Book Description

Your hands-on guide to materials handling and product movement methods for today's competitive facilities

Dramatically improve the movement of materials in any warehouse, distribution, or manufacturing facility. This book will introduce you to the latest methods for designing, organizing, operating, and maintaining a state-of-the-art materials handling/product movement system. You'll learn about horizontal and vertical transportation techniques for items of all sizes, and get full details on inventory control...identification systems...cost estimates...site selection...product security...the use of consultants...and much more.

This essential logistics tool features:

Book Description

Here is a profit-making blueprint for advancement in the convergence marketplace and the first book to address all of the issues that telecom providers--and customers--must confront to meet customer challenges.The book covers all aspects of telecommunications convergence, including not only the technologies themselves but the management, marketing, and business aspects of the telecommunications industry. This new edition, featuring nearly 200 pages of revised material, details the toll convergence has taken on the industry, how the fleetest companies are responding to it, and presents a best practices guide to staying afloat.Delivering the right service, at the right time, regardless of the underlying technology has never been easier! * Top Ten industry bestseller * Provides a blueprint for surviving in the difficult, converged market * Shows how smart companies are thriving * Website provides monthly updates ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Reading this book should be mandatory...
...for anyone involved in the telecommunications business, be the service providers, technology developers or the end customers. As Mr. Shepard says in the foreword, Telecommunications is the most dynamic, fast changing industry in history...

I had the chance of attending a session by Mr. Shepard on Telecommunications Convergence last year and, after I heard his presentation, I finally had a better understanding of the what, where and, most important, why the customers want to buy the services that our telecommunications technology make possible. Everything was so much clearer!

Now, his research and thoughts are published and anyone that has an interest in the telecom industry can go through the three sections of the books and get a nice primer on technology convergence (including a most useful Common Industry Acronyms list in the Appendix); Company convergence, providing a great insight on Corporate Evolution, e-Commerce and e-Business (now thet we hear those terms everyday!) and Mr. Shepard's company classifications/models.

All the topics covered in the book are presented in an easy to understand, often good-humored fashion, but it calls to the attention of the reader the importance and seriousness of Services Convergence: what are the customers looking for, and what will it take for the service provider to deliver the competitive advantage that will make the difference in the market. Because, quoting Mr. Shepard again, "the quickest way to become a leader is to find a parade and get in front of it".

Great reading material, strategies for success, useful convergence online resources are listed in the appendix. And I repeat, this book should be mandatory reading for the Service Providers that are fighting to be the leaders in this fast paced market.

An excellent dissection of the telecomm industry.
If you work in the telecommunications industry, you'll want to read this book. Even if you don't, this book could help you understand some the the leading trends, technologies and companies that could help you develop a profitable investment strategy in this hot constantly changing industry.

It is an excellent blend of technological descriptions and business insight with a touch of prognostication from industry leaders, thinkers and innovators. The book is divided into three main parts: 1) the main technologies feeding convergence, 2) company convergence, and 3) services convergence. A veteran technologist may want to skip the first part, but not knowing much about wireless or DSL I found it very informative and a good refresher on T-1. Each part ends with a bibliography containing references to books, web resources and articles, but the real payoff is the information gleaned from the author's extensive interviews.

I love the multipurpose feel to this book. It is labeled as the first of the "Portable Consultant" series and is worthy of that tag. This is not just a technical book and it is not just a business book, it is both, not an easy thing to do. Like a good consultant it is packed full of useful information and easy to understand explanations.

Contents look like a laundry list!
I purchased this book for my college class. Although it introduced me a broad concept of convergence, its poor organization gave me headaches whenever I needed quick references on certain topics.

I believe anyone who sees its contents would have a hard time figuring out if there is "any" relationship between subtitles. Some subtitles had no reasons to be typed bold, while others should've been typed that way. Worse yet, the author summarized only certain issues, while he ignored many others with no clear explanations.

Nonetheless, if you can endure such a disorganization, this book will be a gentle introduction to the field. Especially, Company Convergence Resources at the end of this book were quite useful for me.

very nicely written
Nice coverage of topics- local loop, ISDN, T1 etc etc. As an earlier reader pointed out, there are some irritating typos, and some illustrations do not match up with the writing. But I enjoyed reading the book so much (great price, too) that I was willing to overlook these minor irritants.

Good stuff, but really poorly edited
This book provided a good overview of telecom technology, but you have to work though lots of poor editing. For example, it reads "DWDM (discussed earlier) is a...". Unfortunately, DWDM has not been discussed earlier (as confirmed by the index in the back) and is not explained after that. DWDM is a pretty important topic and I'm sure they did plan to have it explained in some detail. The editor just seems to have left it out. It also has typos like saying "Technology A is superior to tech B, so tech B has been much more widely accepted in the marketplace." Huh? You're left wondering if the mistake is at the start of the sentence or the end.

I know this sounds like 2 minor examples, but there a lots of them in here and it makes this reading tougher than it should be. When you are trying to learn new material, having your source reference contain small mistakes is pretty frustrating. ... Read more

Book Description

Maintenance has a far greater impact on corporate profitability than most managers are willing to consider, much less admit. And, as the competitive environment in the world continues to increase the pace, no company can ignore the advantages of Total Productive Maintenance. The author explains how TPM is becoming an essential element of world-class manufacturing by providing optimum maintenance policies and practices.

Features

--Shows how TPM can be implemented by modifying many of the standard techniques and programs currently used in the United States.
--Helps organizations optimize the effective use of corporate assets in order to maintain a competitive advantage in their respective marketplaces. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent introduction to maintenance and TPM
"Total Productive Maintenance: An American Approach" provides the reader with a good introduction to both TPM and maintenance in general. The author recognizes that most U.S. companies do not have the prerequisites for TPM - a work order system, preventive maintenance schedules, CMMS, inventory controls, etc. - adequately implemented and wisely chooses to cover these topics in some detail before discussing TPM implementation.In doing so, he provides the reader with a wonderful introduction to maintenance management.

Typical of Terry Wireman, the book is written in no-nonsense language that gets straight to the point.He resists the temptation to include unnecessary topics and details, and thus is able to adequately cover TPM and many of the maintenance basics in only 186 pages - a true achievement.In addition, Wireman includes several useful tools, such as a maintenance organization maturity grid, a list of typical metrics with benchmarks, and a business case template.

This book is a worthwhile read for anybody involved in maintenance.

tpm
July 10, 2002 ... Read more

Book Description

Bringing together ideas of leading thinkers in business strategy, organization studies, and innovation, this book explores the dynamics of competitiveness and the origins of the firms' capabilities. Contributors to the volume include David Teece, Oliver Williamson, Richard Nelson, Mark Granovetter, Gary Hamilton, Martin Fransman, Keith Pavitt, and William Lazonick. ... Read more

Book Description

This book reconciles two divergent worlds for the beleaguered quality manager. The first is that of quality and managerial fads, promoted by quality professionals and the quality 'industry' - with its seminars, certification programs and the pressures of an ever increasing number of international standards, state and national legislation and powerful corporations.The second is a virtual antithesis to this world of mission statements, quality policies, procedures and statistical techniques, and is embodied in the international phenomenon that is the Dilbert (TM) cartoon strip.Across America and Europe millions of ordinary employees revel in the truths that are exposed concerning corporate absurdities and a blind reliance upon acronym-laden quick-fixes.

Here you will find the gap bridged between the vast literature of quality fads (including the recent tranche of international standards) and that more humorous portrayal of these worlds.The origins of today's quality ideology and industry is traced, followed by a description of how the quality profession popularizes, promotes and ultimately benefits from the fads that come and go.Finally it is shown that despite the propaganda of the profession, there is a separate reality to "quality" and that management principles in this field can only ever be a small limiting factor in corporate success.

Addresses a vital aspect of Supply-chain Management, one of todays hottest management topics
From a widely and internationally published quality author and professional
The "Emperors Clothes" for the Quality profession ... Read more

Book Description

An interesting book containing 35 examples of problems that production and inventory management professionals face throughout their working lives, Introduction to Materials Management Casebook allows readers to have a better understanding of the issues involved in their decisions on the job. It asks readers to think beyond the box, showing them the multiple concepts that must be considered to find solutions to the problems at hand.The small, focused cases presented allow readers to fully understand the problems that they can encounter; topics covered include: physical inventory, process design, purchasing, production planning, master production schedules; vanishing inventory; long-range capacity; business organization; forecasting; warehousing; consolidation; transportation; and quality.An excellent resource for those involved in production planning, inventory control, traffic, and marketing. ... Read more

Book Description

The Instant Manager has helped thousands of readers hone the skills and fundamental competencies critical to managerial success. Now in an expanded edition, the book reflects new business realities, giving experienced and novice managers alike the tools and information they need.

With much of the material presented in bulleted lists or as quick tips, the book provides instant access to practical advice on subjects such as:

* Teambuilding* Leadership* Performance improvement* Conflict management* Written and oral communication* Creative problem-solving* Goal-setting* Decision-making* Motivation* Interviewing and hiring* And many others

Read cover-to-cover as a primer or on the job as a daily problem-solver, The Instant Manager helps readers maximize team productivity, drive results, and take charge of their own careers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Must Have For Serious Managers!
This, no nonsense book is a must have. If you are serious about working with people. about caring about the people you work with (and who work for you) you must read this book. No, you must own this book. It is the best guide to successful people management that I have ever seen. It is to the point and it works. The practical advice given and the way the book explores options assist you in understanding human dynamics. If you are unsure about whether or not you are a people person, read it anyway. It may reveal that necessary ingredient that will make you a successful team leader. I highly recommend it as a tool to develop skills and to be the best people motivator that you can possibly be! ... Read more

Book Description

This second edition of An Introduction to Predictive Maintenance helps plant, process, maintenance and reliability managers and engineers to develop and implement a comprehensive maintenance management program, providing proven strategies for regularly monitoring critical process equipment and systems, predicting machine failures, and scheduling maintenance accordingly.

Since the publication of the first edition in 1990, there have been many changes in both technology and methodology, including financial implications, the role of a maintenance organization, predictive maintenance techniques, various analyses, and maintenance of the program itself. This revision includes a complete update of the applicable chapters from the first edition as well as six additional chapters outlining the most recent information available.

Having already been implemented and maintained successfully in hundreds of manufacturing and process plants worldwide, the practices detailed in this second edition of An Introduction to Predictive Maintenance will save plants and corporations, as well as U.S. industry as a whole, billions of dollars by minimizing unexpected equipment failures and its resultant high maintenance cost while increasing productivity.

* A comprehensive introduction to a system of monitoring critical industrial equipment
* Optimize the availability of process machinery and greatly reduce the cost of maintenance
* Provides the means to improve product quality, productivity and profitability of manufacturing and production plants ... Read more

Book Description

Planning a shutdown? Lower your costs by reading and applying this unique reference! Originally designed as an intensive course and then honed over several years, Managing Maintenance Shutdowns and Outages organizes the details of a maintenance shutdown into a manageable form by introducing all the steps needed for a successful shutdown or outage. It includes detailed steps for each phase (initiation, planning, execution, closeout, lessons learned), massive master lists of everything you will need to do for each phase of shutdown, and numerous checklists that can immediately be put to use. Loaded with examples from many industries and actual events, this book will be an extremely useful and practical guide for maintenance managers, project engineers, supervisors, maintenance engineers, and plannersworking in any heavy maintenance environment.

Special Features You’ll Find

- Brings together the issues of maintenance planning, project management, logistics, contracting, and accounting for shutdowns.
- Includes hundreds of shutdown ideas gleaned from experts worldwide.
- Contains procedures and strategies that will improve your current shutdown planning and execution.
- Offers examples to illustrate the major points. ... Read more

Book Description

What is the true source of a firm's long-term competitive advantage in manufacturing?Through original field studies, historical research, and statistical analyses, this book shows how Toyota Motor Corporation, one of the world's largest automobile companies, built distinctive capabilities in production, product development, and supplier management. Fujimoto asserts that it is Toyota's evolutionary learning capability that gives the company its advantage and demonstrates how this learning is put to use in daily work. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Strategic capabilities can be born unintentionnally
A book that tries to highlight the role of system formation processes that aren't deliberately planned in Toyota. It is written after the author's past works on functional analysis of existing/planned manufacturing systems in automobile industry and Toyota in particular. The presentation adopts the evolutionary approach considering that manufacturing systems aren't merely a product of deliberately planning. Some of Toyota's successful routines may have originated unintentionally. Social systems often evolve because of unanticipated events and unplanned behavior. This idea is related to system emergence, a concept central to the evolutionary framework the author has adopted. What the author has presented and uncovered from Toyota's experience can be happened in other companies or may have been taken place in other companies. This is an example of presentation that we cannot find easily for other successful companies using an evolutionary approach, not strictly in a neo-darwinian framework. This book gives us general idea on how company's organizational capabilities were born and helps us understand particularly how Toyota has created its style manufacturing system and capabilities. A book that is worth-reading not only for scholars and students in management and organizational science, but also by those being actors in companies' building capabilities. ... Read more

Book Description

Japanese manufacturing firms established in Britain have often been portrayed as carriers of Japanese corporate best practice for work and employment. In this book, the authors challenge these views through case study research, undertaken at several Japanese manufacturing plants in Britain during the 1990s. The authors argue that in actual fact production and employment regimes are adapted and 're-made' in a number of ways, responding to specific corporate and local contexts. In particular, they focus upon the ways in which Japanese and British managers have sought to construct distinctive work regimes in the light of their particular branch plant mandates and competencies, the evolving character of management-worker relations within factories and the varied product and labor market conditions they face. The book highlights the constraints as well as the opportunities facing managers of these greenfield workplaces, and the uncertainties that continued to characterize the development of management strategies. Ultimately the authors show how arguments about the role of overseas branch plants in the dissemination of management practices must take more careful account of the varied ways in which such factories are implicated in wider corporate strategies. The operations of international firms are embedded within intractable features of capitalist employment relations, especially as they are 're-made' in specific local and national settings. This book is an important intervention in contemporary debate about international firms and globalization, and will be of interest to teachers, researchers, and advanced students of this subject from disciplines including Business Studies, Organization Studies, Industrial Relations, Sociology, Political Economy, and Economic and Social Geography. ... Read more

Book Description

Improving Profit is the number one objective of business leaders, yet most do not truly understand how to move beyond the basics when it comes to cost reduction for profit improvement. Typically, a company’s response to reducing cost is to reduce the workforce. People are laid off in large numbers and dollars are saved--or so it seems. This is a mistake, a short-term solution. Profit Building provides a better approach, one that focuses on profit improvement as a stand-alone process, demonstrating how an organization can achieve its goals to improve profitability and reduce cost through a proven method based on team innovation management.

Perry J. Ludy offers a hands-on guide that shows managers how to move profit and loss financial reviews beyond the basics to creative solutions and genuine action plans. Using the author’s five-step Profit Building Process (PBP), Profit Building shows how to organize teams with the specific purpose of improving profit--while providing an opportunity for employees to participate in developing cost reduction strategies so that profit improvement is perpetual.

A system of step-by-step activities designed to produce immediate and continuous results, the PBP shows managers how to apply concepts from prior learning--such as teams, innovation management, and performance improvement planning--to create tailor-made strategies for any organization. And it introduces "Questions Brainstorming," a new twist to traditional brainstorming that fosters avid group participation resulting in better solutions.

In order to achieve success beyond today, business leaders must leverage all resources available within the organization to improve profit, reduce cost, and create a better place to work. Profit Building is an executive handbook and a quick desk reference for managers that shows how to do just that. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A new standard of excellence
Perry Ludy has written a dramatic wake-up call for any manager responsible for bottom line results. In recent years we have learned how to improve most business processes significantly using work redesign, teams, quality and other tools. But few managers apply these proven approaches to profit building as a standalone process.

From his own extensive experience managing both staff groups and a variety of line organizations, Ludy provides practical guidance for involving employees in focused cost reduction and profit building initiatives. He points us toward new stands of excellence for managing in this twenty-first century.

Harness The Power of People to Improve Profit
Perry Ludy's book starts with the remarkably simple premise that most executives have forgotten: your employees are the key to top line growth and bottom line improvement. They have the knowledge, they want to help, and most of them will jump at the chance to contribute to the organization's success in a meaningful way. If you allow employees to use their brains, their hearts and hands will follow. Now there is a way to harness this untapped resource to improve your profitablity and turn on your employees.

Profit Building provides the road map for management to harness the power of people. It outlines a process that can produce improvements at all levels of the corporation, and results can start to be realized in a matter of weeks or months, not years. Mr. Ludy developed his PBP (Profit Building Process) during his business career, and he provides numerous examples of how he used it successfully at both large and small corporations. The steps are outlined in such a way that your managers will want to keep the book with them at all times as a desk reference. This is a "must read" for management at all levels.

Profit Building - Cutting Cost Without Cutting People
If you are looking for a way to increase profits in your organization, I strongly recommend that you start by first reading Profit Building - Cutting Costs Without Cutting People. Mr. Ludy takes you step by step though the process of building an on-going profit build team for your organization. We have used it as a blueprint for our company and it has really turned our employees. The book moves fast and I found it to be an easy read.

Highly Recommended!
Perry J. Ludy, a seasoned executive, presents his strategies for building profits and cutting costs in this well conceived book. He provides a team-based, profit-making plan that companies of any size could implement. In this simple, highly effective book, Ludy dispels myths about cutting costs and building profits. He uses examples from his professional experience to show his suggestions in action. We [...] recommend this book to managers and executives who are responsible for cost cutting and profit building.

Build-Up Profit Improving Skill Rather than Having Lay-offs!
As one CEO said to me recently, "No one who has a conscience ever wants to lay anyone off." Yet the headlines are filled with announcements that companies are making massive cuts in jobs and employees. Recently, these cuts are even coming in the fastest growing technology industries. If people don't like to fire anyone and people don't like to be fired, why is this happening?

Mr. Ludy argues that faced with missing budgets, the orders come down to spend less. Most people do know how to fire someone, so that option gets plenty of attention. Most people do not know many other ways to cut costs or boost profits in the short term, so the alternatives get little attention.

Our firm did a study more than a decade ago that has been quoted in dozens of books and magazine articles. We found that the stocks of companies which did layoffs usually underperformed the stocks of companies that did not. By the end of four years, the differences were enormous in favor of those who did not do layoffs.

Many people believe that this is because people do layoffs poorly, and many people do. But it also because the effort that goes into the layoffs could be better deployed in activities that increase profits. Usually, the bulk of those who go are the most employable people. They end up working for the competition, or having to be hired back as expensive consultants. How does either alternative help, while you are paying severance benefits as an additional cost?

Mr. Ludy points out, based on his extensive experience, that most executives, managers, and supervisors know little about profit improving.

Much of the recent training in companies has been on how to reduce errors, and that may help cut costs in main processes. That learning is often of little help in secondary processes and in areas where the processes need to be totally replaced, revised, or outsourced. Xerox and Motorola are both famed for their quality processes, and both companies are struggling now to make a profit.

Mr. Ludy has developed a process described in the book that helps to get people focusing on the best opportunities, and following through to implement the opportunites that they select. He also provides lists of items which many companies ignore, to help get the process started.

Although I have not seen this process working in practice, it is similar enough to elements of successful processes I have seen that is has credibility to me.

If you decide to pursue this process, I suggest that you can improve upon it. First, rather than just having one small team working on this, you should try to get as many people working in small teams as possible. The most successful profit-improvement program I ever saw involved over 14,000 people in suggesting ideas. Second, be sure to compare the performance you are achieving in one part of the company with what you are achieving in another part of the company in the same activity. Most large companies get their best ideas from benchmarking to their own best practices. Third, be sure to create an e-intelligence capability to get more information to everyone about how the company is performing. E-Business Intelligence is a book that can help you understand this point better.

The three strengths of Mr. Ludy's process to me are:

1. The emphasis on finding ways to improve profits, without hurting people.

2. Training people about how to improve profits.

3. Eliciting questions to locate opportunities.

In regard to the second point, you may find it helpful to read Dr. Ram Charan's new book as well, What the CEO Wants You to Know. That book focuses on simple business concepts and metaphors to make everyone better able to relate to the issues of the enterprise.

One of the major weaknesses of companies is that leaders are often asked to pursue tasks for which they do not have relevant information, experience, or training. Where else does your company have this issue? In my experience, two areas stand out.

(1) Finding better solutions to repetitive problems.

(2) Choosing directions that will lead to better results, regardless of business conditions.

May you find more intelligent, and more humane, ways to profit! ... Read more

Book Description

David A. Garvin rocked the foundations of U.S. manufacturing when his devastating indictment of American product quality first appeared in the Harvard Business Review in 1983 and subsequently in newspapers around the world. Garvin had analyzed a representative global industry -- room air conditioners, a product with basic, unchanging technological requirements -- and irrefutably documented American failure rates which were 500 to 1,000 times greater than those of Japanese competitors. Now, building on that shocking study, Garvin's new work combines theory and practice to show how a more sophisticated understanding of quality can lead U.S. companies to a strategic approach to quality management, which is necessary to compete in today's world marketplace.

This seminal work is essential reading for managers, particularly since widely held assumptions and a growing mythology about quality have not produced the expected revolution in U.S. quality performance -- with few products able to match the quality and reliability levels of their overseas competitors. Garvin begins with a superb review of quality history in this country and an incisive analysis of what Japan has done with the same concepts and ideas -- and done demonstratively better -- revealing the hard facts that prove quality is the best competitive weapon to dramatically increase profits and cut losses.

Here is the actual evidence relating quality to such variables as price, market share, advertising, cost, productivity, and profitability as hammered out by Garvin in a point-by-point comparison of quality management in U.S. and Japanese plants. His focused study of seven Japanese companies and eleven U.S. factories makes extraordinarily clear what the Japanese have done to better even the best U.S. companies. He looks to the underlying sources of superior quality and identifies both the practices long associated with excellence, such as reliability engineering and precise information systems, and those that have rarely appeared in the literature, such as limited bumping, order of assembly operations, and narrow product lines. Finally, he demonstrates with unmistakable bottom-line figures the all-important need for top managers to become involved in quality activities.

Garvin's credo throughout is, "If quality is to be managed, it must first be understood." In this landmark work, he provides that comprehensive and lucid understanding of quality in a way that can readily be transferred to a wide variety of industry environments. The result is a damning, yet enlightening analysis that specifically illustrates how America must improve product quality to win back lost markets and gain long-term competitive advantage. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive, Brilliant, Practical, Useful
I was surprised to find that no one had written a review for this book. I came across it while writing my thesis for MBA on the subject of quality. This book is an extension of his McKinsey award winner article in HBR. Garvin expounds that there are 8 dimensions of quality, such as reliability, aesthetics, durability, etc. He begins by explaining different definitions and perceptions of quality; for example, engineering has a different definition than marketing, which in turn has a different interpretation than manufacturing. Through case study comparison of Japanese and American companies he demonstrates how quality management impacts the end product and profitability. Although, it is less engineering/statistical than the works of Juran and other quality gurus, Managing Quality is probably the most comprehensive book on quality; ideal for a manager/executive. Garvin's research is exhaustive; his writing style lucid. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Simple yet complete guide to CMMS
In Computerized Maintenance Management Systems , Terry Wireman provides the maintenance manager with a good introduction to all aspects of CMMS implementation and use. His principal accomplishment is adequately covering the subject in 162 pages and resisting the temptation litter his work with unnecessary topics and details.

Wireman's straight-to-the-point style is emphasized by his inclusion of useful tools, such as a maintenance organization maturity grid, a detailed maintenance audit checklist, a requirements template for CMMS, detailed cost justification worksheets, and, of course, a top-ten list of problems to avoid.

Computerized Maintenance Management Systems is a worthwhile read for anybody involved in maintenance, and especially so for those in the incipient stages of installing their own CMMS.

tpm
December 16, 2001

Excellent source for CMMS and maintenance mgt information.
The Preface of the book says: "This book is designed to assist anyone who is investigating the possiblity of using a computer in the maintenance function. It provides the information necessary to successfully evaluate, select, and implement a CMMS." That's a very accurate statement. Along with providing that information, the author presents a concise discussion of the goals and objectives of all maintenance organizations. Finally, The Maintenance Organizational Maturity Grid appears to be a great tool for helping a maintenance organization decide where they are and where they might want to go. It's a book that ought to be on every maintenance managers book shelf. After she's read it, of course. The book is 175 pages long, and a very easy read. ... Read more

Book Description

Companies in every industry have shown an admirable new commitment to higher ethical standards and have worked hard to build or restore solid reputations and stakeholder trust. But all their best efforts may be undermined if the many links in their supply chains do not follow suit.

The Supply Chain Imperative helps companies avoid costly litigation and potentially devastating injury to reputation brought on by violations of law and ethical norms. The author has created a framework any business can use for monitoring, reporting, and improving performance of suppliers on environmental, social, and other issues. It ensures that the company's ethical mandate is understood and implemented along the entire length of the chain. This timely book clarifies:

* The importance of maintaining an ethical supply chain* The new rules, problems, and responsibilities that businesses now face* Strategic concerns* How to use information technology in the ethical supply chain program* How to make the business case for action* And more

The new business imperative is to create an unambiguous culture of ethical behavior. Here is the key to making sure that mandate is followed at every turn. ... Read more

Book Description

During the 1990s, an ambitious three-year research program identified the steps manufacturing companies must take to become globally competitive. The prestigious Next Generation Manufacturing (NGM) Project combined the insights and perspectives of business and academia's most astute thinkers. It featured the cumulative experience of over thirty top global manufacturing firms, the Agility Forum, the engineering and management schools of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Oak Ridge Centers for Manufacturing Technology, as well as many other highly regarded organizations. The Project resulted in a vision for the future of manufacturing and a framework for action.

Next Generation Manufacturing is the first book to cover the NGM Project and its recommendations for creating and maintaining a successful manufacturing enterprise. It describes how manufacturing is continuing to evolve and the significant changes companies must make to remain competitive in the next decade.

Addressing the dilemmas faced by today's corporate management, the authors walk the reader through strategies for meeting corporate goals and the expectations of customers; the techniques and tools available to achieve them; and how to define success through measurements. They offer a comprehensive program for applying the product development techniques, metrics, and knowledge management approaches for stellar manufacturing.

Vital to next generation manufacturing is understanding the roles of innovation, knowledge, and people in ensuring the competitive readiness of a company. The book identifies the strategies to achieve this, including:
* Build a strong workforce
* Develop and implement advanced knowledge processes
* Use advanced manufacturing systems, processes, equipment, and technology
* Integrate competitive strengths

Included are real-world examples from participating firms in the NGM Project that have achieved NGM attributes, such as Chrysler and Boeing, as well as a full-length hypothetical case. Also provided are the methodologies for making a high-quality product at the lowest possible cost and getting it to market in the shortest possible time.

The authors have extended the work of the NGM Project by developing ways to link NGM with corporate strategic goals for achieving and sustaining profitability. They expand the concepts of NGM by covering management and financial issues that, until now, have not been fully addressed. The authors also provide a glimpse into the future, examining where manufacturing may be headed beyond the next decade.

For any manager or owner concerned about the long-term survival of their manufacturing enterprise, Next Generation Manufacturing provides the knowledge, strategies, and tools necessary for achieving success in the twenty-first century.

Praise for
NEXT GENERATION MANUFACTURING

"Jordan and Michel capture the diverse and often conflicting concerns of manufacturing business leaders worldwide. . . . The lessons [in this book] have widespread application in companies of almost any size."-Professor Peter Sackett, Head of Department, Cranfield University

"Throughout history, manufacturing of flint arrowheads to sophisticated computer chips has been a mainstay of societal growth. Indeed, technology epochs have been named for significant occurrences; e.g., the Industrial Revolution, manufacturing productivity fueled by mass production technology. We are now witnessing the start of one of these rare epochs, the Knowledge Age, manufacturing productivity fueled by information and knowledge technology. Next Generation Manufacturing provides an exciting insight into this emerging epoch; an easily read, accurate, and insightful book on manufacturing history in the making."-Gene Meieran, Intel Fellow, Intel Corporation ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Thoughtful Perspectives on Production Process in the Future
Next Generation Manufacturing (NGM) is the name of both this book and the authors' organization so, obviously, Jordan and Michel believe in the concept. The material is based on the U.S.-based Next Generation Manufacturing Project (NGMP) and the International Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) program. Together, these initiatives provide a consistent, worldwide vision for global manufacturing. This book examines that vision with rigor and eloquence. The NGMP identifies the key drivers that shape the future competitive environment and the attributes of a successful competitor in that environment. It then characterizes the capabilities ("imperatives") required to meet the drivers and to thrive. The "imperatives" are grouped into four operational strategies: 1. Building a strong workforce; 2. Developing and implementing advanced knowledge processes; 3. Using advanced manufacturing systems, processes, equipment, and technology; and 4. Integrating competitive strengths. NGM is explored here in three ways: through the eyes of the fictional CEO of a fictional large manufacturing company, as he prepares for a planning meeting with his management team; applying NGM as the CEO sorts through all the issues the management team must consider; and enabling readers to learn by doing - through exercises that simulate real-life business situations in which they are challenged to make decisions rooted in NGM principles. From these exercises, readers see firsthand positive results of applying NGM. Next Generation Manufacturing is must reading, not only for everyone involved in manufacturing from the supervisory level up, but for anyone else who works closely with manufacturing companies. Management consultants and other service providers, for instance, can be much more helpful when they understand what NGM is, how it works, and what it can accomplish with effective management and sufficient capital resources. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Everything we do is aimed at the future. Like our ancestors who millions of years ago took it upon themselves to do lunch instead of be lunch, the better we are at evaluating all possible futures, the better our future will be. Harvard Business School professor Howard Stevenson argues that predictability is a core human need and the more predictable we can make ourselves, the better we'll be able to predict our future and the futures of those around us.

Do Lunch or Be Lunch is a counterweight to the management trends that have swept business in the last few years. Trends such as reengineering, downsizing, and maximizing shareholder value will in most cases not be successful because they are fundamentally unpredictable for employees and employers alike. On the other hand, the more predictable a company can make itself, the more effective it will be. Stevenson peppers the book with his observations that come from his experience as an entrepreneur and founder of several businesses as well as his tenure on the board of directors for over 25 companies. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Powerful topic for leaders, managers and entrepreneurs
Howard Stevenson has identified one of the most powerful undercurrents of human relationships; predictability. I will admit that I read this book because I already knew him, but then found that the material pulled me in. As an entrepreneur, I had to convince many people to follow my ideas and plans. Although I prided myself on my sales skills, I was still sometimes humbled that people would trust me with hundreds of thousands or millions of their dollars. Do Lunch or Be Lunch helped me to understand how predictability impacted those decisions. It takes the lid off of one of the key ingredients to how people make decisions whether they relate to work, investments, love, or anything. Humans are constantly assessing and guessing their futures. If their future depends on you, it is wise to be honest, open, and easy to predict. By increasing your own predictability, you directly influence the comfort level of those around you. People will take on great hardships and difficulties when they know the risks. As a leader, you don't want to be one of them. This book should be read by managers, entrepreneurs, and anyone who needs to lead people.

-A retired CEO and current Venture Capitalist

over-rated book, pompous writing with little content.
Excellent subject. Poor subject exploitation in the book. Written in pompous professor-style which may amuse his students... I consider it a waste of my time. Excellent marketing job on the book, though... chapeau!

Readable but very simplistic
The authors have a good idea, but they really only have an essay's worth of material. The two concepts of predictability and projectability are useful, and should indeed serve as the basis for most decisionmaking, business or otherwise. However, the book as a whole is very light.

The best business book I've ever read.
Stevenson captures a little discussed but wildly important business phenomenon; the power of predictability in relationships of all types. Written in an egaging, easy-to-read style, his freewheeling text covers everything from the stone age to contemporary conflicts. Very provocative, because it distills so much into one, powerful idea. Much more useful than most quick-fix books. ... Read more