The shop floor is not the only business space amenable to kaizen events. Most front offices, back offices, and even the nice corner offices with the carpeting and windows could probably use some re-thinking so assets firms already have can better support business strategies. Consultant Venegas makes a convincing case for getting leaner in the office, particularly given new technologies. He shows readers how to find waste and to map the value streams in office processes, how to plan and implement an atmosphere in which kaizen (small, continuous improvements) will succeed and thrive, and how to evaluate those small improvements against business goals. He focuses on practical ideas, such as finally getting the office arranged so work flows from workstation to workstation rather than seemingly at random, and performing "housekeeping' tasks that free physical and mental space for the most important work. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Recenzijos
Whether readers are interested in a specific topic, say kaizen, or have committed themselves to launching Lean in their workplaces, they will discover useful nuggets in Flow in the Office that will help them combine their current thinking with the possibilities of what Lean can do for their businesses.--Sir Read A Lot, December 2007
Acknowledgments |
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vii | |
Introduction |
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ix | |
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The Case for Lean in the Office |
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1 | (8) |
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Finding Waste in the Office--So You Can Eliminate It |
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9 | (30) |
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Eleven Methods of Discovering and Optimizing Value in the Office |
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39 | (16) |
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Mapping the Value Stream in the Office |
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55 | (8) |
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Preparing for a Kaizen in the Office |
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63 | (22) |
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Conducting a Kaizen in the Office |
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85 | (16) |
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Sustaining Office Kaizen Improvements |
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101 | (8) |
Appendix: Team Tips |
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109 | (4) |
Glossary of Lean Management Terms |
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113 | (1) |
Glossary of Non-English Words and Phrases |
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114 | (1) |
Index |
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115 | (2) |
About the Author |
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117 | |
Carlos Venegas, president of Straus/Forest, LLC, has helped scores of clients implement successful process-improvement initiatives in a wide range of organizations: from 1,000-employee business units in a Fortune 500 company to a four-employee firm. The range of businesses with which Carlos has worked includes technical and engineering design, creative services, building and maintenance contractors, interior design, retail, aerospace manufacturing, inventory management, printers, electronics assembly, accounting and finance, human resources, and IT, to name a few.