Understanding A3 Thinking

Understanding A3 Thinking PDF

Author: Durward K. Sobek II.

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2011-03-23

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 1439814058

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Winner of a 2009 Shingo Research and Professional Publication Prize. Notably flexible and brief, the A3 report has proven to be a key tool In Toyota’s successful move toward organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and improvement, especially within its engineering and R&D organizations. The power of the A3 report, however, derives not from the report itself, but rather from the development of the culture and mindset required for the implementation of the A3 system. In Understanding A3 Thinking, the authors first show that the A3 report is an effective tool when it is implemented in conjunction with a PDCA-based management philosophy. Toyota views A3 Reports as just one piece in their PDCA management approach. Second, the authors show that the process leading to the development and management of A3 reports is at least as important as the reports themselves, because of the deep learning and professional development that occurs in the process. And finally, the authors provide a number of examples as well as some very practical advice on how to write and review A3 reports.

Managing to Learn

Managing to Learn PDF

Author: John Shook

Publisher: Lean Enterprise Institute

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 154

ISBN-13: 1934109207

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"The process by which a company identifies, frames, acts and reviews progress on problems, projects and proposals can be found in the structure of the A3 process ... follow the story of a manager ... and his report ... which will reveal how the A3 can be used as a management process to create a standard method for innovating, planning, problem-solving, and building structures for a broader and deeper form of thinking - a practical and repeatable approach to organizational learning"--Publisher's description.

A3 Problem Solving for Healthcare

A3 Problem Solving for Healthcare PDF

Author: Cindy Jimmerson

Publisher: Productivity Press

Published: 2007-06-11

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 1563273586

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The A3 process is a way to look with "new eyes" at a specific problem identified by direct observation or experience. It offers a structure that begins by always defining the issue through the eyes of the customer. In A3 Problem Solving for Healthcare Cindy Jimmerson explains an essential tool borrowed from the Toyota Production System, which is an extension of work identified with the well-known Value Stream Map. She offers an easy-to-learn problem-solving method that can be used in every aspect of healthcare to identify, understand, and improve processes that don't support workers in doing their good work. In this compelling book you get: The expertise of a recognized industry expert in Lean principles A practical, easy-to-use workbook Concepts illustrated with numerous A3s in various stages of development Explanation of how to extend the VSM philosophy to a more focused perspective An extensive exploration of the A3 problem-solving tool in healthcare—the first book to do so Through case studies and actual A3s, this book illustrates the simplicity and completeness of the A3 tool and its applications to regulatory documentation as well as activities of daily work.

Sustaining Lean

Sustaining Lean PDF

Author: Charles Protzman

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2022-12-30

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 1000783480

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Lean is about building and improving stable and predictable systems and processes to deliver to customers high-quality products/services on time by engaging everyone in the organization. Combined with this, organizations need to create an environment of respect for people and continuous learning. It’s all about people. People create the product or service, drive innovation, and create systems and processes, and with leadership buy-in and accountability to ensure sustainment with this philosophy, employees will be committed to the organization as they learn and grow personally and professionally. Lean is a term that describes a way of thinking about and managing companies as an enterprise. Becoming Lean requires the following: the continual pursuit to identify and eliminate waste; the establishment of efficient flow of both information and process; and an unwavering top-level commitment. The concept of continuous improvement applies to any process in any industry. Based on the contents of The Lean Practitioners Field Book, the purpose of this series is to show, in detail, how any process can be improved utilizing a combination of tasks and people tools and introduces the BASICS Lean® concept. The books are designed for all levels of Lean practitioners and introduces proven tools for analysis and implementation that go beyond the traditional point kaizen event. Each book can be used as a stand-alone volume or used in combination with other titles based on specific needs. Each book is chock-full of case studies and stories from the authors’ own experiences in training organizations that have started or are continuing their Lean journey of continuous improvement. Contents include valuable lessons learned and each chapter concludes with questions pertaining to the focus of the chapter. Numerous photographs enrich and illustrate specific tools used in Lean methodology. Sustaining Lean: Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement focuses on standard work audits, training, Lean Practitioner certification, Hoshin planning, Lean Leadership, and how to run effective meetings. The authors discuss the cultural transformation which must occur to create a Lean culture by understanding what the components are in this culture. The importance of training and the value of the person are also discussed, as is what it takes to be a Lean leader.

The Lean Practitioner's Field Book

The Lean Practitioner's Field Book PDF

Author: Charles Protzman

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2018-09-03

Total Pages: 1871

ISBN-13: 1315360500

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While there are numerous Lean Certification programs, most companies have their own certification paths whereby they bestow expert status upon employees after they have participated in or led a certain number of kaizen events. Arguing that the number of kaizen events should not determine a person's expert status, The Lean Practitioner's Field Book: Proven, Practical, Profitable and Powerful Techniques for Making Lean Really Work outlines a true learning path for anyone seeking to understand essential Lean principles. The book includes a plethora of examples drawn from the personal experiences of its many well-respected and award-winning contributors. These experts break down Lean concepts to their simplest terms to make everything as clear as possible for Lean practitioners. A refresher for some at times, the text provides thought-provoking questions with examples that will stimulate learning opportunities. Introducing the Lean Practitioner concept, the book details the five distinct Lean Practitioner levels and includes quizzes and criteria for each level. It highlights the differences between the kaizen event approach and the Lean system level approach as well as the difference between station balancing and baton zone. This book takes readers on a journey that begins with an overview of Lean principles and culminates with readers developing professionally through the practice of self-reliance. Providing you with the tools to implement Lean tools in your organization, the book includes discussions and examples that demonstrate how to transition from traditional accounting methods to a Lean accounting system. The book outlines an integrated, structured approach identified by the acronym BASICS (baseline, analyze, suggest solutions, implement, check, and sustain), which is combined with a proven business strategy to help ensure a successful and sustainable transformation of your organization.

Automating API Delivery

Automating API Delivery PDF

Author: Ikenna Nwaiwu

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2024-07-30

Total Pages: 398

ISBN-13: 1633438783

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Improve speed, quality, AND cost by automating your API delivery process! Automating API Delivery shows you how to strike the perfect balance between speed and usability by applying DevOps automation principles to your API design and delivery process. In this practical book, you’ll learn how to maximize developer productivity, improve time-to-market, and clear mile-long support backlogs. In Automating API Delivery you’ll learn how to: Enforce API design standards with linting Automate breaking-change checks to control design creep Ensure accuracy of API reference documents Centralize API definition consistency checks Automate API configuration deployment Conduct effective API design reviews Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the technology You want your APIs to be consistent, secure, easy to use, and well documented. You also want them to scale and be delivered fast. The APIOps approach accelerates API delivery using a CI/CD pipeline and automates manual governance and compliance checks. You’ll soon be seeing faster, high-quality API delivery and deployment that steps up innovation and increases consistency. About the book Automating API Delivery offers practical guidance for making an APIOps transformation, including process improvement methods that give you important quick wins. You’ll discover API automation tools that speed up and streamline every stage of the development lifecycle. You’ll learn how to set up and run Spectral for API governance, check for breaking changes with oasdiff, run API checks in a CI/CD pipeline with GitHub Actions, and generate server and client code using OpenAPI Generator. Plus, you’ll learn how to ensure your documentation is always accurate with handy API conformance tests using Schemathesis and Portman. About the reader For API product owners, product managers, and developers looking to improve speed and quality. Experience building RESTful APIs required. About the author Ikenna Nwaiwu is the APIOps lead at 10x Banking. He started his career as a software engineer at ThoughtWorks and has worked at several companies, including UBS and Bank of America. He holds a BEng from the Federal University of Technology Owerri, an MSc in Software Systems Technology from the University of Sheffield, and an MBA from the Warwick Business School.

The Lean Handbook

The Lean Handbook PDF

Author: Anthony Manos

Publisher: Quality Press

Published: 2010-11-19

Total Pages: 357

ISBN-13: 0873898230

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This handbook’s intention is to gather into a single reference the information related to the joint lean certification program of SME, AME, The Shingo Prize, and ASQ. This book will enhance your understanding of the certification’s Body of Knowledge (BOK) as a whole and give you a more holistic look at lean. This comprehensive handbook covers all the topics included in the BOK: cultural enablers, continuous process improvement, consistent lean enterprise culture, and business results. Written by a team of lean experts with years of experience in the field, it will be indispensible to anyone interested in implementing and sustaining a lean initiative. The book is written, by design, at the Bronze Level for certification knowledge. This means that the weightings used in the Lean BOK for the Bronze Certification were considered for the depth and breadth of material considered for each rubric. By addressing the Lean BOK at the Bronze Level, this book provides a basic understanding of the lean principles, systems, and tools at a tactical level to drive improvements with measureable results. Material from several lean practitioners with differing backgrounds and experience has been gathered to create this handbook, which serves as an ideal starting point for practitioners who want both a holistic view of lean in general and also specifically the BOK of this groundbreaking joint certification program.

Retaining Women in Engineering

Retaining Women in Engineering PDF

Author: Robert N. Stavig

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2022-11-22

Total Pages: 206

ISBN-13: 100074020X

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Diversity drives better business results; however, despite decades of effort, women make up only 15% of engineers. Retaining Women in Engineering: The Empowerment of Lean Development approaches the problem of women leaving engineering from a systems-level perspective to change the way engineering is done and level the playing field between men and women. This book utilizes the six principles of Lean Development and draws from the learnings of the field of medicine, recognizing that access to a vast amount of written knowledge is an important part of a physician’s learning process. Using these principles, the book provides leaders with concrete strategies and methods to change the way engineering is done and learning occurs. Integrated within the book are "gray box stories" which describe two different worlds that engineers work in: that of traditional development and that of Lean Development. These stories underscore the way that the gender confidence gap, bias, and stereotypes affect a female engineer’s career. Additionally, the book highlights how the methods of Lean Development strengthen an individual’s ability to control their learning and career, and a leader’s ability to coach others more effectively. Ultimately, this results in more capable teams. Furthermore, not unlike the marine chronometer (a clock) which solved the centuries old challenge of establishing the longitudinal location for a ship at sea, this book finds the "clock" that levels the playing field between men and women. This book will help leaders at every level within an engineering firm, as well as women engineers and managers who want to grow to their full potential, and others who care about gender equity.

Lean Enterprise

Lean Enterprise PDF

Author: Jez Humble

Publisher: O'Reilly Media

Published: 2020-07-20

Total Pages: 343

ISBN-13: 1492092223

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How well does your organization respond to changing market conditions, customer needs, and emerging technologies when building software-based products? This practical guide presents Lean and Agile principles and patterns to help you move fast at scale—and demonstrates why and how to apply these paradigms throughout your organization, rather than with just one department or team. Through case studies, you’ll learn how successful enterprises have rethought everything from governance and financial management to systems architecture and organizational culture in the pursuit of radically improved performance. Discover how Lean focuses on people and teamwork at every level, in contrast to traditional management practices Approach problem-solving experimentally by exploring solutions, testing assumptions, and getting feedback from real users Lead and manage large-scale programs in a way that empowers employees, increases the speed and quality of delivery, and lowers costs Learn how to implement ideas from the DevOps and Lean Startup movements even in complex, regulated environments

Advances in The Human Side of Service Engineering

Advances in The Human Side of Service Engineering PDF

Author: Tareq Z. Ahram

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-07-26

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 3319419471

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This book explores the different ways in which human-factors engineering influences organizations’ and enterprises’ well-being and competitiveness. It covers a wealth of interrelated topics such as service engineering, service science, human-computer interaction, service usability, attitude and opinion assessment, servicescape design and evaluation, and training for service delivery. Further topics include service systems modeling, anthropology in service science, and customer experience, as well as ethical issues and the impact of an aging society. Based on the AHFE 2016 International Conference on The Human Side of Service Engineering, held on July 27-31, 2016, in Walt Disney World®, Florida, USA, the book provides readers with a comprehensive, general view of current research and challenges in the important field of service engineering. It also provides practical insights into the development of services for different kinds of organizations, including health care organizations, aviation providers, manpower allocation, hospitality and entertainment, as well as banking and financial institutions.