The Machine That Changed the World : The Story of Lean Production

Author : James P. Womack

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Published date: 1991-11

Price: $0.01 - $14.00

Based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology s five million dollar five year study on the future of the automobile a groundbreaking analysis of the worldwide move from mass production to lean production Japanese companies are sweeping the world and the Japanese auto industry soars above the competition Drawing on their in depth study of the practices of ninety auto assembly plants in seventeen countries and their interviews with individual employees scholars and union and government officials the authors of this compelling study uncover the specific manufacturing techniques behind Japan s success and show how Western industry can implement these innovative methods The Machine That Changed the World tells the fascinating story of lean production a manufacturing system that results in a better more cost efficient product higher productivity and greater customer loyalty The hallmarks of lean production are teamwork communication and efficient use of resources And the results are remarkable cars with one third the defects built in half the factory space using half the man hours The Machine That Changed the World explains in concrete terms what lean production is how it really works and as it inevitably spreads beyond the auto industry its significant global impact