Lean RFS (Repetitive Flexible Supply): Putting the Pieces Together

Whether Shingo Prize winner or a mature Culture of Lean Six Sigma, most organizations do yet not understand and benefit from what Ian describes in this work, which builds on his earlier book, Breaking Through to Flow.The book contains a balanced mix of practical examples using the segmentation tools Ian has pioneered, as well as examples - - - both failed and successful - - - of the vital role top leadership plays to make flow possible.Not only for production. One team I was blessed to support used this approach to deliver a 43% productivity improvement (and 1.5 million annual cost reduction) in Procurement/Payables in a matter of months. Numerous examples are included from service and transactional environments.The importance of leadership stability is revealed in Ian's sadness that some of his best work has been "undone" when new leadership - - - some years after initial application of his approach - - - abandons the policy deployment/hoshin kanri approach and dismantles the cross functional collaboration which this approach demands.A wealth of practical tips from easy buffer calculations to how to engage the Finance team to the essential differences between planning the green and red flows. (if not planned with different rules, chaos results) And he even mixes in some fun with multiple tales of niggle chasing.A valuable read for sponsoring leaders and implementers; also available on Kindle for long flights.Based on several successful projects our team has supported using this approach which each delivered over 1 million annual recurring financial benefits, we can imagine this relatively "unknown" book may become as well known as "Learning to See."

For years I was struggling with the concept of heijunka and why it was beneficial - especially when it was "explained" through the use of the heijunka box. My first "aha" moment came when I was able to apply it to a logistics process. The second when I read this book and saw how to apply it in (mainly) process industries where large batches but also frequent (and ruinous) planning changes are the norm.

This is a great book filled with helpful information. If you are involved in production or supply chain management in any way, you NEED to read this helpful book. It may help you see that ongoing improvement is available to you from options to which you are presently blind. Don't miss it!

If every supplier throughout a given supply chain would use these simple rules everyone would win. Waste would be reduced, inventory turns would increase, inventory levels would be reduced and on time delivery would improve.

Great book, a must read for all those people who are trying to change a culture to one if continuous improvement and deliver reduced costs.

Very interesting concept. I like hands-on examples.I wish the book had more field example.

Das Buch ist ganz ok, aber deutlich aus einer voreingenommen Perskeptkive geschrieben.Es gibt nichtsdestotrotz diverse Denkansätze, daher kann ich das Lesen empfehlen - doch es muss sicherlich einges an Arbeit investiert werden (consulting, workshops, analysen etc).Ich werde in den nächsten Monaten versuchen diverse Ideen in meine Arbeit als Planning Manager einfliessen zu lassen und mit meiner Erfahrung zu kombinieren.

Very good