New book is true story of remarkable lean transformation

Mr. Lean Buys and Transforms a Manufacturing Company: The True Story of Profitably Growing an Organization with Lean Principles is the real experience of how, armed with only lean improvement methodologies, a specially trained Toyota lean expert purchased a business he knew nothing about, applied lean techniques, and succeeded in doubling sales and increasing profitability, before he finally sold the thriving business.

With humility and humor, Greg Lane recounts his successes and failures, introduces his key employees and their struggles with change, and provides motivation and simple ideas for all readers looking to improve their businesses. He captures key points highlighted in text boxes and includes illustrative photos and examples of Lean tools at work.

This story dispels the fallacy that Lean management does not achieve excellent results in high variation companies and job shops. Toyota’s OSKKK (Observe, Standardize, Kaizen Flow & Process, Kaizen Equipment and Kaizen Layout) methodology is introduced to understand processes and guide a Lean transformation on the shop floor and in the office.

Mr. Lean Buys and Transforms a Manufacturing Company: The True Story of Profitably Growing an Organization with Lean Principles …

·        Presents realistic discussions of what was and was not successful in improving a business strictly through application of lean methodologies

·        Shows how important effective and realistic leadership is and how it brings the best out of the employees

·        Represents real characters and shows how they grow into new methodologies

·        Describes an already profitable company made more profitable through the introduction of Lean principals

About the author
Greg Lane, founder of the Low Volume Lean Center, purchased, operated and conducted a lean transformation within his own manufacturing company, which specialized in fast turnaround on high-mix, low-volume parts. Greg used TPS to grow the business and nearly double its sales. He profitably sold the business to concentrate on supporting others in lean implementation.

Greg earned his masters of business administration from the California State University in 1989 and his bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1986. He is a faculty member of the Lean Enterprise Institute and an advisor to the Instituto de Lean Management in Spain. While working with Toyota, Greg was one of a handful of candidates selected for a one-year training program conducted by Toyota’s masters. He became certified as a Toyota Production System (TPS) Key Person and continued his work with Toyota by training others in TPS.  
   
Greg is also the author of Made to Order Lean: Excelling in a High Mix, Low Volume Environment. Since 1992, he has been working on implementing lean around the world, supporting large and small companies alike. He has supported lean implementations in over 24 countries and speaks English, German and some Spanish.