Quick Start Guides

Not sure what books to read? Ask our Librarian. Tell our Librarian your role or interests and you will receive a list of books to start your reading. Just don't be too loud or you'll get a great big 'shhh!' from the Librarian. If you don't see the list you are looking for here, please contact us and ask for a list. We would be glad to help.

Start by choosing a topic.

• The Lean Basics
• More Lean Basics
• The History and Context of Lean
• The Technical Application of Lean in an Assembly Environment
• The Technical Application of Lean in a Manufacturing Environment
• The Company-Wide Application of Lean
• Being a Good Lean Leader
• Being an Effective Manager in a Lean Company
• The Topic of Lean Accounting
• Applying Lean to My Personal Work
• Lean in Product Development

Lean Basics

I only want to get the basics, an overview, of lean understanding.

• The New Manufacturing Challenge: Techniques for Continuous Improvement
• The Toyota Way
• Lean Thinking

More Lean Basics

I want to dig a little deeper into what this lean thing is all about, but not much deeper.

• Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success
• Becoming Lean
• The Goal
• JIT Factory Revolution

The History and Context of Lean

I want to know where lean came from. I want to read the masters. I want the roots of lean.

• Toyota Production System
• The Machine That Changed the World
• Out of the Crisis
• Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success
• The Hunters and the Hunted
• Study of the Toyota Production System
• Attaining Manufacturing Excellence
• Today and Tomorrow
• Kaikaku

The Technical Application of Lean in an Assembly Environment

I need to get down to the nuts and bolts of applying lean in my asembly organization.

• The New Manufacturing Challenge: Techniques for Continuous Improvement
• Learning to See, Version 1.3
• Creating Continuous Flow
• Poka-Yoke
• Zero Quality Control
• Lean Assembly
• Lean Manufacturing

The Technical Application of Lean in an Manufacturing Environment

I need to get down to the nuts and bolts of applying lean in my manufacturing organization.

• The New Manufacturing Challenge: Techniques for Continuous Improvement
• Learning to See, Version 1.3
• Creating Continuous Flow
• Poka-Yoke
• Zero Quality Control
• A Revolution in Manufacturing
• Lean Manufacturing Systems and Cell Design
• Practical TPM
• Factory Physics
• Lean Manufacturing

The Company-Wide Application of Lean

I am applying lean beyond manufacturing, beyond the shop floor. I need to know what it looks like beyond the 4 walls.

• Toyota Production System
• Real Numbers
• The Toyota Way
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean
• Lean Solutions
• The Toyota Product Development System
• Thinking Beyond Lean
• Hoshin Kanri for the Lean Enterprise

Being a Good Lean Leader

I want to be able to lead an organization to the lean ideal state.

• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean
• No Excuses Leadership
• Fast-Track to Waste-Free Manufacturing
• The Path of Least Resistance for Managers
• The Inner Game of Work
• Guts
• Principle Centered Leadership
• Leading Change
• Kaizen and the Art of Creative Thinking

Being an Effective Manager in a Lean Company

I am a manager in a company using lean. What changes for me? I need to know what to do for my role.

• Toyota Production System
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean
• Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success
• The Daily Drucker
• Hoshin Kanri for the Lean Enterprise
• Death by Meeting
• Good to Great

The Topic of Lean Accounting

How does lean relate to accounting, and what do I do about it?

• Real Numbers
• Profit Beyond Measure
• Beyond Budgeting
• Practical Lean Accounting
• Who’s Counting? A Lean Accounting Business Novel

Applying Lean to My Personal Work

I first want to apply lean concepts to my own work. What can I do?

• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean
• Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success
• The Hunters and the Hunted
• Lean Solutions
• Poka-Yoke

Lean in Product Development

• The Toyota Product Development System
• Product Development for the Lean Enterprise
• Lean Product and Process Development
• Ready, Set, Dominate