| | |  | Lean Implementation | Home » » » » Better Thinking, Better Results | | | | | | | Description: | | This is the first book to document an actual company's Lean transformation over a ten-year period. It presents, in detail, what The Wiremold Company did to achieve its transformation and their amazing results, both financial and non-financial. The book vividly shows how Wiremold applied Lean principles and practices to the entire enterprise and throughout the value stream. The Wiremold Company achieved outstanding success in a short period of time by using Lean as a comprehensive management system, rather than as a group of tools. The leadership lessons are invaluable for anyone involved with making the Lean management system come alive in their company. | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Bob Emiliani | | Hardcover:
| 324 pages | | Publisher:
| The CLBM, LLC | | Publication Date:
| January 01, 2003 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0972259104 | | Package Length:
| 9.32 inches | | Package Width:
| 6.52 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.07 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.42 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 6 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 6 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
An absolute must read for the lean manager!!Dec 23, 2004
By Lean Manufacturing Engineer
"Ron"
Emiliani et al have written a very readable, easy to understand and thorough case study of the West Hartford, CT based (at that time) privately held, Wiremold Companies lean transformation.
In 1991, the formerly successfull but now declining wire management products producer began a lean transformation which changed Wiremold into an acquisition machine that by 1999 was generating ten times the operating profit and eleven times the net profit of pre lean operations. During this period, Wiremold boasted a 23.2% compound annual growth rate.
The real benefit of reading this book are the comments by the management team explaining in their own words the reasoning behind each step in the lean transformation process.
The book includes:
1. An analysis of strategic models leading to the selection of the lean management model.
2. A financial strengths and weaknesses analysis leading to the lean transformation plan.
3. The actual lean transformation plan.
4. A discussion of the whys and wherefors of the adopted lean organization strucure.
5. How to move from an MRP push production control system to a lean flow/pull system sensibly.
6. How to practically dispose of excess inventory during the lean transformation.
7. The best way to align the workforce with the requirements of the lean organization.
8. A detailed description of a growth through acquisition strategy financed internally with the lean management process.
9. A comparison of standard cost accounting with actual cost accounting.
All in all - an absolute must read for the lean manager. Not a book for the lean practitioner.
Relevance to the lean practitioner 4/10
Relevance to the lean manager 9/10
Clarity and organization 9/10
Original content 9/10
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Best since Lean ThinkingNov 22, 2004
By Kevin Meyer
"Author, Evolving Excellence"
This is the best overall book on lean management since Lean Thinking. An excellent methodical description and analysis of the Wiremold lean journey, demonstrating the tools and leadership required to execute a lean transformation. Like Lean Thinking, you have more "a-ha!" moments each additional time you read it. Very highly recommended.
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Managing the Lean JourneyNov 24, 2003
By Brian Maskell
This is the only book I know that shows how to manage the transformation of a company from traditional manufacturing to a thoroughly lean organization. The book contains a detailed case study of the lean journey of the Wiremold Corporation (and it's managers) from the early 1990's to the present day. Addressing such issues as the kaizen culture, lean as a people process, customer-focused product development, providing value for your customers, and lean accounting; this book goes way beyond the tools & methods of lean manufacturing to the practical implementation of lean management. I would recommend this as a "must read" for any management team serious about lean transformation.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A great story of lean transformation with a sad lessonApr 23, 2007
By Kevin Meyer
"Author, Evolving Excellence"
I've always considered the first edition of this book to be the best real-world example of how to execute a lean enterprise transformation. The story of Wiremold is one of the unfortunately rare cases of a group of executives that understand that lean is not only about continuous improvement, but also respect for people. The operational and financial results that Art Byrne and his Wiremold team achieved are stunning and inspirational. This second edition also includes an update that describes what has happened at Wiremold after Legrand purchased the company. Unfortunately it's a sad story of reverting back to the old batch and queue methods and losing operational excellence. But Bob Emiliani is able to turn that negative outcome into a very thought-provoking lesson for all of us on how tenuous and fragile lean enterprise excellence can be.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A Manual for Lean LeadershipAug 16, 2007
By Mr. Ross Maynard
Better Thinking Better Results is not just a case study on how Wiremold implemented lean; it is a fascinating manual for leaders on lean transformation. Thorough and yet extremely readable, this really should be one of the top three "must reads" of lean (along with the Toyota Way Fieldbook and Lean Transformation; finance professionals should also read Practical Lean Accounting). This paperback second edition has an short update about developments since 2002. The book has the added benefit of extensive footnotes full of further references, useful tools (such as the 20 question employee survey) and lean trivia (when did the term "lean production" first appear in print ?). It is an excellent book and I can't recommend it highly enough.
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