Lean organisations seem to work in a simple manner and operate with an innate calmness. They have removed much of the complexity that inhibits the performance of other companies, but achieving this level of simplicity is not easy. In 'The Simplicity of Lean', Philip Holt provides a comprehensive handbook of the Lean principles, presented in an accessible and easy to apply manner. 'The Simplicity of Lean' is a step-by-step guide to the Lean Thinking that makes your organisation more efficient and effective. The book offers the necessary context of how to apply Lean Thinking to make your Lean Transformation successful. Alongside the theory and the practical application of Lean, Philip also shares his personal insights and experiences, as well as individual success stories (and failures) from various Lean leaders from across the world. The Simplicity of Lean is the perfect guide to make your Lean journey a resounding success. 'A powerful and versatile array of management tools, presented in a context that connects with the realities of daily operations, both technical and interpersonal. Philip doesn’t just give you the tools, he gives you a framework for introducing these tools to the people who will use and sustain them. The Simplicity of Lean will enable you to overcome the complex challenges that all organizations face in creating a better future for your company, its customers and your community.' - Collin McLoughlin - Author of True Kaizen, Founder of Enna, an imprint of Productivity Press 'The Simplicity of Lean is an ideal companion for the Lean Practitioner. Written in a very personal manner, it addresses the four key elements necessary to put a lean culture in place. Gems of personal insight and reflection will make this a thought provoking read for both experienced and'novice Lean Practitioners.' - Jon Tudor - Managing Director, True North Excellence and former President, Association for Manufacturing Excellence (UK) Table of Contents Foreword by Collin McLoughlin 11 1 - INTRODUCTION 13 The Simplicity of Lean 13 Operational Excellence is a strategic advantage 14 The Simplicity Model 15 Hansei 17 Personal stories 18 PART I - CULTURE 2 - DAILY MANAGEMENT 23 What is Daily Management? 23 The CommCell 26 Daily accountability and tier meetings 39 3 - LEADER STANDARD WORK 47 What is Leader Standard Work? 47 Kamishibai 51 Kata Coaching 56 4 - PROBLEM SOLVING 61 What is a problem? 61 The power of asking Why? 66 The 8 steps of problem solving 67 A3 problem solving 77 Andon 79 5 - VISUAL MANAGEMENT 83 Why Visual Management? 83 The 3 second rule 83 Visual Management is all around us 86 6 - WORK PLACE ORGANISATION (5S) 91 What is WPO? 91 How do you solve a problem like 5S? 93 The 5Ss 94 5S in the Office 98 7 - TEAM & PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS 103 Expectation leads to Excellence 103 Time thieves 108 Effective meetings: Terms of Reference (TOR) 116 Taking ownership of your own performance 118 Being the Culture 119 PART II - KAIZEN 8 - STANDARDISED WORK 125 Why do you need standardised work? 125 Keeping it visual 127 Implementing standardised work 127 9 - JOB INSTRUCTION 141 Training within industry (TWI) 141 Back to the Future 142 Implementing Job Instruction 144 10 - THE 8 WASTES 149 Mura, Muri and Muda 149 TIM WOODS 150 Waste in the Office Environment 154 11 - KAIZEN EVERYDAY 159 It doesn’t need to be perfect to be better 159 Kaizen explained 161 Kaizen is looking inwards 163 Creating the Kaizen culture 164 PART III - PROJECTS 12 - HOSHIN KANRI 171 What is Hoshin Kanri? 171 Management by Objectives versus Hoshin Kanri 174 The 5 steps of the X-matrix 176 Cascading the X-matrix 180 Monthly review 182 13 - VALUE STREAM MAPPING 187 Reducing the organisation’s BMI 187 What is a Value Stream Map? 188 5 steps of Value Stream Mapping 190 PART IV - KAIZEN EVENTS 14 - THE LEAN LEADER 217 The Role of the Leader 217 Leadership styles 219 The Leader and Kaizen Events 223 15 - KAIZEN EVENTS 227 What is a Kaizen Event? 227 Kaizen Event Planning 227 Kaizen Event Process 228 PART V - THE SIMPLICITY OF LEAN 16 - PERSONAL STORIES 241 The reality of Lean 241 17 - CREATING YOUR OWN STORY 273 The social dilemma in an organisation 273 Doing the right thing is good for you 275 What will you do? 276 Acknowledgements 280 About the Author 282 Notes 283