Driving Operational Excellence

In Driving Operational Excellence, we’ve put together a potpourri of Lean, Six Sigma and Operational Excellence topics to give an overview of what can be achieved with these types of strategies. We’ve categorized them under four headings: Strategy, Methodology, General Tools and Specific Tools, with a closing section on the future of business and continuous improvement. We’ve also covered the subject matter in a way that is appealing to both experts and initiates alike. Best of all, we’ve made it interesting to read, provide concrete, real-life working examples, and at times – even made it a bit humorous. Some of the topics you will see inside our book include: What is Lean? Value Realization Methodology Strategy Development Continuous Improvement Daily Management Change Management Project Selection Waste Value Stream Mapping Voice of the customer Lean Accounting

The Story Behind Driving Operational Excellence, By Ron Crabtree For years I had been watching company executives and managers look at Lean, Six Sigma and Operational Excellence with the evil eye, wary about what these strategies meant, how they worked or whether or not their company would benefit from such “complex” initiatives. In looking at the reference material on these subjects, I really couldn’t blame them. Much of the material available on Lean, Six Sigma and Op Ex is written at a level that only Black belts can begin to understand. We’ve written a lot about these strategies, but it’s all been written for the experts, not the lay people expected to adopt and implement it. As I thought about it, I wondered if I was alone thinking that someone needed to write a book aimed to answer some of the most prominent questions companies have about continuous improvement, change management and process excellence. So I turned to my colleagues to find out what they thought. It turns out that they were seeing the same problem. That’s when the fire behind Driving Operational Excellence came into being. I, along with 23 of the best consultants in continuous improvement came together to write a book targeted specifically toward those executives and managers who may not have the level of experience with strategic improvement programs required to make informed decisions about these types of initiatives and how they support, benefit and grow their companies. In Driving Operational Excellence, we’ve put together a potpourri of Lean, Six Sigma and Operational Excellence topics to give an overview of what can be achieved with these types of strategies. We’ve categorized them under four headings: Strategy, Methodology, General Tools and Specific Tools, with a closing section on the future of business and continuous improvement. We’ve also covered the subject matter in a way that is appealing to both experts and initiates alike. Best of all, we’ve made it interesting to read, provide concrete, real-life working examples, and at times – even made it a bit humorous. Some of the topics you will see inside our book include: What is Lean? Value Realization Methodology Strategy Development Continuous Improvement Daily Management Change Management Project Selection Waste Value Stream Mapping Voice of the customer Lean Accounting

Ron Crabtree, CPIM, CIRM, is President of MetaOps™ Inc, and is an internationally recognized expert in leading-edge business process improvement methodologies, change management and communications. He has provided several thousand hours of consulting, training and facilitation for large and small groups in hundreds of organizations internationally on a wide range of topics. He draws on more than 20 years’ experience in implementing Lean, Six Sigma, and other best practice methodologies as both an insider and as a consultant in many international industries – from automotive assembly plants to small A&D suppliers, complex manufacturing, process manufacturing, printing, injection molding, consumer goods, distribution/retailing, financial services, medical services, and job shop operations. Mr. Crabtree is a world-renowned author and public speaker and is published in many international venues, including his current role writing the Lean Culture Department in APICS magazine. APICS is an award-winning magazine featuring innovative ideas and real-world strategies for inventory, materials, production, and supply chain management; planning and scheduling; purchasing; logistics; warehousing; and e-business solutions. Learn more about APICS at www.apics.org. In addition, Mr. Crabtree currently serves as adjunct faculty for Villanova Universities’ professional education on-line programs in the capacity of educational developer and instructor to deliver curriculums on Lean, Six Sigma, and Business Analysis. Learn more by visiting www.villanovau.com. Mr. Crabtree has held positions in Plant General Management, Materials Management, and Manufacturing Operations Management. In addition, he has held consulting posts as Oracle Practice Leader for a top-ten accounting and management-consulting firm, and a Technical Director for the world’s largest Lean manufacturing training/consulting practice. Other Professional Authors in Book Include: Charles Shillingburg, Bill Artzberger, Forrest W. Breyfogle III, Kendall Scheer, Dave Goodman, Sheree Lavelle, David Dubinsky, Jeff Cole, Steven Pfeiffer, Ron Chandler, Matt Stewart, Ira Weissman, Karen Young, Gary Wickett, Mike Bresko, Lorraine Marzilli Lomas, Pamela D. Gladwell, Joann O. Parrinder, Steve Cimorelli, Andres H. Slack, James H. Hardin. www.MetaOps.com 734-424-1455