Fast Track to Waste-Free Manufacturing

Preface

IN THE SPRING OF 1989, at the age of 51, I was asked to assume the position of plant manager at a manufacturing facility located in the Midwest. At the time I took the position, the plant was on the verge of becoming an unfortunate business statistic. Among other things, operating costs were completely out of control, union and management relationships were strained, to say the least, and customer satisfaction was at an all-time low. The factory itself was totally unkempt; huge quantities of work-in-process inventory were literally stacked to the ceiling, yet often parts needed to fill customer orders could not be found, and had to be filled through a hot list system of production. Production departments operated entirely independently ...