Book Description

Campbell outlines a blueprint for a world class maintenanceprogram by examining, piece by piece, its essential elements -leadership (strategy and management), control (data management,measures, tactics, planning and scheduling), continuous improvement(RCM and TPM), and quantum leaps (process reengineering). He explainseach element in detail, using simple language and practical examplesfrom a wide range of industries. This book is for every manager whoneeds to see the "big picture" of maintenance management. In additionto maintenance, engineering, and manufacturing managers, all businessmanagers will benefit from this comprehensive and realistic approach toimproving asset performance. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Uptime is tops for understanding Maintenance Management.
A must read for anyone in or about to enter the vast realm of Maintenance Management. John Campbell takes you through the strategies with easy to understand terms and concepts. All the buzz words are there TPM, RCM, CMMS, .. etc.

If you need a maintenance big picture, it is the book
This book is a very good introduction in order to know what the maintenance meaning ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Straightforward
The authors have put approached this topic in a step by step way. It explains important background topics as well. I bought this book for a class, so I really didn't have much choice in the matter. I expect that most buyers will do so for the same reason. To them, I say "don't worry about it," this won't hurt as much as you think." If you are considering this for pleasure reading, well, don't let me stop you.

Complete, Comprehensive, but lengthy
Probably one of the few only books available that talks about CBA. Lacks in real life examples, otherwise a good read for grasping basic concepts and tools. ... Read more

Book Description

Provides a state-of-the-art overview of operations management. Operations and productivity; project management; inventory management; design and quality managment of goods and services; e-commerce and operations management; human resources and job design; and more. Industrial Engineers and Production and Operations Managers.

Reviews (2)

Great Book!
Very good book. You learn and understand the basics of operations management very fast. Also very usefull book on advanced level.

Professional, interesting and comprehensive!
As someone who has taught Operations Management since Spring semester, 1980 following fifteen years in operations management in the steel industry, I've had the opportunity to review a large number of textbooks in this area. Without exageration, this is the most comprehensive, "user friendly" text that I have found. The illustrations, practice problems, power point slides and text book web site are great. Student comments have been very positive.

I strongly urge my colleagues who teach Operations Management to give this book a very serious look. ... Read more

Book Description

Product Management is a lean, defining text that covers three major tasks facing today’s product mangers:analyzing the market, developing objectives and strategies for the product or service in question, and making decisions about price, advertising, promotion, channels of distribution and service.Product Management utilizes the familiar Marketing Plan as the unifying framework for its lessons, and takes a “hands-on” approach toward preparing graduates to assume the position of product manager. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Too basic to be helpful
This book is seriously too basic to be of any help to a practitioner.

Great book
Explains the steps in product management in extreme detail. Not good for IT products (software), but general. Applies more to non-IT for sure.

Good book.

Fantastic!
This is the ideal book for the product manager/product planner. I have been looking for such a book for years and here it is. What I liked about the book was its no non-sense direct approach to product management. The book covers all topics required to jump start the process. You will learn "what" to accomplish quickly. To learn about the process of product development and that sort of thing you should look into Cooper's "winning at new products" book.

this text covers it all in an very easy to read & grasp style. Topics include defining the competitive set, category attractiveness analysis,... pricing decisions (for a thorough treatment on pricing, I would highly recommend "the strategy and tactics of pricing"), channel management, promotions and financial analysis for product management. The newly added chapter marketing metrics is bang-on.

***Good introductory book for the first line product manager / product planner. Very highly recommended. ***

This book shares some text with the other books these authors have jointly written ("analysis for marketing planning" - another excellent book), but has been changed significantly enough to make reading those shared chapters worthwile if you happen to have both texts.

A blend of product and pricing...
Lehmann proved that product and pricing are the two sides of a coin called Management. Its a must read book for any level of person in Production, Accounting, Warehousing, Marketing and Management. Its an excellent blend of knowledge. ... Read more

Book Description

Apply Lean Thinking to Dynamic, High-Mix Manufacturing
CREATING MIXED MODEL VALUE STREAMS: Practical Lean Techniques for Building to Demand
Kevin J. Duggan

How can you apply value stream mapping and lean concepts to the more complex environment created by mixed model (high variety) manufacturing operations? CREATING MIXED MODEL VALUE STREAMS helps to address the challenges of high-mix manufacturing.

Topics Covered Include:
Mapping value streams in real-life manufacturing environments
Developing future states that can respond to daily changes in customer demand
Creating flow through the "pacemaker" process when products have different cycle times
Setting up mixed model heijunka (load leveling) boxes that provide visual schedules at regular intervals
Applying mix logic charts to determine finished-goods strategies and meet seasonal demand

The author uses a step-by-step approach, illustrated through a case study based actual experience, to go beyond the basics of value stream mapping and to show how to create future states in the real manufacturing world of multiple products, varying cycle times, and changing demand. The book includes a CD-ROM featuring useful spreadsheets for sorting products into families and calculating equipment needs.

Comprehensive and down-to-earth, CREATING MIXED MODEL VALUE STREAMS provides the details and techniques for implementing lean in the complex environment that manufacturers face on their own shop floors. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A field guide needed for all RFID new implementers
This text distinguishes itself from others by its sustained attention to the potential of RFID in its market and current landscape. This book provides a reasoned hand-on and scholarly presentation of the field of RFID.

While it would be easy to criticize any introductory and field guide text for what it has left out or given slim summary, this book provides a reasonably even and well-balanced coverage of the "essentials" while retaining a relatively user-friendly size, along with specific case studies at the end. The chapters cohere well, but can stand alone: an important point for a RFID implementer who needs to pick and choose in order to fit the book into his or her RFID project of interests.
Congratulations to the authors for the job well done!

business & technology
"RFID Field Guide" is an excellent book for an organization thinking about or starting a Radio Frequency Identification initiative.Unlike most books aimed at both business and technical readers, this one really is good for both.The authors don't assume a background of either, yet don't bore you with basics.The book provides a common language for business analysts and techies on a RFID project.

The authors clearly explain the components and relevant history of RFID.Real life examples and lessons learned are highlighted throughout.The Wal-Mart and DoD mandates are frequently referred to for suppliers.Diverse examples and case studies are also included.Security, privacy and trends are discussed.The book does not attempt to evaluate the constantly changing vendors and instead stores a comprehensive and up to date version online.

The only purely technical part of the book is an appendix, which describes the EPCglobal standard.Sun endorsed the book so it shoes the ties to XML and Java.I highly recommend this book to get business users an IT on the same page at the beginning of an RFID project.

Excellent technology overview
The book provides an excellent high level overview of RFID with focus on whats real and implementable today followed by an indepth discussion of specifics and "risks vs rewards". Highly recommend it for bothexecutives weighing RFID decisions and for people interested in getting their "hands dirty" with RFID.

RFID Field Guide - Greatly explained......
With many wireless cutting edge technologies, RFID plays a unique role in wireless communications for a short range communications. RFID finds a broad range of applications including wear-house tracking, hospitals to other cool stuff like e-payment at departmental stores to vending machines.

This is a great book for a beginner to technologist for understanding RFID concepts, RFID market opportunities and deployment guide. At the same time, book provides clear understanding of benefits and issues with RFID technology, standards status and architecture along with great market survey with vendors list.

Both authors seem to have a great experience working with RFID technologies from conception to deployment. Mr. Bhuptani and Mr. Moradpour created a great web site http://www.rfidfieldguide.com with close to 300 vendors list.

Once RFID integration in handheld devices like PDA and cell phone is realized, market opportunities are uncountable.

Technology explained for effective and realistic application
Having already begun to be a cutting edge technology that has proved itself effective in streamlining a broad and diverse array of supply-side resources in the private sector -- RFID will, no doubt, continue to expand and integrate itself into other sectors: How and when this occurs is a question of understanding the merits and true potential of this incredible technology.

This is a must-read for anyone who not only wants to understand RFID for what it is and what it could be in terms of application, but also for anyone who wants to see how effective the confluence of information age technology can be utilized to advance and improve pre-existing systems, services, and production mechanisms.

Bhuptani and Moradpour present RFID in a very accessible and easily-understood manner that appeals to a broad range of readers. From us laypersons who, quite frankly, might view RFID as a new opportunity for investment; to the many technophiles who are already tearing through this book to understand the many different nuances and future potential of this new technology; as well as any manager who is constantly looking to streamline the systems that he or she operates.

Believe the hype: RFID is the future and the RFID FIELD GUIDE not only provides a picture of it, it IS the map that can get you there. ... Read more

Book Description

This highly respected book presents strategic and managerial issues in order to emphasize that the decisions made by operations managers should be consistent with a corporate strategy shared by managers in all functional areas. It presents the operations tools and techniques for solving problems in the context of achieving a firm's overall goals and strategies, and provides a balanced treatment of manufacturing and services throughout.The book blends the latest in strategic issues with proven analytic techniques, and offers a wealth of interesting examples to engage readers and bring Operations Management to life. This sixth addition adds an increased emphasis on processes, to provide linkage between operational issues, as well as new problem-solving software and a website with innovative Internet resources. Other coverage includes operations as a competitive weapon, operations strategy, managing technology, total quality management, statistical process control, capacity, location, layout, supply-chain management, forecasting, inventory management, aggregate planning, resource planning, lean systems, and scheduling.For operations managers in a variety of fields. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

mental tools to help tame complexity
I used this book during my MBA studies. It was okay, but I found it got a little detailed and too wordy at times. A more succinct writing style may have helped. Otherwise, the coverage was top-notch, since I really liked the material. The various inventory, forecasting and queuing models were nicely presented, as was linear programming. This book makes you appreciate how complex things are in the real world. Further, it offers you some mental tools to help tame that complexity, like SPC, six-sigma indices, and decision tree analysis.

The companion disk had some very useful things on it: MS Project, a simulation program, and a process-mapping program. I did not use the author's Excel program, though, as we were forced to develop our own during the class.

6th Edition Lacking
We used this book for an MBA course and found it to have numerous errors throughout. Additionally, many of the sections are written to an audience of imbeciles, as the concepts of "repeatability" and "globalization" are explained in extreme detail. The text needs to be updated, especially the section on ERP (no longer in infancy stage). Nothing against Coach K, but the editors for this book have dropped the ball.

Superior text on Operations Management
I used this book in my MBA studies and found it to be one of the best texts in any subject. As the subtitle suggests, it covers both strategic and analytical (or tactical) aspects of ops mgmt.
The book is a well rounded presentation of of the subject using text, graphics, equations, examples, and cases.

The most striking part of the book is in Aggregate Planning. For anyone who has worked in industry, we all know about strategic plans. How often though are other working plans created that are well linked to a strategy? Chapter 14 is the first time I have encountered a treatise on how to approach this. In addressing the types of plans, levels of plans, and their inter- relationships, the student is given the tools needed to actually implement a grand strategy, linked to workable sets of more detailed plans for each function.

Outstanding.

a great book!
found the book quite educative. I think it covers the main topics of operations management very well and in depth.

A very good book to students and professionals
I used this book at FEI , where I studied Industrial Engineering , and it was a very rewarding experience. The book is very well written and easy to understand, combining strategic and operational issues in a excellent way. The charts, graphics and pictures are also very helpfull to visualize the problems and makes the book neat to read. My only complains goes to the little chapter on operations research and also the MRP chapter should be more extensive. ... Read more

Book Description

Follow the "Proven Path" to successful implementation of enterprise resource planning

Effective forecasting, planning, and scheduling is fundamental to productivity–and ERP is a fundamental way to achieve it. Properly implementing ERP will give you a competitive advantage and help you run your business more effectively, efficiently, and responsively. This guide is structured to support all the people involved in ERP implementation–from the CEO and others in the executive suite to the people doing the detailed implementation work in sales, marketing, manufacturing, purchasing, logistics, finance, and elsewhere.

This book is not primarily about computers and software. Rather, its focus is on people–and how to provide them with superior decision-making processes for customer order fulfillment, supply chain management, financial planning, e-commerce, asset management, and more. This comprehensive guide can be used as a selective reference for those, like top management, who need only specific pieces of information, or as a virtual checklist for those who can use detailed guidance every step of the way. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Complete focus on what's important: processes and management
If you're exploring an enterprise-wide solution, even if it isn't an ERP package, or are planning an implementation after the software has already been selected this book will prove invaluable. Unlike other books about ERP (and e-business and enterprise application integration for that matter), this one is focused on the business processes and what it takes to prepare for and manage the implementation.

Of course, while much of this book applies at a high level to any enterprise application, it is all about ERP. The authors take great pains to avoid talking about software, which in itself is refreshing. They also skillfully guide you through a panorama of key issues, including what ERP is and how it fits into the overall scheme of business value and competitiveness. However, the best part of this book is their implementation strategy, which explores how an ERP package is going to require changes at the business process level, how to break down the implementation into manageable stages. In this respect the book is a combination of a management overview of ERP, organizational change strategies, and project management approach to implementation.

The key areas addressed by this book reflect reality. For example, all of the major challenges that you're likely to face are addressed. The critical success factors, such as training, preparing the organization for the system (from a people perspective), and the way the implementation phases are sequenced can either be learned from this book, or learned the hard way (which is sure to include schedule and cost overruns at best and a disaster at worst). In particular, the process-oriented approach that is reiterated throughout the book needs to be heeded. This is the essence of any ERP package, and it will change your organization. This book gives good advice on how to effect the shift from discrete jobs and procedures to a workflow.

In addition to this excellent book I highly recommend two other resources: (1) "Scorecard System For World Class Enterprise Resource Management" by Travis Anderegg, which is a unique book/online survey combination you can use to evaluate the alignment of your ERP system to business processes, and (2) "Enterprise Resource Planning Systems: Systems, Life Cycle, Electronic Commerce, and Risk" by Daniel Edmund O'Leary. O'Leary's book completely complements this one and fills in a few gaps. ... Read more

Book Description

THE BRIEFCASE BOOKS SERIES

Now translated into nine languages! This reader-friendly, icon-rich series is must reading for all managers at every level.

All managers, whether brand new to their positions or well established in the corporate hierarchy, can use a little "brushing up" now and then. The skills-based Briefcase Books series is filled with ideas and strategies to help managers become more capable, efficient, effective, and valuable to their corporations.

Six Sigma­­one of the hottest topics in today's manufacturing circles­­is a statistical concept that characterizes nearly zero defects in any process. But its successful implementation involves a whole new set of management practices. Six Sigma for Managers will help managers better understand this concept and how to facilitate the learning, cooperation, skills improvement, and commitment required to make Six Sigma processes a reality in any organization.

Reviews (7)

Not credible
Thought I would get a good overview of the topic, to understand what it is, so I can decide when to dive in deeper.

But after reading the first two chapters the author has lost total credibility, and I won't waste my time on the rest of the book. It talks all about the wonderful savings Six Sigma will give you, and totally ommits that there is cost involved in doing it. If done well, yes there's positive bottom-line impact, but especially as a manager I want to know what the ROI is, and not just get glory words on the upside, but also a realistic view of the downside.

What killed it for me was the side bar that assumed that if a employee costs $50K, and her activities produce $100K in revenue that the ROI of having this employee is 100%!! If the activities would have produced $100K in net profit, then this would be more accurate. So lets get the basics right, so that we have credibility to talk about the rest.

Excellent Introduction to Six Sigma
I was asked by my CEO to find a good boot camp book to give to key employees of the company. This was a great introduction to Six Sigma. We have contacted the author to help guide our company on our six sigma journey. I would recommend this as the starter book into the six sigma world. By the way, after 6 months with the authors company (SSC) we have over $2 million in savings.

There must be better out there
Bought this as a first introduction. It's very, very, high level. Maybe to the point of useless. Six Sigma does have, at it's core, some statistics - it would be useful for anyone trying to learn the approach to understand a few of the basic statistical concepts. There are mistakes in the few numerical examples that are offered, probably creating more confusion than insight.

Excellent birds-eye view of Six Sigma
As a manager with a 4-year background in Statistical Process Control, I cannot agree with the two reviewers that bashed this book. I can't say it's in depth, because that's one thing that it isn't: don't expect it in your Black or Green Belt's curriculum. But if you stick to the title, it will reward its readers (mostly managers, I'd hope). It deals in very clear and easy-to-follow words (even for those of you that have been out of school for many, many years) with what is Six Sigma, what it entails (in terms of cost, benefits, cultural mindset change), how to implement and sustain, etc. It even devotes an entire section to an overview of the statistical tools required to get your arms around Six Sigma for the first time.

Again, I'd not use it as a reference for in depth matters, but as a primer on the topic, I think it does an excellent job.

Good starting point for management
In a world where the tech heads like to spin a basic concept such as Six Sigma into a incomprehensible philosophical maelstrom - Six Sigma for Managers has managed to get the basic concepts on paper in a comprehensible format. If you are looking for a book that is a statistical reference this is the wrong book. That wasn't the intention of the book. This is a good starting point for a manager who is trying to understand what Six Sigma is about. We meet managers with almost daily who have been duped by "guru's." Six Sigma for Managers keeps it simple and basic. A manager will walk away with the ability to make their own decisions about Six Sigma based on the basic concepts they have just learned. ... Read more

Book Description

If you want to be totally prepared for the PMP exam from the Project Management Institute (PMI), don't miss this perfect companion to the best-selling PMP Study Guide from Sybex (ISBN: 0782143237). Loaded with four challenging sample exams, each with 65 complex scenario-based questions, and one more set of flashcards, this handy guide is designed to test the most earnest PMP candidate. It is excellent for last-minute review of key topics and targeted testing by objective or randomized timed exams. The CD includes advanced test engine with 4 bonus exams and electronic flash cards for PC and Palm devices. ... Read more

Book Description

LEAN PRODUCTION SIMPLIFIED

A Plain-Language Guide to the World’s Most Powerful
Production System
Pascal Dennis

The author is a professional engineer, and educator with 20 years experience in manufacturing, public service, and consulting engineering. He developed his lean thinking skills on the shop floor of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, and working with lean masters in Japan and North America.

LEAN PRODUCTION SIMPLIFIED is a plain language guide to the lean production system. The book is organized around a central image: the "house of lean production", which will help the reader grasp the system and the factors that animate it. Additionally, the book provides an insider’s view of Toyota, and how this company continues to succeed.

Features and Benefits:
· connects directly to Toyota
· first book on lean production written for the operator level
· emphasizes the lean process as a common-sense approach
· perfect book to keep on the floor as a quick reference guide ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent book for beginner
This is a very good introductory book. All components of lean manufacturing system have been explained. More importantly, the language is very simple and easy to understand. The sample templates are great. One aspect, I would like to see is the cost concept. Particularly, how an established factory can be transformed to lean system with respect to cell concept and layout change. The author has written about the cost benefit of lean system, however, no supporting evidence has been provided. But overall, this book is great. ... Read more

Book Description

Are you one of many new IT managers with limited managerial experience?Are you a technician or programmer contemplating a move into IT management?Or, has your technical position evolved to include significant management responsibilities?

The IT Manager's Handbook provides essential information to help you manage your new responsibilities.This unique book provides a guide to help you create budgets, manage projects, evaluate technology and hire and motivate personnel.The authors provide sound advice to equip you with an overall, winning strategy for success.

* Provides practical, easily accessible management advice specifically for new IT managers.
* Organizes information modularly, so you can delve directly into the topics that you need to understand.
* Brings you up-to-speed on the business practices that are most critical to effective IT operations: recruiting, resource planning, working with vendors, and more.
* Provides a unique management perspective on the technical issues with the heaviest business ramifications: e-commerce, remote access, system security, LAN/WAN management, intranets, disaster recovery, and more.
* Includes pointers to additional resources, on the Web and in print, that you can turn to for more information on particular topics. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Very basic
This book is written only for the very basic beginner in IT. If you have been around an IT department for any length of time, you will find it difficult to pick up any new management thoughts in this book. For example, the entire topic of ERP systems is covered in 2 pages.

The more things change, the more they stay the same
Technology can change all it wants but the fundamentals of being a good IT Manager have changed very little. This book hits all the major areas of focus from staffing and budgeting to infrastructure and disaster recovery.

The section entitled "Certification: How Do I Know Its Worth" applied 10 years ago, and still applies today. Right on the money and a good brief for an IT Manager building a team. Also, small but extremently important policy issues like email and security are included.

I do think that the book included slightly heavy doses of technical information such as a full page table of different memory technologies as well as an entire section entitled "How Do I Configure a Server". These would service a Network Administrator or Engineer just fine but an IT Manager ? Not so much. Don't let this detract you from the overall picture though. Too much information is certainly better than not enough.

I have to be honest, I didn't read this cover to cover. But for someone who has spent time as an IT Manager in the past and one who is looking at doing it again, I was able to re-establish concepts and draw on new tools that, no doubt, provided benefits.

full of practical examples!
This book is full of practical examples. It is useful to people who have in-depth programming knowledge but no idea how to do a budget or interview job candidates. I found this book specially timely, given that my team is composed of several technical professionals who are now considering a move into management. The information in the book is well layed out and quite accessible.

Well Written and Long Overdue
I am an IT Manager with over twenty years of experience. I believe that the authors do a great job in covering all of the necessary topics, yet even a seasoned manager can pick up some new stuff in here. I have not previously seen a book written for new IT Managers. I highly recommend it. The transition from a technical role to management is often difficult - this is well documented. This book will make that change easier. I plan on making it required reading for my direct reports who are new managers.

Learned nothing
I am a Systems Administrator by trade and have been given the reins ofa 12 person tech staff including Network, Systems and DatabaseAdministrators and Web Developers in an ASP for Telecom. I need helpwith the management aspect of this job, not help choosing my laptopcomputer or the classic pitches that we geeks are used to giving tonon technical people about backups and network security (ie: How muchdowntime can you afford ?)

This book might be aimed to another kindof person than I. It might be aimed at a manager that is new to IT,but this book is very light on content for a person who is seasoned inIT but new to management.

I walked out of the book store with"Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams" and"Creating High Performance Software DeleopmentTeams"... Even though we are do not do development it seemed toapply. I enjoyed my last Amazon purchase, "The Mythical ManMonth", very much. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Six Sigma and Project Management Tips
This Six Sigma book is for those who have little direct experience as a project manager. In addition to an introduction to Six Sigma (albeit not as efficient introduction as "What Is Six Sigma?"), the authors go into depth on team dynamics and other project management information.

While the project management information is good and an excellent refresher for those who are only peripherally involved with project management, it helps to feed the Achilles heal of Six Sigma: the perception that it's the same old stuff repackaged and given inflated value.

A quick read of the reviews on Amazon will give you a feel for why people are skeptical of 6 Sigma: the feel-good tone of most writing on 6 Sigma and the insistence that it "is not a flavor-of-the-month management trend" make many of us suspect that 6 Sigma is not much more than hollow jargon and acronyms.

Lets accept that these criticisms are valid and further that many "practitioners" are just self-aggrandizing or worse. But that still leaves us with the essential difficulties of positive change in any organization: you need to overcome assumptions that your organization's subculture may not even realize it has. What a corporation does by accepting Six Sigma is that it empowers people to gather data to challenge what "everybody knows". Most importantly, it sets a very high quality standard, which further sanctions data-driven change.

I was not surprised to see that this book was used successfully in a college-level course on Six Sigma. That audience is less cynical that many in the corporate world and certainly could use exposure to project management.

I feel that the greatest flaw in Six Sigma is that many practitioners and even the books permit the basics to be lost in the shuffle. If one listens to people talk about Six Sigma, its easy to forget that a critical part of Six Sigma is that the data comes first, not the solution. I often hear co-workers say "we need to finish this project to improve our six sigmas" or "if we could get rid of this server we'll all get our green belts".

The term Six Sigma is derived from statistics. This book covers all the necessary statistics and other "tools".

If you just want an introduction to Six Sigma, I would recommend "What Is Six Sigma?" (by some of the same authors). If you'd also like to read about project management, this book will serve you well. But be warned, you'll see feel-good digressions such as an explanation of why Sherlock Holmes would have made a great Six Sigma Black Belt. Some will find these digressions annoying.

I would also recommend Michael Lewis' Moneyball as a companion book. Lewis (author of "Liar's Poker") uses Wall Street trading as an analogy to explain why the Oakland As baseball team is one of the successful teams with much less money than most. But I also see an analogy relevant to the topic of Six Sigma. "Moneyball" also shows how one can achieve superior results by testing what everyone thinks they know with fact gathering and rigorous analyses. "Moneyball" may prove to be an inspiring book for those about to measure processes and look for opportunities for dramatic improvement: precisely what Six Sigma practitioners SHOULD be doing.

Just right for Green Belt training
The Six Sigma Way Team Fieldbook is an excellent companion to the original Six Sigma Way. I'm using it as a primary textbook in the Green Belt course at the college where I teach. The Fieldbook does a good job of laying out the "nuts and bolts" process of attacking a problem and making improvements. The book is a little light in some of the more techinical areas, specifically in the Analysis Stage of the DMAIC model. That's where I come in as the course instuctor. I supplement the Fieldbook with the QCI CSSBB Primer and use MiniTab software for statistical analysis. It all blends together, and is held together, by the very well written descriptions of DMAIC methodologies in the Team Fieldbook. This book is exactly what it is intended to be -- A Team Fieldbook for Six Sigma practitioners. Used with the guidance from an experienced Six Sigma practitioner (Black Belt), it is an excellent tool for both training and basic reference.

Black belt, here I show you the book of idols
Lets analyze this book deeply. Actually this book is totally useless. Here the authors dig deeper into the magic, the sophistry, of Six Sigma. Please tell us more practitioners of this blind faith.

This book details how to create the teams needed for Six Sigma. First it explains the role of the 'black belt' and 'master black belt'. We're not given insights into why a business model for grown ups has to treat us all like children, having teams and coaches and lots of 'feel good' language invovled. How bout a chapter on firing lazy employees? How bout a chapter on what to do when 10% of the items coming off the line are defective? No, that would be too realistic. No wholesome language, Just wizardry. When every single item coming off the line is defective we must sic the teams on it and analyze the issues, the diversity, the feel goodies of it. How bout just firing every single person on the line? This book is pure sophistry detailing a fad, a flavor of the week approach developed at GE and now appearing in every book in the world on business.
Business existed before Six Sigma and it will exist when this flawed system is gone.

Every Bit As Good As The Original Book...
A few people have written that they were disappointed in this book in comparison to the original "The Six Sigma Way." However, I couldn't disagree more. This is a terrific book. Where "The Six Sigma Way" served as a comprehensive foundation into the fundamentals of Six Sigma and offered a number of case studies, "The Fieldbook" is a no-nonsense roll-up-your-sleeves guide to implementation. The Bottom Line? If you want an overview of Six Sigma, buy a copy of "The Six Sigma Way." However, if you are a member of the management team (or a black belt) overseeing a Six Sigma program, "The Fieldbook" is definately the book for you.

Great source of information for the practictioner
This book is the one book for someone who is joining their first six sigma team. It will give you a feel for the tools and methodology that you will be exposed to and provides handy references of forms, metrics and best practices if you are requested to complete a task in a six sigma project. The material is very well organized and summarized for usage as an ongoing team resource. ... Read more

Book Description

The Oliver Wight ABCD Checklist for Operational Excellence

Since 1977, manufacturing professionals have turned to The Oliver Wight ABCD Checklist to improve their companies’ performance. Must-reading for logistics, distribution, and manufacturing professionals, the ABCD Checklist provides a superbly efficient approach to benchmarking your company’s performance and capabilities against the very best. Its sharply honed questions cover all the essential areas:

• Strategic Planning
• People/Team Systems
• Total Quality
• Continuous Improvement
• New Product Development
• Planning and Control

This newly updated edition reflects the dramatic changes in MRP II practices and the explosion of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools. Including FAQs and tools from the field compiled by Oliver Wight’s international group of consultants, The Oliver Wight ABCD Checklist for Operational Excellence, Fifth Edition should be a critical part of any program that strives to reach as close to perfection as possible. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Beware -- the Other Reviewer works for them
Good reference book - shouldn't be shilled by employees...

A Diagnosis tool made even better!
In addition to improvements to the Planning and Control chapter, which was the strength untill now, this 5th edition has significantly expanded the chapters on Strategy, People / Teams, Quality / Continuous Improvement, and Product Development, making it a more complete tool.

Excellent diagnosis and guide for improvement of companies
I have been using Oliver Wight checklists as a support for improving company processes for over 11 years, both as a practitioner and as a consultant. This fourth version has a very detailed chapter 5 (corresponding to MRPII / ERP / Supply Chain Management) and reasonably good chapters 1 through 4. "Non-initiated" professionals may find some difficult and may misinterpret some of the questions, but this will improve as they keep on applying the checklist. Not a pleasant reading but definitely worth using it! ... Read more

Book Description

With an emphasis on modeling techniques, Jeremy Shapiro's MODELING THE SUPPLY CHAIN is the perfect tool for courses in supply-chain management or for professional managers who seek better analytical tools for managing their supply chains, information technologists who are responsible for developing and/or maintaining such tools, and consultants who conduct supply-chain studies using models.Shapiro examines in detail the roles of data, models, and modeling systems in helping companies improve the management of their supply chains.The focus is on optimization models based on linear and mixed integer programming.Shapiro clearly illustrates that when properly applied, these methodologies can create accurate and comprehensive models of great practical value. The book also shows how competitive advantage in supply chain management can be most fully realized by implementing and applying optimization modeling systems. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Highly recommended for those interested in the topic
Shapiro's book is really an interesting introduction to modeling the Supply Chain. After an easy to follow overview on the tools: Linear Programming (Simplex) and Mixed Integer Programming (with an appendix over the Branch and Bound method), these fundamentals are applied to strategic and tactical issues related to modeling the SC. Some actual applications together with their outcomes make examples more credible and dowm to earth. Examples run on excel's solver are strightforward and useful to get a basic handle on the topic.

Several chapters on an unified optimization methodology for planning SC problems and databases are also interesting. The book ends up with a reviw on how decisions are taken within an organization and the role of modeling and optimization techniques. Its plain english is another positive point.

My only "but" could be an overly superficial treatment of hot topics in SC as facilities location whereas covering issues as Corporate Financial Planning far from the core of the book. All in all a profitable bought.

Práctico, Nivel Táctico - Operativo, Muy Útil
Para todos los latinos que esten pensando optimizar las operaciones de una empresa, sea Logística, Inventarios, Producción, les digo: Este libro es la mejor alternativa para aquellos que quieran diseñar, modelar e implementar el SCM en la empresa. Los modelos son mas prácticos que en "The Logic of Logistics" que es muy pero muy matemático, me asusté cuando lo abrí, integrales, derivadas y otras cosas que prefiero no recordar, la verdad, es que ni lo entendí, a pesar de que considero que tengo un nivel poco mas que aceptable en ese campo, debe ser porque estaba en ingles, no?. Los capitulos 3 - 6, presenta los modelos matemáticos. Es 100% Investigación de Operaciones: programación lineal, redes, simulación, es decir el libro de Taha o el Solow, o el Hillier en resumen con ejemplos muy ilustrativos. En el libro hay una dirección para que te bajes un software de optimización muy útil. Te acuerdas del LINDO, el LINGO, el método SIMPLEX, etc? Sabes usar el Solver del Excel? Ahí te explica todo, pero lo mejor de todo que podrás aterrizar esos conocimientos en tu empresa. Esencial para aquellos que trabajen en el área de Planeamiento y Control de la Producción. Yo encuentro este libro en el nivel táctico-operativo, será muy útil para los que quieren hacer un plan de operaciones como Tesis. También explica como modelar los sistemas de información para implementar eficientemente el supply chain, pero hay poco de eso (Atención Ing. de Sistemas e Informáticos, pero les puede servir para comenzar!!). Del cap. 7 al 11, estan las aplicaciones de los modelos en una empresa. Control de Inventarios, Planeación agregada, miren la tabla de contenidos del libro, les dará una buena idea. Lo encuentro mas aplicativo que Logistics and Supply Chain Management (Strategies for Reducing Cost and Improving Service) de Martin Cristopher que es muy teórico. El mismo Prentice Hall lo clasifica en Libros de Estrategia, es decir puras letritas y letritas. El libro de Shapiro te dice: "Manos a la Obra", El de Martin Christopher dice lo que dicen los Gerentes: "Esto es lo que yo quiero, ahora vean como lo logran". Espero que el modesto comentario de un alumno de Ingeniería industrial(UNI) les ayude a que encuentren lo que buscan.

You have NO EXCUSE not to get it -period!
This book is about math-modeling of Supply Chain Management(SCM). While only few analytical SCM books in market, this book is still different. The presentation of math-modeling does not forbid your curiousity in model by giving a proof, theory, lemma; this book shows you the modeling method to capture the complex SCM problem. I like this book over Simchi-Levi (logic of logistics) for its description, practical aspect and future direction. Also, I prefer this book over Chopra (SCM) and Simchi-levi (SCM) for its higher and better modeling issues. This book takes care the readers well since the solution technique is also given, e.g., Linear Programming, Mixed Integer Programming, Unified Optimization, even simulation. While this book is more on quantitative, the interaction between qualitative and quantitative is given -both basic and advanced level. Suggestion to adapt modeling technique to organization is well presented also. The information technology (IT) section covers most SCM issues as well as the implementation and database for SCM. If you're in this area (either academia or practitioner), you have NO EXCUSE not to get this book seriously. For its uniqueness, this book is not supplementary or option, but it's a requirement for you. ... Read more

Book Description

Practical Lean Accounting: A Proven System for Measuring and Managing the Lean Enterprise Brian Maskell and Bruce Baggaley

As companies move ahead with the implementation of lean production, financial functions often lag behind. When this happens, not only do they fail to actively support the effort, but they can actually hinder it.

In Practical Lean Accounting: A Proven System for Measuring and Managing the Lean Enterprise, authors Brian Maskell and Bruce Baggaley present a step-by-step method for transforming a manufacturing company's financial functions to support lean manufacturing. This step-by-step method transforms the accounting system to follow the company's pathway through lean implementation covering what needs to be done at each stage to support lean.

A case study runs throughout the text illustrating the lean accounting transformation within the context of the whole lean enterprise. A CD-ROM is included containing detailed forms, charts, and diagrams supporting the transformation to lean accounting.

Practical Lean Accounting is a valuable tool for CFOs, Controllers, accounting staff, and general managers that use key financial information to control their processes and support lean implementation. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great Tool for the Lean Enterprise
This book is right on target for the emerging practice of Lean accounting. It gets into the brass tacks of what you really need to do to report results that really mean something to the folks that can take action to improve the business. The entire concept of Value Stream Costing makes so much sense it's a wonder we haven't been using it for decades.
We have asked manufacturing to change, change, change in order to improve results and compete in this global market yet we have ignored the need to provide the necessary support from the accounting area. This book shows, step by step, how accounting must partner with manufacturing as well as engineering to provide actionable information in a timely manner. The old conventions of standard costing and variance analysis lead to poor decisions and this book will explain why.
A must read if you are serious about Lean manufacturing!

Getting the "Dough" to Flow
Based on the tenets of lean thinking, Mr. Maskell & Mr Baggaley present a powerful & practical implementation methodology that is applicable to lean accounting and all lean business practices. By integrating lean accounting with the transition to lean systems thinking, organizations now have the measurement and analysis tools to make robust business decisions at any level.

A Guide to Lean Operations Worth Its Weight in Diamonds!
I cannot recall ever seeing a guide to putting in a new control and measurement process of any kind that is as good as this one.

Although its title suggests that it is about accounting only, the authors deal almost as much with how to manage perceptions, progress and processes in establishing lean operations to create a lean enterprise. In addition, the book is designed to allow you to apply its wisdom regardless of where you are in putting in learn manufacturing or services. You simply turn to chapter 18 to run a diagnostic to determine what you should be working on first . . . and what follows.

The book is like a finished diamond . . . each chapter exposes the beauty of another facet of lean accounting. While this creates a little redundancy, its necessary if readers are to be able to use this book by beginning at whatever stage is appropriate for them.

The book is also enhanced by a CD with templates of the formats discussed in the book.

I was particularly impressed with the in-depth continuing example that covers all of the subjects in the book. It made the concepts much easier to understand.

The writing is clear, crisp, and practical.

I have seldom seen lean manufacturing proceed unless it had strong support and direction from the accounting and financial staffs. Yet most such staffs are not yet trained in how to play those roles. With this book, they can.

A key early problem is that traditional accounting will show a REDUCTION in profits when lean manufacturing is first begin. This is because inventories will be reduced, so burden on the reduced production will be higher. That's the opposite of the economic reality, where costs are actually being reduced while inventories become smaller. Many programs are killed at that point without understanding that the effects are temporary. With this guide, you can prepare the organization to anticipate and understand these effects.

The book goes on to give you a good way to decide when various accounting steps can either be dropped or simplified as lean manufacturing reaches the stage of being properly in control of your processes.

I particularly liked the way the book describes how the financial staff can shift its focus to identifying opportunities to enhance profits and cash flow further through lean manufacturing. There's also a good process for how all of the functions should work together to make more progress in this way.

The book is also illustrated with many photographs of actual measurements and controls in place for lean manufacturing. Although the reproduction of these images is often not very good, I think you will get the idea.

Bravo for Mr. Maskell and Mr. Baggaley! They've written a classic.

As I finished the book, I began to think about how many other processes in companies would benefit from this kind of careful measurement and redesign. New product development should be a prime example. Perhaps the authors will take on another such subject in a future book. I hope they will.

A Must Read for Lean Organizations
This book provides a roadmap for and firms transitioning themselves into lean or as it was known in the 1990's, "just-in-time", organizations. As they make the journey, they often find their accounting and measurements systems are an obstacle to success.

It is a practitioners' book. It focuses on creating customer value, which is the key principle of lean thinking. The book can be read in the traditional fashion - front to back. The authors tell us, however, that is not how it was written. Their starting point is their "Lean Accounting Diagnostic," found in the appendix. It assesses your company's progress with Lean Accounting and helps develop a plan to implement change.

A case study runs throughout the book. It illustrates the conversion of the financial functions required at each step to support the endeavor.

The book is well-written and comprehensive. For those looking to support lean processes, it is a must read.

Required reading for manufacturing CEO's and CFO's
This book outlines the process for moderninzing manufacturing companies' accounting and control systems. U.S. manufacturing is facing stiff competition from low cost overseas companies, and Practical Lean Accounting explains how U.S. manufacturers must tranform their business to remain competitive. The book is written in easy to understand language that any manufacturing person will find easy to follow. If you work for a Lean Manufacturer, this is required reading! ... Read more

Book Description

In today's environment of tight budgets and even tighter turnarounds, effective supply-chain management has become a core business requirement. Managing the Supply Chain adapts the number one supply-chain book on the college market to examine how professionals can consistently turn supply-chain strategy into a competitive advantage.

This results-based book examines the experiences of today's most accomplished companies to demonstrate supply-chain innovation at work in the marketplace.

Reviews (1)

Book review in American Shipper magazine
From "Know your supply chain variables" by Philip Damas, American Shipper, July 2004

While avoiding industry jargon and the hyperbole often used by logistics consultants, this book guides the reader with clarity and purpose through many supply chain aspects, from order fulfillment to logistics network optimization, through order forecasts and product design.

A common theme of this book is the need for global optimization across all corporate functions, all warehouses or locations, and across companies that share the same supply chains. ... Read more

Book Description

Warehousing continues to play a critical role in assuringhigh levels of customer service and overall logistics performance. Efficient warehousing can minimize the effects of supply chain inefficiencies; can improve logistics accuracy and inventory management; and can allow for product accumulation, consolidation, and customization. The cost of warehousing should be commensurate with the contribution of warehousing to overall logistics performance--typically between 2% and 5% of corporate revenue. In world-class warehousing these costs are minimized while also improving customer service. The principles and systems described in this book are common denominators of world-class warehousing. The principles have been developed over a decade of logistics research, education and consulting project experience. World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling can be used to develop a warehouse master plan to support the corporation's overall logistics strategy. In the second book in the Logistics Management Library, World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling will address: customization and countrification; information technology in warehousing; warehouse performance analysis; the role of the warehouse in the supply chain; warehouse expansion and contraction planning. World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling will integrate both global and e-commerce issues and examples throughout the text. The author's consulting and teaching experience places him in the position to draw on his wide experience to present numerous case studies and best practices throughout the book. In the end, this book will help the reader to develop a comprehensive warehouse strategy to reduce costs and increase quality. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great overview of concepts
I found the book helpful in learning some basics of warehousing. I appreciated the overview of various types of equipment and racking. The book focuses more on distribution systems but I found many of the concepts can be applied to MRO warehousing(zoning and slotting in particular)with some tweaking.

World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling
Interesting overall view for beginners in warehousing. It has a superficial treatment on very critical issues such as receiving and putaway. Also it's so focused on order picking (the author's experience) that provides an unbalanced view of Distribution Centers. It doesn't address any type of raw material warehousing insights, it focused more on finished goods distribution centers. Limited applicability of the content.

Good book on order picking methods
This book quickly covers the most common methods and equipment used to receive, move, store, pick, and ship materials within a warehouse environment. Much of the book focuses on the order-picking process, which makes it a good choice for fulfillment operations. Of particular interest is the detailed info on slotting as well as an objective discussion of the pros and cons of automation. The size of the book (only 233 pages) results in somewhat brief treatments of the various topics. On the plus side, this makes it a quick read for someone wanting to become familiar with warehouse operations, on the minus side you may find that you need to go to another resource to get more detailed info on a specific topic. ... Read more