{"product_id":"world-class-manufacturing-9781416592549","title":"World Class Manufacturing","description":"In his best-selling book \u003ci\u003eJapanese Manufacturing Techniques, \u003c\/i\u003e Richard J. Schonberger revolutionized American manufacturing theory and, more important, practice. In that breakthrough book, he revealed that Japanese manufacturing excellence was not culturally bound. Offering the first demystified explanation of the simple techniques that fueled Japan's industrial success, he demonstrated how the same methods could be put to work as effectively in U.S. plants. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNow, in \u003ci\u003eWorld Class Manufacturing, \u003c\/i\u003e Schonberger returns to tell the success stories of nearly 100 American corporations -- including Hewlett-Packard, Harley-Davidson, General Motors, Honeywell, and Uniroyal -- that have adopted the famed just-in-time production and \"total quality control\" strategies. Based on his firsthand experience as a major consultant to American industry, he examines how they did it -- and illustrates how the same concrete, specific steps used by these top companies can be implemented in any factory today. What's more, Schonberger shows that his bold concepts and reforms apply equally to all industries, whether the product is computers, pasta, or trucks, and to all divisions -- from manufacturing and engineering to accounting and marketing. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAccording to Schonberger, world-class manufacturing depends on blended management -- rather than domination by a separate group of managers -- which marshalls resources for \u003ci\u003econtinual rapid improvement.\u003c\/i\u003e To achieve world-class status, companies must change procedures and concepts, which in turn leads to recasting relations among suppliers, purchasers, producers, and customers. Acknowledging the difficulty inherent in such changes, Schonberger stresses that employee involvement and interaction, both on the shop floor and in the decision-making\/problem-solving process, is key. Wary of those who view improvement in terms of modernizing equipment, he points out that making maximum use of people and current machinery is a company's first priority; automation, if necessary, should come much later. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eWorld Class Manufacturing\u003c\/i\u003e also includes Schonberger's 17-point action agenda to guide innovators toward manufacturing excellence, from getting to know the customer to cutting the number of suppliers, reducing error in production, and deciding when and how to automate. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIndispensable for all manufacturing innovators who aim to keep ahead of the competition, this inspiring, groundbreaking volume does much more than just recommend or theorize about the new manufacturing approach. Plainly, realistically, and logically, it explains \u003ci\u003ehow it's done.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Free Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/24\/2008\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781416592549\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.84lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.60d","brand":"Richard J. Schonberger","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52051807797429,"sku":"9781416592549","price":16.11,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_f3cd6ede-b95a-4ef3-8ac0-ca1736811d87.jpg?v=1764048047","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/world-class-manufacturing-9781416592549","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}