent explanation of the "why's" of the Toyota systemMar 12, 2005
By Brian Maskell
I do not usually like "business novels" because the story gets in the way of the ideas. "Andy & Me" is the exception. This short and readable book does a wonderful job of explaining the transformation of a production plant to the Toyota apporach to lean manufacturing. Reading this you will learn about a number of the lean "tools" but the book is not about lean tools, it is about why those tools are needed and why they work. It is also good to see a lean manufacturing book that recognizes the issues and problems of traditional cost accounting. I recommend this excellent book to anyone on the lean journey.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Andy & MeJan 19, 2007
By S. Capistran
YES read "Andy & Me" for a quick overview and high-level understanding of the LEAN process. The book will not tell you how to create the LEAN process but will give you a basic understanding to build on and insight into the questions you may need to ask for your particular situation.
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 A quick read but not worth it.Jun 23, 2007
By J. Usher
"Average User"
I had hoped this book would provide more detail on TPS, but it is very light on any detail and glosses over many points. After you have read The Goal and are use to its style of teaching manufacturing principles in the context of a novel, this book leaves you feeling really disappointed.
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Insights into the "Thinking Production System"Mar 24, 2005
By Mark Graban
"Blogger, author, consultant, speaker"
Highly recommended. I just received this and tore through it. The book is a quick and light read, although you'll want to stop and let some of the TPS concepts sink in and re-read certain sections and illustrations. The story in this business novel is about on par with "The Goal", but it's easy enough to skip over the storyline (divorced Plant Manager fighting to see his kids, etc.) to read the real meat of the story -- insights and real day to day examples of PDCA and leadership models of lean/TPS. This book focuses on Hoshin planning and day-to-day leadership of a plant going through the lean transformation. The only reasons I give this 4 stars instead of 5 are A) the storyline in business novels like this always seem a bit forced and B) the book tends to shortchange the change management challenges -- people in the book tend to jump on board with the TPS immediately, testament I guess to the leadership of the Plant Manager and the Toyota Sensei, but not typical of all lean implementations. Details such as "I had to get rid of some people" are somewhat glossed over and could have been fleshed out in more detail (this is a short book). Still, this is a good complement to The Toyota Way and other detailed books on lean tools and practices.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 light on novel medium on leanFeb 24, 2009
By P. OReilly
It a lean framework with a bit of novel draped over it. It's a quick easy read, and maybe being fictional makes is an easier read. There were some new presentations of lean concepts that I hadn't seen before, so that was somewhat helpful. Is it a top 5 "have to read" Lean reference, No. Is it a pleasant read and can you learn something useful, yes, definitely.
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