The Remedy: Bringing Lean Thinking Out of the Factory to Transform the Entire Organization

Preface

Why a book about Lean outside the factory?

Because that's where the opportunity lies. Upstream—in marketing, design, and engineering. Downstream—in distribution, sales, and customer service. These, together with health care, service, and government, are Lean's frontier. I am less and less a factory rat.

Every core Lean principle applies outside the factory. But business processes are harder to fix.

Why a sequel to Andy & Me?

The characters of Tom Papas and Andy Saito seemed a natural vehicle. Readers seem to like them, and I do too.

We're emerging from an economic catastrophe, which claimed many great companies and put millions of people out of work. Lean has the potential to reduce human misery and increase human happiness by doing more with less, while providing meaningful work.

That's enough for me.

Note

The characters, situations, and organizations described herein are entirely fictional. Any similarity between these and actual people, situations, and organizations is purely coincidental.