Lean Transformations for Small and Medium Enterprises: Lessons Learned from Italian Businesses

✍ Scribed by Camuffo, Arnaldo

• Publisher: CRC Press, Productivity Press
• Year: 2016
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 195
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Lean Transformations for Small and Medium Enterprises: Lessons Learned from Italian Businesses summarizes two decades of research, teaching, and practice on lean thinking.

Based on quantitative analysis of 100 cases of Lean transformations and 20 in-depth case studies of successfully transformed SMEs, it explains how to undertake lean transformations that lead to operational and financial performance improvement, and uses the Lean Transformation Framework --conceptualized by John Shook at the Lean Enterprise Institute―as a practical approach to design and de-risk the transformation process.

SMEs’ leaders wishing to undertake and sustain a lean transformation must:

• Make a serious and lasting commitment to transform, avoiding the temptation to change course of action;
• Choose accurately the value streams that require improvement as defined by strategy deployment;
• Build capabilities to sustain the transformation;
• Lead by example by going to gemba and creating a culture of respect for people that goes beyond the visible devices and artifacts of Lean tools.

✦ Table of Contents

Content: Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Author
Introduction. Chapter 1: Little Big Lean Champions1.1 Super Mario Lean: How Pietro Fiorentini Became the Toyota of Italy
1.2 Ezio's Three Donkeys: Lean Thinking for a Better World in Frandent
1.3 Enrico's Lean Ovens: Unox Style and Technology
1.4 The Stubborn Kata of Giorgio: Globalization, Japanese Partnership, and Lean Thinking at Spesso Gaskets
1.5 Francesco's Cold Fusion: Making Carel Grow with Lean Thinking
1.6 The Brovedani Lean System: Becoming the Change We Want to See
1.7 Transforming Small and Medium Enterprises
Chapter 2: Understanding the Italian Context
2.1 Sensei Luciano. 2.2 Lean Thinking and Italy2.2.1 Focusing on SMEs
2.2.2 The Wisdom of Eng. Alberto
2.3 A Short History of the Italian Lean Movement
2.3.1 From Total Quality Management to Lean Thinking
2.3.2 The First Phase of Development: Quality Circles
2.3.3 The Second Phase of Development: The Fiat Case
2.3.4 In the Wake of Fiat
2.3.5 The Third Phase of Development: Lean Thinking Meets SMEs
2.4 Giovanni's Tires
2.5 Understanding the Context of Lean Transformations
Chapter 3: How to Transform SMEs
3.1 The Lean Transformation Framework
3.2 Choosing the Strategic Problem to Be Solved. 3.2.1 A Matter of Strategy3.2.2 A Matter of Innovation
3.3 Improving the Work
3.3.1 Value Stream Mapping and Improvement
3.3.2 Pursuing Just-in-Time via Flow and Level Pull
3.3.2.1 Pull as a Horizontal Coordination Principle of Physical and Information Flows
3.3.2.2 Combat Waste by Eliminating Variability
3.4 Developing Capabilities
3.4.1 Growing People through Problem Solving
3.4.2 A3: Develop Others through Structured Problem Solving and Management without Authority
3.4.2.1 A3 as a Problem-Solving Tool and Methodology. 3.4.2.2 A3 as Management Decision-Making Based on Taking Responsibility3.4.2.3 A3 as Learning Process and People Development Tool
3.4.3 Ante Litteram: TWI in Italy
3.5 Driving the Transformation: Lean Leadership and Management System
3.5.1 What Does Top Management Commitment Really Mean?
3.5.2 Building a Management System: Management Standard Work and Gemba Walks
Chapter 4: The Transformation Paths of Italian SMEs
4.1 The Italian Way to Lean Thinking
4.2 Lean Thinking and the Specificities of Italian SMEs
4.2.1 Small Size
4.2.2 Agglomeration in Local Industrial Clusters.