Each month new articles, book reviews, and other content are added to the Superfactory website. The new content is featured in the monthly e-newsletter which goes out to 50,000 subscribers worldwide, and we will also post a monthly heads-up on this blog.
New content in April includes:
The featured article is another meticulously researched piece from Shingo Prize winning author Bob Emiliani and is titled Toyota's British Influence. The following is a brief excerpt, and you can read the entire article here.
Unaware of the details of Toyota’s history, it’s easy to think that Toyota managers and workers were the originators of all the important ideas. In fact, they were the originators of some important ideas and adopters of ideas from many others– most good, but a few not so good. This article highlights one idea that originated in the U.K. and which Toyota senior managers have for decades found very useful for determining the size and output of their automobile plants, and for informing them when to develop new models.
For many years I have been interested in the origins and evolution of Lean management and have recently written book chapters and papers on the topic. During the course of my studies I have periodically come across reference made by Toyota executives and others to the Maxcy-Silberston production cost curve, invariably without attribution or with erroneous attribution. As a result, the original source for the curve had long been difficult to locate.
The featured book this month is Supply-Based Advantage by Stephen Rogers. The following is a brief summary, click here for more information.
It's not enough for companies to simply try to find ways to save money
through suppliers. If suppliers aren't fully integrated into their
corporate strategy, there's no way for companies to ensure that they
will continue to save money…and that their supply decisions will fit
with changing organizational goals. Filled with enlightening examples
from companies including Mars, Procter & Gamble, Intel, and
Wal-Mart, this book shows how any organization can transform their
supply function into a key driver of profit.
Gemba Academy has released a new 7 module course on 5S Workplace Productivity. The first module, 5S Overview, is one of the 4 videos now available at no cost. Gemba Academy provides HD-quality online video training modules for a single low subscription cost. The HD quality means you can train individuals at their computers or project the videos to a large training auditorium, with no per-seat or per-use fees.
We continually update the other major sections of the website, including:
- PowerPoint Presentations: Over 50 downloadable PowerPoint presentations on lean manufacturing, quality, enterprise, and safety concepts.
- Factory Toolbox: Almost 300 downloadable forms, procedure templates, assessments, and tools to help you not reinvent the wheel.
- Events Calendar: a listing of lean excellence seminars, workshops, training, and conferences worldwide
- Topic Information: Summaries and resources on over 40 enterprise excellence topics.
- Virtual Factory Tours: Web and streaming video tours of over 100 factories.
For all you LinkedIn junkies, we have created a LinkedIn group for Superfactory, which now has over 2,000 members. Join the group to
network with other Superfactory enthusiasts and to show our logo on your profile. If you haven't explored LinkedIn, check it out to see why over 17 million professionals use it for networking.
We are always looking for new articles and other content. Contact us via the Superfactory website if you would like to contribute to our knowledge base.