Great introduction to applying Lean Thinking
932122
I just read Nigel's new book and I think it's a great introduction for anyone wanting to quickly grasp Lean principles.
By taking a simple if unusual example (a hairdressing salon) he brings the reader through the application of Lean principles in a simple and straight forward fashion. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a good introduction to Lean.
1138098
This book asks you to think. I think that's a good thing.
If you're interested in sustainability, whether or not you have a background in Lean, Six Sigma, Industrial Engineering, this book is a great resource and jump off point. It shares a path to connect a passion for sustainability with existing tools and skills, and gives a basic overview of Lean Principles as they can apply to different areas (non-profit, for profit, etc). It includes some of the author's personal experience too, highlighting how he's used Lean in ways that many others overlook. Five stars for being to the point, guiding and intentionally reflective.
2893914
If you or your organization are starting your lean journey then this is the book you must read.  Learning from others who are already in the midst of a lean transformation provided me with actual examples of improvement activities.  As a supervisor in radiology, I realize we have to change individually and organizationally, to provide greater value to our patients.  Healthcare Kaizen paints a picture of our future healthcare system and how I may contribute to its success.

My greatest obstacles in continuous improvement involve developing Kaizen skills and articulating our future state.
Mark and Joseph have done a tremendous job answering the "how" and "why" of continuous improvement.
2177307
I just finished reading Gemba Walks, Jim Womack's newest book from LEI. In Gemba Walks, Jim Womack a pioneer in bringing Lean to the world, shares a decade of learning that will have a deep resonance for both the Lean community and for anyone seriously engaged in improving any value-creating activity.

The life of lean is experiments. All authority for any sensei flows from experiments on the Gemba [the place where work takes place], not from dogmatic interpretations of sacred texts or the few degrees of separation from the founders of the movement. In short, lean is not a religion but a daily practice of conducting experiments and accumulating knowledge.

Over the past decade, he has shared his thoughts and discoveries from these visits with the Lean community through a monthly letter. In Gemba Walks, Womack has selected and re-organized his key letters, as well as written new essays providing additional context.

Gemba Walks shares his insights on topics ranging from the application of specific tools, to the role of management in sustaining lean, as well as the long-term prospects for this fundamental new way of creating value.

The most productive way to walk is to follow a single product family or product design or customer-facing process from start to finish. As you do this you look at each step with the eye of the customer and from the perspective of creating values and asking how this can be done with less. This process Jim summarizes by the phrase "Go see, ask why, show respect."

In one of his newly written sections Jim reflects on a decade of walking by sharing lessons he has learned from all these Gemba Walks.

Lesson 1: The critical importance of the simple act of walking. When you get bogged down, distracted, or even discouraged rediscover the power of going to see.

Lesson 2: Never walk alone. What is the benefit if only you see the current state and think of a better way to create a future sate? Always walk the value stream with the people who touch it. It will be their efforts who are needed to improve it.

Lesson 3: Expand your focus. Many look primarily at the steps in the value stream and ask how to remove the waste. You must ask about the support processes to get the right people to the right place in the value stream at the right time with the right knowledge, materials, and equipment.

Lesson 4: Reflect first on the purpose of the process. Focus on what problem the customer is trying to solve and ask whether the existing process, now matter how well, run, can effectively address their problem. Pay special attention to the way people are engaged in the operation and its improvement.

Lesson 5: Make work fulfilling. There is nothing worse than seeing good people trapped in an unfulfilling process that they lack the power to improve.

Lesson 6: Stability before full panoply of lean techniques. The process must be capable (able to produce good results every time) and available (able to operate when it is needed).

As John Shook says in the introduction Jim has a remarkable ability to frame issues in new ways, asking why things are as they are, causing us to think differently. Something he referred to as "intense noticing". Jim inspired all of us by simply seeing and communication lean best practices. He encouraged others to try new things or to try old things in different ways. Offering others the courage to try truly embodies showing respect for people.

I recommend Gemba Walks to anyone serious about making improvements where humans create value. Reading this book will reveal to readers a range of lean principles, as well as the basis for the critical lean practice of: go see, ask why, and show respect.

Originally posted on A Lean Journey Blog
3691778
Great, quick overview of how to get started with Lean UX and implement into a group or workflow.
1910999
Got a copy of Ash's Running Lean through an AppSumo offer while it was still beta. Easy to read, easy to understand, no useless trash-writing, simply lean. I liked it much and felt motivated to try the concept out. "Why not? Ash's tutorial is pretty straight-forward, it takes me two hours max to map my idea to the lean canvas. Let's do it!" - I said to myself. Well, after two weeks I was still struggling to finish my first canvas. Then I realized: lean concept looks simple and neat but it's just the result you see, the surface of the iceberg. The real work is hidden beneath and takes time to develop, to evolve. And it's pretty hard, because you are forced to give up the exciting yeah-that's-gonna-make-it thinking of your creative part and face the real world instead aka "test results or it didn't happen". But that's fun, actually - I'm finally through with the canvases, hypothesises and interview scripts. Now I'm wondering how many of my assumptions will be mercilessly shot down by the interviewees and what I can learn from them.
1584895
As many other people mentioned, a great intro/starter book into Lean Six Sigma.  Covers the basics and keeps it easy to understand.  Would recommend to those who are new to Six Sigma, or those who just need a basic understanding of the Six Sigma principles.
4616848
This book complements the other excellent books by Larry Rubrich, including "Implementing World Class Manufacturing".  Although many of us who have taken the Lean journey are aware of the potential pitfalls, this book brings them all together in a concise and easy to read format.  Great to refer back to periodically during a Lean transformation to ensure that subtle precursors of potential pitfalls are not occurring.
2794621
While the word 'strategy' appears in the subtitle of this book, it never promises to present an implementation strategy or a blueprint.  The book dubs lean a 'proven strategy', and it goes on to present evidences (historical roots followed by logical and mathematical proofs) of many lean tools.

I tend to prefer the earlier books on what is now called 'lean', such as those of Shigeo Shingo.  This is one of the relatively few recent books that has some real meat.  It is not a light read, but it was an enjoyable and educational read.  Anyone who wants to add more depth to their lean understanding should appreciate this Shingo Prize-Winning Book.
2563309
I have seen many efforts to "combine" the Lean and Six Sigma Methodologies.  Most have proven to be a bit clumsy.  This book does an excellent job of considering Lean and SS as simply two sides of the same coin.  NOT two different methods compressed together, but a seemless integration of using the correct tool at the correct time, while giving consideration to the overall philosophy of continuous improvement.
3750234
Introduces and through great examples explains the lean startup methodology.

Should be used as a practical guide for startups and all early stage entrepreneurs.
1681242
An excellent concise yet easy to understand description of the Lean Six Sigma process. Ideal for anyone just beginning to introduce 'Lean" to their work environment or anyone who wants to quickly learn the essential principles of 'Lean'.  Provides sufficient explanation on how 'Lean' and "Six Sigma" work together although their aims are different.

I highly recommend.
760729
Good detailed examples and lots of lean tools applied to home. I learned something even though i have been implementing lean at work for awhile.
1468768
being an entrepreneur, a serial one at that, i will dare say, that this is a book which has given a direction to me in choosing which ideas to follow, validating them before making expensive mistakes and being far more confident in going ahead. in a way i am moving much faster as i have a road map and a validation methodology. it has extended my understanding of lean thinking in a practical way.
2170658
Richard Rahn and Gerard Leone have made an awesome contribution to Lean Manufacturing with this book.
Heres why:
If you're spending most of your time on Kaizen projects, theres a good chance its because your Value Stream design has underlying problems. In healthcare terms, you're treating the symptoms and not the disease. What I am proposing is a sea change in the way you look at Lean, by concentrating first on process design, instead of continuous improvement.

So whats in this for you?
Why should you be interested in this methodology?

- Learn how the big boys like Toyota design Value Streams. Design it right the first time. Kaizen is important, but should be for small improvements only!

- Whether you're engaged in a redesign effort or designing a new greenfield Value Stream, this book teaches you a proven step-by-step method that has been applied successfully thousands of times. Dont reinvent the wheel!

- Developing Mixed Model expertise is a great way for you to stand out. In our experience, shockingly few manufacturing professionals actually know this methodology, and getting good at it is a way to shine. Whether you're an internal Lean Specialist or an outside consultant.
2720396
I really liked how the author broke down these big concepts.  Lean vs Six Sigma vs Kaizen vs Tim Wood.  It was fantastic because while I knew of all of these terms and I certainly understood they were interconnected, I could not have told you specifics.  I am thrilled to know what I know now.

This was just in-depth enough.  Not "Reprocessing or Building Efficiencies for Dummies" but certainly not too scientific for me (who has never practiced these concepts).

I like how he discussed the breadth of statistical process control in manufacturing and FS - great parallels.

All in all, good and quick read.  It flowed and it was interesting and I learned from it.
4648799
Norman Bodek should be considered THE father of lean in the United States. He more than anyone, brought the Japanese masters to the U.S. and brought thousands of managers to Japan to study TPS or lean. How to do Kaizen describes the essential process of lean in an easy to understand way and with vivid stories that bring it to life. This book is a very good starting point for understanding lean management and process.