Great Book on Process Improvement
921130
Great read! This is not your typical boring business book. The author does a great job at telling a story and keeping the reader interested. He also clearly states the objectives and provides valuable lessons for process improvement.

I have a degree in Industrial Engineering and have to say based on my experience, he does a great job explaining the ideology behind process improvement. If you are looking to expand your knowledge in this area, this is worth the read.
4793909
I have already read through to Chapter 6 just this morning. Next week I am facilitating a Process Alignment Workshop for a global German company that is moving to a Pay for Performance model. In less than two hours I have already pulled some great content on how to ensure this fundamental shift in their people processes has a positive impact, is sustainable, and can scale with their strategic plans for high growth. This is obviously the type of book that becomes more than a one time read, but a constant go-to for evolving your business through your people processes and functions.
4262446
Finally, someone has taken common sense and applied it to business process improvement.  Michael's methodology is very easy to follow and will allow those that don't want to dedicate their organization to Six Sigma or other complex programs, the ability to make tremendous impacts on the performance of their business.  Excellent book, but would also recommend his second edition of the Helix factor, "The Implementation Guide," soon to be out in bookstores.  This book takes The Helix Factor to a new level by providing a step-by-step guide to implementing this methodology, complete with all the documents as well as how to facilitate and analyze the information.  This it the book most consultants are afraid of publishing, as it will allow one to execute a project on their own, without paying large consulting dollars for tremendous results.
3987505
Laufer's "Mastering the Leadership Role" is a great and enjoyable read. The author has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of project management by looking into and codifying the behavior of successful project managers.

I especially like the last chapter on "Practices for Project Leadership" which outlines nine practices for project management leadership.  I believe reflecting on these practices will not only help a good project manager become a better project manager, but will also be beneficial for novices who can learn a great deal about how to run a successful project.
455172
Excellent book on measurement techniques with solid math and statistical formulas that I worked through using Maple.  The measurement process presented is a great template for getting to CMM level 4 or 5.  As a software engineering manager concerned with quality, measurement and metrics I found this book to be worthy of including in our workgroup library and using it for the development of a measurement process.  I highly recommend it.
3019723
This book presents some interesting concepts on Process Design and Performance.
3916139
It is not the typical boring book about processes. It is an interesting way to tell us how to improve IT processess.
2657031
I recently received a copy of this book and read it in just a couple of days. While I'm not a technical Kanban expert, process flow is critical to my job so I like to keep up on the latest literature. As such I eagerly awaited it's publication.

I'm happy to say that it did not disappoint. The book is well written and is useful for people like myself who have a general management background and a broad spectrum of responsibilities. The writing flowed well and the examples used were easy to get my head around. The authors made some rather technical issues very accessible, which is no mean feat. As such it is a good book for business people who want to understand more about how to improve their operations. If you're a technical expert I think you'll get some value from the book as well.
3873006
An excellent reference with loads of useful and relevant advice. Well written and easy to follow. Recommended for anyone interested in improving any business process.
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.
2664644
Business Execution for Results is a very well written book that contains excellent ideas and tools for improving how you run your business.  The specific examples of how to set metrics and when/how to measure them are extremely useful for businesses of all sizes.

Stephen Lynch helps provide some very powerful and simple to understand tools and practices for how to help improve visibility and accountability for performance. I have shared this book and referenced Business Execution for Results with several clients and CEOs.
4819732
Rajan Suri has produced an excellent book about the Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) method that he and his students have pioneered. This is not just a proposal: QRM is an established method, used by large numbers of companies over more than a decade. It has produced striking improvements in profitability by reducing wasted time in process, thus reducing both expense and customer waiting time. Especially in the recent recession, some users have credited this method with helping their companies to survive.

Unlike Suri's 1998 technical book on QRM, this one is aimed at senior managers. There's very little technical material but a lot of clear explanation of how implementing QRM changes the business process and improves performance. It's clearly written and very readable, with many specific examples from real companies to illustrate the benefits.

This is good reading for managers, not only in manufacturing but also in many service industries where QRM is also applicable. I highly recommend it.
2568404
Been looking for material I can give our managers for quick re-inforcement training of the Quality principles with their staff and this book is excellent.  Lots of exercises on process improvement, customer satisfaction, teamwork etc.
4340769
I read it by recommendation of a consultant on Lean Six Sigma, my expectations were completly exceeded. Excellent as an introduction to process improvement!!!
896808
This book has helped our company improve the quality of product backlogs and release planning. While the practices contained in this book are intuitive and simple to implement, we will spend years continuing to refine them so that development teams always have stories that are "ready to start" and our internal stakeholders have a clear understanding of the scope of a release.
4283012
1. Brings out the alignment of the quality models and the key directions of the company, something that I have seen quality specialists totally overlook and the management at times is confused about, making quality a matter of mere certifications, this book brings out the key to this alignment in a Common-Business-Like language.

2. This book also reflects a lot of things that I came across during my journey as a quality professional, all the while I wished - "is there a model or a method to change minds" - this book to a great extent helps achieving this.

3. Written in a very simple language, keeping off all the tech jargon to minimum this book should help quality and process professionals to appreciate business and goals, and help the business folks appreciate process and quality, which comes together in a good way here - the other way we knew it only came together at some PA of level XX in some model- which is too technical for many to grasp.

4. It is a very good attempt by the authors to bring this alignment about, the use of pictures is also appropriate and apt.
5. Would have loved to see the pictures either hand-drawn or as real-models for the characters in the book, may be a picture or two in each chapter- depicting the characters in meeting or white-board....etc.
2649727
Facilitating the Project Lifecycle is an excellent resource for all project and process improvement professionals.  The instruction is comprehensive, the examples crisp, and the added bonus of the CD which contains usable tools make this a must read for professionals looking to improve their craft.  I purchased my copy three years ago, and I find myself referencing it and using the templates in my work often.  If you are interested in running meetings more effectively, learning new facilitation techniques, improving communication plans, or managing projects to achieve desired results this book is for you!