This book takes a different approach to most other books on the subject—as it starts with an introduction to the control problem, instead of the control solution. Card-Based Control Systems for a Lean Work Design outlines how the problems encountered in typical manufacturing shops and service providers can be characterized, which allows for improved problem diagnosis.

The first four chapters of the book lay the foundations for problem diagnosis. The next three chapters then discuss, in sequence, each of the three “traditional” card-based control systems: kanban, ConWIP, and Paired-cell Overlapping Loops of Cards with Authorization (POLCA). The book explains how each of these card-based control systems works and identifies the specific type of control problem to which each system applies.

The next two chapters focus on Control of Balance by Card-Based Navigation (COBACABANA), a system developed for high-variety shops producing made-to-order, customized products. This is the first book to discuss this novel approach, which includes the use of cards to estimate due dates or delivery time allowances. 

The book closes with a framework that provides guidance on which system to apply. This framework contrasts the control problem with the control solution. The potential of combining card-based systems is also discussed to create a nested solution.

An Introduction to Lean Work Design (Volume 1): Fundamentals of Lean Operations published with Business Expert Press

Lean Work Design—comes directly from our view that lean operations results from the work design. This book uses three existing work design theories to study lean operations and to identify the principles of lean operations. First, systems theory is used to conceptualize how lean operations differ from other work designs. Second, buffer theory, which views lean as a set of buffers to protect throughput from variance, is used to more effectively manage buffers. Third, organizational information processing theory is used to understand how the lean work design processes different types of information. So, lean work design is a work design that maximizes system productivity and effectiveness while minimizing the system’s buffer costs. Lean does this by achieving tighter integration of its system components by using work design methods that incorporate a systems view of the organization. Appropriate work design methods consciously seek to incorporate a systems view and coordination into the design of a production or service process.

This book is not about the many tools in lean. Rather, it focuses on understanding the lean concepts and how to actively use these concepts to create structure and facilitate communication. The book introduces the fundamentals of Lean operations that are a key to creating a Lean Work Design. It provides a knowledge structure that can be adapted to the day-to-day problems encountered by managers of many different types of work systems. 

This book introduces the fundamentals of Lean operations which are a key to creating a Lean Work Design. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to lean work design. The customer and its needs take on the principal position in lean work design, which is discussed in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 extends this customer focus introducing processes and process flows to meet customer needs. Chapters 4 to 6 focus on important concepts related to process flow cumulating in the introduction of Hopp and Spearman (2004) and their definition of lean: Chapter 4 introduces Little’s Law, Chapter 5, process variance and Chapter 6, the concept of buffers. The focus then changes to the human factor in any organization: Chapter 7 focuses on the management of people; Chapter 8 focuses on the creation of action through the operational structure facilitating the flow of materials and information; and Chapter 9 emphasizes the importance of communication to align goals and integrate knowledge. A final summary is provided in Chapter 10. 

An Introduction to Lean Work Design (Volume 2): Standard Practices and Tools of Lean published with Business Expert Press 

This book introduces the standard practices and tools of Lean operations which are a key to creating a Lean Work Design. Chapter 1 covers visible control and 5S before Chapter 2 extends the principle of visible control to Total Productive Maintenance. Chapter 3 addresses set-up time reduction through Single-Minute-Exchange-of-Die. Facility layout is discussed in Chapter 4. How visual signaling is used to create visible control is discussed in Chapter 5 before Chapter 6 explores how pull systems use both visible control and visual signaling. Value stream mapping and thus, making visible the production process is discussed in Chapter 7. Chapter 8 then outlines Total Quality Management before the principles of continuous improvement are explored in Chapter9. How standardization helps to maintain improvements and to create a work structure is then explained in Chapter 10. Finally the book closes with an introduction to Hoshin Kanri a concept for coordinating the different principles and tools discussed in this book in Chapter 11. A final summary is provided in Chapter 12.