To understand this company's success, first understand its DNA, 31 Jul 2008
I read this book when it was first published in 2004 and recently re-read it, curious to know how well Jeffrey Liker's explanation of Toyota's management principles and lean production values have held up. My conclusion? Very well.

No good purpose would be served by merely listing the 14 management principles, out of context. Liker devotes a separate chapter to each, carefully explaining not only what it is but also how it guides and informs everyone at all levels and in all areas of the Toyota organization. What Liker also accomplishes, and what cannot be adequately summarized in a review such as this, is to explain how all 12 principles are interdependent. Together, they serve as the company's DNA. In the Preface, he recalls asking Fujio Cho (President of Toyota Motor Company) what was unique about his company's remarkable success. His answer was quite simple: "The key to the Toyota Way and what makes Toyota stand out is not any of the individual elements...But what is important is having all the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner." To understand Toyota's success, therefore, it is important to understand that lean production is not a methodology, it is literally a way of life.

The 14 principles are divided into four sections:

Having a long-term philosophy that drives a long-term approach to building a learning organization

Absolute faith that the right process will produce the right results

Adding value to the organization by developing its people and partners

Continuously solving root problems to drive organizational learning

As Liker points out, it is important to understand that the Toyota Production System is not the Toyota Way. TPS is the most systematic and highly developed example of what the principles of the Toyota Way can accomplish. The Toyota Way consists of the foundational principles of the Toyota culture, which allows the TPS to function so effectively.

How does lean improvement differ from traditional process improvement? "Briefly, wheras the traditional approach to process improvement focuses on local efficiencies, in a lean improvement initiatuve, most of the progress comes from a large number of non-value steps being squeezed out. For example, overproduction, delays, and wasted motion. In fact, the ultimate goal of lean manufacturing is to apply the ideal of one-piece flow to all business operations, from product design to launch, order taking, physical production, and shipment."Some of the differences are subtle but no less significant.

To repeat, anyone can read this book and then uncerstand what the Toyota Way is. Possessing a gourmet chef's recipe, however, does not ensure that a gourmet meal will be prepared. Toyota has its own way. Other companies must develop theirs based on their own "roots." In other words, lead from their traditional strengths but not be limited by them. In fact, companies may need to re-invent themselves, not once but several times. That is what Toyota did...and continues to do. Use operational excellence as a strategic weapon and the rewards and results will far outweigh the great effort required.

That said, Liker does provide 13 "general tips." The first is to begin with action in the technical system and then follow quickly with cultural change. Other suggestions include learning by doing first and training second, using value stream mapping to develop future state visions to help "learn to see," and being opportunistic in identifying opportunities for big financial impacts. They are provided with brief but precise explanations on Pages 302-307.

It remains for each person who reads this book to determine which of the 14 management principles are most relevant to her or his own enterprise, and then to determine how to translate each into effective action. Presumably Liker agrees with me that most companies have 3-5 areas in which "lean" initiatives are urgently needed. Developing an execution plan can be tricky, however, because all business transaction involve a process of some kind and improvement of one process inevitably has a direct impact on several others. Here's one possibility, suggested to me by a COO to whom I gave a copy of this book: Read the final chapter, Chapter 22, first. It's title is "Build Your Own Lean Learning Enterprise, Borrowing from the Toyota Way." He thinks that will provide an appropriate framework within which to proceed from Gary Convis' Foreword and Liker's Preface to the conclusion of Chapter 21. That suggestion is worth consideration.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Liker's Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way as well as Matthew Mays' The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation, David Magee's How Toyota Became Toyota: Leadership Lessons from the World's Greatest Car company, and What Is Lean Six Sigma? co-authored by Michael L. George, David Rowlands, and Bill Kastle.

Andrew Scotchmer, 24 Aug 2007
Takes you through the evolution of the Toyota Production System and introduces the reader to the 14 points of the lean philosophy. Excellent, as is the followup "field-book) for implementation of lean in your workplace.

Something to continuously reflect on , 03 Jul 2007
The Company That Invented Lean The 14 Management Principles

Being totally uninterested in cars I did not realise that Toyota is one of the worlds greatest manufacturers.

I was listening to In Business on Radio4. It was all about how Toyota has revolutionised management to create what they call lean production.

It is a fascinating read by Jeffrey K Liker. MC Graw-Hill (2004) pp 330 The Japanese have learnt in the last forty years how to make top quality cars. The 14 principles can be applied to any business and are not exclusive to manufacturing.

It is a whole way of life and a way of thinking.

Principles 1: Base your management decision on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals

Principle 2 Create continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface

Principle 3 Use" pull" systems to avoid overproduction

Principle 4 Level out the workload( heijunka)

Principle 5 Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time.

Principle 6 Standards task are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment

Principle 7 Use visual control so problems are hidden

Principle 8Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes

Principle 9 Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work,live the philosophy and teach it to others.

Principle 10 Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company's philosophy

Principle 11 Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers y challenging them and helping them improve.

Principle 12 Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situations(genchi genbutsu)

Principle 13 Make decision slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all the options implement decisions rapidly ( nemawashi)

Principle 14 Become a learning organization through relentless reflection (hansei) and continuous improvement ( kaizen)


Recently it was announced that Toyota had overtaken General Motors. How Toyota had done it was common knowledge and they have been happy to tell pople the theory but obviously General Motors had not done the practical.

I particularly like continuous reflection which works whether you are succeeding or not. If you are a succes which General Motors has been for years they obviously have not learnt to reflect on their success and maintain it.
Maybe they thought their way was the only way. Many once mighty companies have fallen from a great height,

A good read

THE book on the Toyota Production System!, 17 Jun 2007
Everyone in the auto industry is familiar with Toyota's dramatic business success and, of course, consumers are demonstrably aware of the company's world-renowned quality. In fact, Toyota has done so well that, as Liker points out, many consider the company to be "boring." For, after all, steadily growing sales, consistent profitability, huge cash reserves, operational efficiency (combined with constant innovation--not an easy complement to pull off), and top quality, year after year, are not the stuff of breaking news. But, despite this reputation as the best manufacturer in the world, and despite the huge influence of the lean movement, most attempts to emulate and implement lean production have been fairly superficial, with less than stellar results over the long term. "Dabbling at one level--the `Process' level," U.S. companies have embraced lean tools, but do not understand what makes them work together in a system.

This integration is precisely what The Toyota Way examines, explaining how to create a Toyota-style culture of quality, lean, and learning that takes quantum leaps beyond any superficial focus on tools and techniques. Suffice it to say, there are hundreds of books out there explaining, analyzing, and advocating lean--providing details and insight into the tools and methods of TPS. The two most noted among this treasure trove are, of course, the contributions of The Machine That Changed the World (Womack, Jones, Roos, 1991) and Lean Thinking (Womack and Jones, 1996), and both stand as excellent resources on the subject. The first introduced the world to the tools and techniques of lean manufacturing by extracting its principles from their initial Japanese application and examining them in detail. And, the second explained how "to make value flow smoothly at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection."

The Toyota Way is, however (according to Liker), the first business book in English to provide a blueprint of Toyota's management philosophy for general business readers, dispelling the misconceptions that TPS is merely a collection of tools that lead to more efficient operations. Of course, there is no way of ascertaining the validity of this claim, without an extensive and time consuming exploration of the literature, but that truly doesn't matter. The Toyota Way is an approach of such breadth, depth, and significance to the world of business that it has yet to be fully understood; thus, the subject has not yet been fully exhausted. Liker's keen sense of the subtleties of TPS intrepidly challenges conventional understanding and transforms it with eloquent simplicity. He takes the reader deeply and comprehensively into the "heart and intelligence" of Toyota's "way," giving businesses in diverse industries some very practical and effective ideas that they can use to develop their own unique approach to TPS.

Brilliant and well written!, 12 Jan 2007
Jefferey Liker's well reasoned book explains the management principles that enable TOYOTA to outperform its piers - and explains why western managers pre-occupied with `management techniques' can't `go lean', without changing the culture of their organisation

To understand this company's success, first understand its DNA, 31 Jul 2008
I read this book when it was first published in 2004 and recently re-read it, curious to know how well Jeffrey Liker's explanation of Toyota's management principles and lean production values have held up. My conclusion? Very well.

No good purpose would be served by merely listing the 14 management principles, out of context. Liker devotes a separate chapter to each, carefully explaining not only what it is but also how it guides and informs everyone at all levels and in all areas of the Toyota organization. What Liker also accomplishes, and what cannot be adequately summarized in a review such as this, is to explain how all 12 principles are interdependent. Together, they serve as the company's DNA. In the Preface, he recalls asking Fujio Cho (President of Toyota Motor Company) what was unique about his company's remarkable success. His answer was quite simple: "The key to the Toyota Way and what makes Toyota stand out is not any of the individual elements...But what is important is having all the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner." To understand Toyota's success, therefore, it is important to understand that lean production is not a methodology, it is literally a way of life.

The 14 principles are divided into four sections:

Having a long-term philosophy that drives a long-term approach to building a learning organization

Absolute faith that the right process will produce the right results

Adding value to the organization by developing its people and partners

Continuously solving root problems to drive organizational learning

As Liker points out, it is important to understand that the Toyota Production System is not the Toyota Way. TPS is the most systematic and highly developed example of what the principles of the Toyota Way can accomplish. The Toyota Way consists of the foundational principles of the Toyota culture, which allows the TPS to function so effectively.

How does lean improvement differ from traditional process improvement? "Briefly, wheras the traditional approach to process improvement focuses on local efficiencies, in a lean improvement initiatuve, most of the progress comes from a large number of non-value steps being squeezed out. For example, overproduction, delays, and wasted motion. In fact, the ultimate goal of lean manufacturing is to apply the ideal of one-piece flow to all business operations, from product design to launch, order taking, physical production, and shipment."Some of the differences are subtle but no less significant.

To repeat, anyone can read this book and then uncerstand what the Toyota Way is. Possessing a gourmet chef's recipe, however, does not ensure that a gourmet meal will be prepared. Toyota has its own way. Other companies must develop theirs based on their own "roots." In other words, lead from their traditional strengths but not be limited by them. In fact, companies may need to re-invent themselves, not once but several times. That is what Toyota did...and continues to do. Use operational excellence as a strategic weapon and the rewards and results will far outweigh the great effort required.

That said, Liker does provide 13 "general tips." The first is to begin with action in the technical system and then follow quickly with cultural change. Other suggestions include learning by doing first and training second, using value stream mapping to develop future state visions to help "learn to see," and being opportunistic in identifying opportunities for big financial impacts. They are provided with brief but precise explanations on Pages 302-307.

It remains for each person who reads this book to determine which of the 14 management principles are most relevant to her or his own enterprise, and then to determine how to translate each into effective action. Presumably Liker agrees with me that most companies have 3-5 areas in which "lean" initiatives are urgently needed. Developing an execution plan can be tricky, however, because all business transaction involve a process of some kind and improvement of one process inevitably has a direct impact on several others. Here's one possibility, suggested to me by a COO to whom I gave a copy of this book: Read the final chapter, Chapter 22, first. It's title is "Build Your Own Lean Learning Enterprise, Borrowing from the Toyota Way." He thinks that will provide an appropriate framework within which to proceed from Gary Convis' Foreword and Liker's Preface to the conclusion of Chapter 21. That suggestion is worth consideration.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Liker's Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way as well as Matthew Mays' The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation, David Magee's How Toyota Became Toyota: Leadership Lessons from the World's Greatest Car company, and What Is Lean Six Sigma? co-authored by Michael L. George, David Rowlands, and Bill Kastle.

Andrew Scotchmer, 24 Aug 2007
Takes you through the evolution of the Toyota Production System and introduces the reader to the 14 points of the lean philosophy. Excellent, as is the followup "field-book) for implementation of lean in your workplace.

Something to continuously reflect on , 03 Jul 2007
The Company That Invented Lean The 14 Management Principles

Being totally uninterested in cars I did not realise that Toyota is one of the worlds greatest manufacturers.

I was listening to In Business on Radio4. It was all about how Toyota has revolutionised management to create what they call lean production.

It is a fascinating read by Jeffrey K Liker. MC Graw-Hill (2004) pp 330 The Japanese have learnt in the last forty years how to make top quality cars. The 14 principles can be applied to any business and are not exclusive to manufacturing.

It is a whole way of life and a way of thinking.

Principles 1: Base your management decision on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals

Principle 2 Create continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface

Principle 3 Use" pull" systems to avoid overproduction

Principle 4 Level out the workload( heijunka)

Principle 5 Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time.

Principle 6 Standards task are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment

Principle 7 Use visual control so problems are hidden

Principle 8Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes

Principle 9 Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work,live the philosophy and teach it to others.

Principle 10 Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company's philosophy

Principle 11 Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers y challenging them and helping them improve.

Principle 12 Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situations(genchi genbutsu)

Principle 13 Make decision slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all the options implement decisions rapidly ( nemawashi)

Principle 14 Become a learning organization through relentless reflection (hansei) and continuous improvement ( kaizen)


Recently it was announced that Toyota had overtaken General Motors. How Toyota had done it was common knowledge and they have been happy to tell pople the theory but obviously General Motors had not done the practical.

I particularly like continuous reflection which works whether you are succeeding or not. If you are a succes which General Motors has been for years they obviously have not learnt to reflect on their success and maintain it.
Maybe they thought their way was the only way. Many once mighty companies have fallen from a great height,

A good read

THE book on the Toyota Production System!, 17 Jun 2007
Everyone in the auto industry is familiar with Toyota's dramatic business success and, of course, consumers are demonstrably aware of the company's world-renowned quality. In fact, Toyota has done so well that, as Liker points out, many consider the company to be "boring." For, after all, steadily growing sales, consistent profitability, huge cash reserves, operational efficiency (combined with constant innovation--not an easy complement to pull off), and top quality, year after year, are not the stuff of breaking news. But, despite this reputation as the best manufacturer in the world, and despite the huge influence of the lean movement, most attempts to emulate and implement lean production have been fairly superficial, with less than stellar results over the long term. "Dabbling at one level--the `Process' level," U.S. companies have embraced lean tools, but do not understand what makes them work together in a system.

This integration is precisely what The Toyota Way examines, explaining how to create a Toyota-style culture of quality, lean, and learning that takes quantum leaps beyond any superficial focus on tools and techniques. Suffice it to say, there are hundreds of books out there explaining, analyzing, and advocating lean--providing details and insight into the tools and methods of TPS. The two most noted among this treasure trove are, of course, the contributions of The Machine That Changed the World (Womack, Jones, Roos, 1991) and Lean Thinking (Womack and Jones, 1996), and both stand as excellent resources on the subject. The first introduced the world to the tools and techniques of lean manufacturing by extracting its principles from their initial Japanese application and examining them in detail. And, the second explained how "to make value flow smoothly at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection."

The Toyota Way is, however (according to Liker), the first business book in English to provide a blueprint of Toyota's management philosophy for general business readers, dispelling the misconceptions that TPS is merely a collection of tools that lead to more efficient operations. Of course, there is no way of ascertaining the validity of this claim, without an extensive and time consuming exploration of the literature, but that truly doesn't matter. The Toyota Way is an approach of such breadth, depth, and significance to the world of business that it has yet to be fully understood; thus, the subject has not yet been fully exhausted. Liker's keen sense of the subtleties of TPS intrepidly challenges conventional understanding and transforms it with eloquent simplicity. He takes the reader deeply and comprehensively into the "heart and intelligence" of Toyota's "way," giving businesses in diverse industries some very practical and effective ideas that they can use to develop their own unique approach to TPS.

Brilliant and well written!, 12 Jan 2007
Jefferey Liker's well reasoned book explains the management principles that enable TOYOTA to outperform its piers - and explains why western managers pre-occupied with `management techniques' can't `go lean', without changing the culture of their organisation

One of the best, 01 Oct 2008
One of the best overall references for lean. John has brought together a wealth of knowledge and common sense and created a great reference for anyone wanting to understand almost any aspect of lean, right up to date. The book is highly practical and a very good every day reference.

I also like the play on words 'New Lean' which supports current thinking in how lean needs to be expanded beyond tools into lean management or value systems.

All the theory of Lean in one book, 26 Mar 2008
John Bicheno has pulled together all the information on Lean together in this wonderful reference book. He gives all references and sources for further reading.

As of the 2004 edition I noticed some minor typos in the edition, but this should not stop you from buying what is likely to become a definitive Lean reference book for Lean practioners.

Case Study photographs of practical application of some of the techniques would only add to the value of a future edition.



Not a Toolbox but a Treasure Chest, 16 Mar 2008
The New Lean Toolbox is a great compilation and summary of all the lean approaches being deployed today. Bicheno ties together all these approaches in a framework that elevates the readers understanding of how lean works as an interlocking system of techniques not as isolated tools. It is a excellent companion and guide to the world of lean and it will lead to rich sources of deeper learning on its vast subject matter. It is a veritable lean in short hand book that is the best possible thesaurus /codex for any lean practitioner or novice alike.

THE NEW LEAN TOOLBOX, 24 Jan 2008
An excellent book. Very concise in explanations yet easy to understand. Well worth buying as a reference book that can help you explain to others what the tools are all about and jog your memory if you need to find a specific tool.

Takes Lean to new level, 28 Apr 2004
The "New" Lean Toolbox means just that this is not just an updated versionof the previous Lean toolbox but a different way to approach what is ineffect the Best Current Method of production.
Whilst the book does provide the same level of detail as the previous LeanToolbox, ie a good description of individual techiques and conceptsfollowed by references for the reader to further discover. The thoughtbehind the book is much more holistic in approach.
Namely the book postulates the combination of Theory of Constraints, Leanand Six Sigma and urges the reader to consider their production systemssolely with respect to customer wants and needs, using whatever tool orapproach is appropriate, even increasing WIP!
Another excellent book by Bicheno, this one will be well thumbed by manyproduction personnel. At least until his next one is published.

To understand this company's success, first understand its DNA, 31 Jul 2008
I read this book when it was first published in 2004 and recently re-read it, curious to know how well Jeffrey Liker's explanation of Toyota's management principles and lean production values have held up. My conclusion? Very well.

No good purpose would be served by merely listing the 14 management principles, out of context. Liker devotes a separate chapter to each, carefully explaining not only what it is but also how it guides and informs everyone at all levels and in all areas of the Toyota organization. What Liker also accomplishes, and what cannot be adequately summarized in a review such as this, is to explain how all 12 principles are interdependent. Together, they serve as the company's DNA. In the Preface, he recalls asking Fujio Cho (President of Toyota Motor Company) what was unique about his company's remarkable success. His answer was quite simple: "The key to the Toyota Way and what makes Toyota stand out is not any of the individual elements...But what is important is having all the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner." To understand Toyota's success, therefore, it is important to understand that lean production is not a methodology, it is literally a way of life.

The 14 principles are divided into four sections:

Having a long-term philosophy that drives a long-term approach to building a learning organization

Absolute faith that the right process will produce the right results

Adding value to the organization by developing its people and partners

Continuously solving root problems to drive organizational learning

As Liker points out, it is important to understand that the Toyota Production System is not the Toyota Way. TPS is the most systematic and highly developed example of what the principles of the Toyota Way can accomplish. The Toyota Way consists of the foundational principles of the Toyota culture, which allows the TPS to function so effectively.

How does lean improvement differ from traditional process improvement? "Briefly, wheras the traditional approach to process improvement focuses on local efficiencies, in a lean improvement initiatuve, most of the progress comes from a large number of non-value steps being squeezed out. For example, overproduction, delays, and wasted motion. In fact, the ultimate goal of lean manufacturing is to apply the ideal of one-piece flow to all business operations, from product design to launch, order taking, physical production, and shipment."Some of the differences are subtle but no less significant.

To repeat, anyone can read this book and then uncerstand what the Toyota Way is. Possessing a gourmet chef's recipe, however, does not ensure that a gourmet meal will be prepared. Toyota has its own way. Other companies must develop theirs based on their own "roots." In other words, lead from their traditional strengths but not be limited by them. In fact, companies may need to re-invent themselves, not once but several times. That is what Toyota did...and continues to do. Use operational excellence as a strategic weapon and the rewards and results will far outweigh the great effort required.

That said, Liker does provide 13 "general tips." The first is to begin with action in the technical system and then follow quickly with cultural change. Other suggestions include learning by doing first and training second, using value stream mapping to develop future state visions to help "learn to see," and being opportunistic in identifying opportunities for big financial impacts. They are provided with brief but precise explanations on Pages 302-307.

It remains for each person who reads this book to determine which of the 14 management principles are most relevant to her or his own enterprise, and then to determine how to translate each into effective action. Presumably Liker agrees with me that most companies have 3-5 areas in which "lean" initiatives are urgently needed. Developing an execution plan can be tricky, however, because all business transaction involve a process of some kind and improvement of one process inevitably has a direct impact on several others. Here's one possibility, suggested to me by a COO to whom I gave a copy of this book: Read the final chapter, Chapter 22, first. It's title is "Build Your Own Lean Learning Enterprise, Borrowing from the Toyota Way." He thinks that will provide an appropriate framework within which to proceed from Gary Convis' Foreword and Liker's Preface to the conclusion of Chapter 21. That suggestion is worth consideration.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Liker's Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way as well as Matthew Mays' The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation, David Magee's How Toyota Became Toyota: Leadership Lessons from the World's Greatest Car company, and What Is Lean Six Sigma? co-authored by Michael L. George, David Rowlands, and Bill Kastle.

Andrew Scotchmer, 24 Aug 2007
Takes you through the evolution of the Toyota Production System and introduces the reader to the 14 points of the lean philosophy. Excellent, as is the followup "field-book) for implementation of lean in your workplace.

Something to continuously reflect on , 03 Jul 2007
The Company That Invented Lean The 14 Management Principles

Being totally uninterested in cars I did not realise that Toyota is one of the worlds greatest manufacturers.

I was listening to In Business on Radio4. It was all about how Toyota has revolutionised management to create what they call lean production.

It is a fascinating read by Jeffrey K Liker. MC Graw-Hill (2004) pp 330 The Japanese have learnt in the last forty years how to make top quality cars. The 14 principles can be applied to any business and are not exclusive to manufacturing.

It is a whole way of life and a way of thinking.

Principles 1: Base your management decision on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals

Principle 2 Create continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface

Principle 3 Use" pull" systems to avoid overproduction

Principle 4 Level out the workload( heijunka)

Principle 5 Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time.

Principle 6 Standards task are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment

Principle 7 Use visual control so problems are hidden

Principle 8Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes

Principle 9 Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work,live the philosophy and teach it to others.

Principle 10 Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company's philosophy

Principle 11 Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers y challenging them and helping them improve.

Principle 12 Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situations(genchi genbutsu)

Principle 13 Make decision slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all the options implement decisions rapidly ( nemawashi)

Principle 14 Become a learning organization through relentless reflection (hansei) and continuous improvement ( kaizen)


Recently it was announced that Toyota had overtaken General Motors. How Toyota had done it was common knowledge and they have been happy to tell pople the theory but obviously General Motors had not done the practical.

I particularly like continuous reflection which works whether you are succeeding or not. If you are a succes which General Motors has been for years they obviously have not learnt to reflect on their success and maintain it.
Maybe they thought their way was the only way. Many once mighty companies have fallen from a great height,

A good read

THE book on the Toyota Production System!, 17 Jun 2007
Everyone in the auto industry is familiar with Toyota's dramatic business success and, of course, consumers are demonstrably aware of the company's world-renowned quality. In fact, Toyota has done so well that, as Liker points out, many consider the company to be "boring." For, after all, steadily growing sales, consistent profitability, huge cash reserves, operational efficiency (combined with constant innovation--not an easy complement to pull off), and top quality, year after year, are not the stuff of breaking news. But, despite this reputation as the best manufacturer in the world, and despite the huge influence of the lean movement, most attempts to emulate and implement lean production have been fairly superficial, with less than stellar results over the long term. "Dabbling at one level--the `Process' level," U.S. companies have embraced lean tools, but do not understand what makes them work together in a system.

This integration is precisely what The Toyota Way examines, explaining how to create a Toyota-style culture of quality, lean, and learning that takes quantum leaps beyond any superficial focus on tools and techniques. Suffice it to say, there are hundreds of books out there explaining, analyzing, and advocating lean--providing details and insight into the tools and methods of TPS. The two most noted among this treasure trove are, of course, the contributions of The Machine That Changed the World (Womack, Jones, Roos, 1991) and Lean Thinking (Womack and Jones, 1996), and both stand as excellent resources on the subject. The first introduced the world to the tools and techniques of lean manufacturing by extracting its principles from their initial Japanese application and examining them in detail. And, the second explained how "to make value flow smoothly at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection."

The Toyota Way is, however (according to Liker), the first business book in English to provide a blueprint of Toyota's management philosophy for general business readers, dispelling the misconceptions that TPS is merely a collection of tools that lead to more efficient operations. Of course, there is no way of ascertaining the validity of this claim, without an extensive and time consuming exploration of the literature, but that truly doesn't matter. The Toyota Way is an approach of such breadth, depth, and significance to the world of business that it has yet to be fully understood; thus, the subject has not yet been fully exhausted. Liker's keen sense of the subtleties of TPS intrepidly challenges conventional understanding and transforms it with eloquent simplicity. He takes the reader deeply and comprehensively into the "heart and intelligence" of Toyota's "way," giving businesses in diverse industries some very practical and effective ideas that they can use to develop their own unique approach to TPS.

Brilliant and well written!, 12 Jan 2007
Jefferey Liker's well reasoned book explains the management principles that enable TOYOTA to outperform its piers - and explains why western managers pre-occupied with `management techniques' can't `go lean', without changing the culture of their organisation

One of the best, 01 Oct 2008
One of the best overall references for lean. John has brought together a wealth of knowledge and common sense and created a great reference for anyone wanting to understand almost any aspect of lean, right up to date. The book is highly practical and a very good every day reference.

I also like the play on words 'New Lean' which supports current thinking in how lean needs to be expanded beyond tools into lean management or value systems.

All the theory of Lean in one book, 26 Mar 2008
John Bicheno has pulled together all the information on Lean together in this wonderful reference book. He gives all references and sources for further reading.

As of the 2004 edition I noticed some minor typos in the edition, but this should not stop you from buying what is likely to become a definitive Lean reference book for Lean practioners.

Case Study photographs of practical application of some of the techniques would only add to the value of a future edition.



Not a Toolbox but a Treasure Chest, 16 Mar 2008
The New Lean Toolbox is a great compilation and summary of all the lean approaches being deployed today. Bicheno ties together all these approaches in a framework that elevates the readers understanding of how lean works as an interlocking system of techniques not as isolated tools. It is a excellent companion and guide to the world of lean and it will lead to rich sources of deeper learning on its vast subject matter. It is a veritable lean in short hand book that is the best possible thesaurus /codex for any lean practitioner or novice alike.

THE NEW LEAN TOOLBOX, 24 Jan 2008
An excellent book. Very concise in explanations yet easy to understand. Well worth buying as a reference book that can help you explain to others what the tools are all about and jog your memory if you need to find a specific tool.

Takes Lean to new level, 28 Apr 2004
The "New" Lean Toolbox means just that this is not just an updated versionof the previous Lean toolbox but a different way to approach what is ineffect the Best Current Method of production.
Whilst the book does provide the same level of detail as the previous LeanToolbox, ie a good description of individual techiques and conceptsfollowed by references for the reader to further discover. The thoughtbehind the book is much more holistic in approach.
Namely the book postulates the combination of Theory of Constraints, Leanand Six Sigma and urges the reader to consider their production systemssolely with respect to customer wants and needs, using whatever tool orapproach is appropriate, even increasing WIP!
Another excellent book by Bicheno, this one will be well thumbed by manyproduction personnel. At least until his next one is published.

essential reading, 21 Jan 2008
This text explained all aspects of supply chain managment. the language is easy to read. examples are very well articulated.

Martin Christoper is the guru of Logistics, 23 Aug 2000
I had the pleasure to meet Martin Christopher in person when I was a student of Cranfield University, trying to get my MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Martin Christopher is in reality what is depicted in his book - simply a pure genious. This particular book gives an extremely good explanation of what Logistics is, using a very simple language and many many case studies. It can easily be read by a student but also be used as a manual by a professional. The reader should especially focus on the chapters discussing about global Logistics. This is really a very useful tool for all the people involved with the SCIENCE and ART of logistics.

Superb summary of the key logistics issues., 16 Jul 2000
This is a superb summary and introduction to the key logistics issues. Customer service, the benchmarking of supply chains, logistics costs and performance, the strategic issues and the Japanese techniques are all covered.

Great for plucking quotes, such as 'uncertainty is the mother of inventory'. Lots of diagrams and case studies. As a practising supply chain professional, I thoroughly recommend this book.

As Professor of Marketing and Logistics at Cranfield, Martin Christopher is one of the leading lights in logistics

A short and "down to the point" book about SCM, 28 Mar 1999
Martin not only knows his stuff about logistics he can also write, whitch cannot be said about most authors in this category.

A very good book especially for non-logisticans who wants an introduction in this field. It has not too many fancy words and is very much focused on the business process rather than logistics as such.

If I were to have one book in logistics management in my bookshelf, it would be this one.

To understand this company's success, first understand its DNA, 31 Jul 2008
I read this book when it was first published in 2004 and recently re-read it, curious to know how well Jeffrey Liker's explanation of Toyota's management principles and lean production values have held up. My conclusion? Very well.

No good purpose would be served by merely listing the 14 management principles, out of context. Liker devotes a separate chapter to each, carefully explaining not only what it is but also how it guides and informs everyone at all levels and in all areas of the Toyota organization. What Liker also accomplishes, and what cannot be adequately summarized in a review such as this, is to explain how all 12 principles are interdependent. Together, they serve as the company's DNA. In the Preface, he recalls asking Fujio Cho (President of Toyota Motor Company) what was unique about his company's remarkable success. His answer was quite simple: "The key to the Toyota Way and what makes Toyota stand out is not any of the individual elements...But what is important is having all the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner." To understand Toyota's success, therefore, it is important to understand that lean production is not a methodology, it is literally a way of life.

The 14 principles are divided into four sections:

Having a long-term philosophy that drives a long-term approach to building a learning organization

Absolute faith that the right process will produce the right results

Adding value to the organization by developing its people and partners

Continuously solving root problems to drive organizational learning

As Liker points out, it is important to understand that the Toyota Production System is not the Toyota Way. TPS is the most systematic and highly developed example of what the principles of the Toyota Way can accomplish. The Toyota Way consists of the foundational principles of the Toyota culture, which allows the TPS to function so effectively.

How does lean improvement differ from traditional process improvement? "Briefly, wheras the traditional approach to process improvement focuses on local efficiencies, in a lean improvement initiatuve, most of the progress comes from a large number of non-value steps being squeezed out. For example, overproduction, delays, and wasted motion. In fact, the ultimate goal of lean manufacturing is to apply the ideal of one-piece flow to all business operations, from product design to launch, order taking, physical production, and shipment."Some of the differences are subtle but no less significant.

To repeat, anyone can read this book and then uncerstand what the Toyota Way is. Possessing a gourmet chef's recipe, however, does not ensure that a gourmet meal will be prepared. Toyota has its own way. Other companies must develop theirs based on their own "roots." In other words, lead from their traditional strengths but not be limited by them. In fact, companies may need to re-invent themselves, not once but several times. That is what Toyota did...and continues to do. Use operational excellence as a strategic weapon and the rewards and results will far outweigh the great effort required.

That said, Liker does provide 13 "general tips." The first is to begin with action in the technical system and then follow quickly with cultural change. Other suggestions include learning by doing first and training second, using value stream mapping to develop future state visions to help "learn to see," and being opportunistic in identifying opportunities for big financial impacts. They are provided with brief but precise explanations on Pages 302-307.

It remains for each person who reads this book to determine which of the 14 management principles are most relevant to her or his own enterprise, and then to determine how to translate each into effective action. Presumably Liker agrees with me that most companies have 3-5 areas in which "lean" initiatives are urgently needed. Developing an execution plan can be tricky, however, because all business transaction involve a process of some kind and improvement of one process inevitably has a direct impact on several others. Here's one possibility, suggested to me by a COO to whom I gave a copy of this book: Read the final chapter, Chapter 22, first. It's title is "Build Your Own Lean Learning Enterprise, Borrowing from the Toyota Way." He thinks that will provide an appropriate framework within which to proceed from Gary Convis' Foreword and Liker's Preface to the conclusion of Chapter 21. That suggestion is worth consideration.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Liker's Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way as well as Matthew Mays' The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation, David Magee's How Toyota Became Toyota: Leadership Lessons from the World's Greatest Car company, and What Is Lean Six Sigma? co-authored by Michael L. George, David Rowlands, and Bill Kastle.

Andrew Scotchmer, 24 Aug 2007
Takes you through the evolution of the Toyota Production System and introduces the reader to the 14 points of the lean philosophy. Excellent, as is the followup "field-book) for implementation of lean in your workplace.

Something to continuously reflect on , 03 Jul 2007
The Company That Invented Lean The 14 Management Principles

Being totally uninterested in cars I did not realise that Toyota is one of the worlds greatest manufacturers.

I was listening to In Business on Radio4. It was all about how Toyota has revolutionised management to create what they call lean production.

It is a fascinating read by Jeffrey K Liker. MC Graw-Hill (2004) pp 330 The Japanese have learnt in the last forty years how to make top quality cars. The 14 principles can be applied to any business and are not exclusive to manufacturing.

It is a whole way of life and a way of thinking.

Principles 1: Base your management decision on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals

Principle 2 Create continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface

Principle 3 Use" pull" systems to avoid overproduction

Principle 4 Level out the workload( heijunka)

Principle 5 Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time.

Principle 6 Standards task are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment

Principle 7 Use visual control so problems are hidden

Principle 8Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes

Principle 9 Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work,live the philosophy and teach it to others.

Principle 10 Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company's philosophy

Principle 11 Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers y challenging them and helping them improve.

Principle 12 Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situations(genchi genbutsu)

Principle 13 Make decision slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all the options implement decisions rapidly ( nemawashi)

Principle 14 Become a learning organization through relentless reflection (hansei) and continuous improvement ( kaizen)


Recently it was announced that Toyota had overtaken General Motors. How Toyota had done it was common knowledge and they have been happy to tell pople the theory but obviously General Motors had not done the practical.

I particularly like continuous reflection which works whether you are succeeding or not. If you are a succes which General Motors has been for years they obviously have not learnt to reflect on their success and maintain it.
Maybe they thought their way was the only way. Many once mighty companies have fallen from a great height,

A good read

THE book on the Toyota Production System!, 17 Jun 2007
Everyone in the auto industry is familiar with Toyota's dramatic business success and, of course, consumers are demonstrably aware of the company's world-renowned quality. In fact, Toyota has done so well that, as Liker points out, many consider the company to be "boring." For, after all, steadily growing sales, consistent profitability, huge cash reserves, operational efficiency (combined with constant innovation--not an easy complement to pull off), and top quality, year after year, are not the stuff of breaking news. But, despite this reputation as the best manufacturer in the world, and despite the huge influence of the lean movement, most attempts to emulate and implement lean production have been fairly superficial, with less than stellar results over the long term. "Dabbling at one level--the `Process' level," U.S. companies have embraced lean tools, but do not understand what makes them work together in a system.

This integration is precisely what The Toyota Way examines, explaining how to create a Toyota-style culture of quality, lean, and learning that takes quantum leaps beyond any superficial focus on tools and techniques. Suffice it to say, there are hundreds of books out there explaining, analyzing, and advocating lean--providing details and insight into the tools and methods of TPS. The two most noted among this treasure trove are, of course, the contributions of The Machine That Changed the World (Womack, Jones, Roos, 1991) and Lean Thinking (Womack and Jones, 1996), and both stand as excellent resources on the subject. The first introduced the world to the tools and techniques of lean manufacturing by extracting its principles from their initial Japanese application and examining them in detail. And, the second explained how "to make value flow smoothly at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection."

The Toyota Way is, however (according to Liker), the first business book in English to provide a blueprint of Toyota's management philosophy for general business readers, dispelling the misconceptions that TPS is merely a collection of tools that lead to more efficient operations. Of course, there is no way of ascertaining the validity of this claim, without an extensive and time consuming exploration of the literature, but that truly doesn't matter. The Toyota Way is an approach of such breadth, depth, and significance to the world of business that it has yet to be fully understood; thus, the subject has not yet been fully exhausted. Liker's keen sense of the subtleties of TPS intrepidly challenges conventional understanding and transforms it with eloquent simplicity. He takes the reader deeply and comprehensively into the "heart and intelligence" of Toyota's "way," giving businesses in diverse industries some very practical and effective ideas that they can use to develop their own unique approach to TPS.

Brilliant and well written!, 12 Jan 2007
Jefferey Liker's well reasoned book explains the management principles that enable TOYOTA to outperform its piers - and explains why western managers pre-occupied with `management techniques' can't `go lean', without changing the culture of their organisation

One of the best, 01 Oct 2008
One of the best overall references for lean. John has brought together a wealth of knowledge and common sense and created a great reference for anyone wanting to understand almost any aspect of lean, right up to date. The book is highly practical and a very good every day reference.

I also like the play on words 'New Lean' which supports current thinking in how lean needs to be expanded beyond tools into lean management or value systems.

All the theory of Lean in one book, 26 Mar 2008
John Bicheno has pulled together all the information on Lean together in this wonderful reference book. He gives all references and sources for further reading.

As of the 2004 edition I noticed some minor typos in the edition, but this should not stop you from buying what is likely to become a definitive Lean reference book for Lean practioners.

Case Study photographs of practical application of some of the techniques would only add to the value of a future edition.



Not a Toolbox but a Treasure Chest, 16 Mar 2008
The New Lean Toolbox is a great compilation and summary of all the lean approaches being deployed today. Bicheno ties together all these approaches in a framework that elevates the readers understanding of how lean works as an interlocking system of techniques not as isolated tools. It is a excellent companion and guide to the world of lean and it will lead to rich sources of deeper learning on its vast subject matter. It is a veritable lean in short hand book that is the best possible thesaurus /codex for any lean practitioner or novice alike.

THE NEW LEAN TOOLBOX, 24 Jan 2008
An excellent book. Very concise in explanations yet easy to understand. Well worth buying as a reference book that can help you explain to others what the tools are all about and jog your memory if you need to find a specific tool.

Takes Lean to new level, 28 Apr 2004
The "New" Lean Toolbox means just that this is not just an updated versionof the previous Lean toolbox but a different way to approach what is ineffect the Best Current Method of production.
Whilst the book does provide the same level of detail as the previous LeanToolbox, ie a good description of individual techiques and conceptsfollowed by references for the reader to further discover. The thoughtbehind the book is much more holistic in approach.
Namely the book postulates the combination of Theory of Constraints, Leanand Six Sigma and urges the reader to consider their production systemssolely with respect to customer wants and needs, using whatever tool orapproach is appropriate, even increasing WIP!
Another excellent book by Bicheno, this one will be well thumbed by manyproduction personnel. At least until his next one is published.

essential reading, 21 Jan 2008
This text explained all aspects of supply chain managment. the language is easy to read. examples are very well articulated.

Martin Christoper is the guru of Logistics, 23 Aug 2000
I had the pleasure to meet Martin Christopher in person when I was a student of Cranfield University, trying to get my MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Martin Christopher is in reality what is depicted in his book - simply a pure genious. This particular book gives an extremely good explanation of what Logistics is, using a very simple language and many many case studies. It can easily be read by a student but also be used as a manual by a professional. The reader should especially focus on the chapters discussing about global Logistics. This is really a very useful tool for all the people involved with the SCIENCE and ART of logistics.

Superb summary of the key logistics issues., 16 Jul 2000
This is a superb summary and introduction to the key logistics issues. Customer service, the benchmarking of supply chains, logistics costs and performance, the strategic issues and the Japanese techniques are all covered.

Great for plucking quotes, such as 'uncertainty is the mother of inventory'. Lots of diagrams and case studies. As a practising supply chain professional, I thoroughly recommend this book.

As Professor of Marketing and Logistics at Cranfield, Martin Christopher is one of the leading lights in logistics

A short and "down to the point" book about SCM, 28 Mar 1999
Martin not only knows his stuff about logistics he can also write, whitch cannot be said about most authors in this category.

A very good book especially for non-logisticans who wants an introduction in this field. It has not too many fancy words and is very much focused on the business process rather than logistics as such.

If I were to have one book in logistics management in my bookshelf, it would be this one.

Good overview of implementing lean sigma in services, 24 Feb 2007
Lean Six Sigma for Service provides an overview of how to implement lean and six sigma projects in service organisations. The book is clearly written and includes loads of case studies and covers issues such as the challenges faced in implementation; setting up the project; how your project teams should work; the importance of leadership commitment; and so on. It gives a high level overview of the challenges and requirements for success. For a book with "six sigma" in the title there is very little statistical detail. This makes is suitable for the novice, though a weakness for me is the lack detail of the tools and how to use them. You will need other books for that. Interestingly, most of the case studies emphasise the importance of using lean tools when getting started. Most of the successes seem to stem from process mapping, establishing flow, cutting down on WIP etc. There are few sigma based case studies. I guess that shows the importance of using lean to understand your processes, get them under control and standardise them, before you can use sigma processes to cut variation. Overall a good book. A little over long perhaps but excellent on the project management of lean and sigma.

To understand this company's success, first understand its DNA, 31 Jul 2008
I read this book when it was first published in 2004 and recently re-read it, curious to know how well Jeffrey Liker's explanation of Toyota's management principles and lean production values have held up. My conclusion? Very well.

No good purpose would be served by merely listing the 14 management principles, out of context. Liker devotes a separate chapter to each, carefully explaining not only what it is but also how it guides and informs everyone at all levels and in all areas of the Toyota organization. What Liker also accomplishes, and what cannot be adequately summarized in a review such as this, is to explain how all 12 principles are interdependent. Together, they serve as the company's DNA. In the Preface, he recalls asking Fujio Cho (President of Toyota Motor Company) what was unique about his company's remarkable success. His answer was quite simple: "The key to the Toyota Way and what makes Toyota stand out is not any of the individual elements...But what is important is having all the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner." To understand Toyota's success, therefore, it is important to understand that lean production is not a methodology, it is literally a way of life.

The 14 principles are divided into four sections:

Having a long-term philosophy that drives a long-term approach to building a learning organization

Absolute faith that the right process will produce the right results

Adding value to the organization by developing its people and partners

Continuously solving root problems to drive organizational learning

As Liker points out, it is important to understand that the Toyota Production System is not the Toyota Way. TPS is the most systematic and highly developed example of what the principles of the Toyota Way can accomplish. The Toyota Way consists of the foundational principles of the Toyota culture, which allows the TPS to function so effectively.

How does lean improvement differ from traditional process improvement? "Briefly, wheras the traditional approach to process improvement focuses on local efficiencies, in a lean improvement initiatuve, most of the progress comes from a large number of non-value steps being squeezed out. For example, overproduction, delays, and wasted motion. In fact, the ultimate goal of lean manufacturing is to apply the ideal of one-piece flow to all business operations, from product design to launch, order taking, physical production, and shipment."Some of the differences are subtle but no less significant.

To repeat, anyone can read this book and then uncerstand what the Toyota Way is. Possessing a gourmet chef's recipe, however, does not ensure that a gourmet meal will be prepared. Toyota has its own way. Other companies must develop theirs based on their own "roots." In other words, lead from their traditional strengths but not be limited by them. In fact, companies may need to re-invent themselves, not once but several times. That is what Toyota did...and continues to do. Use operational excellence as a strategic weapon and the rewards and results will far outweigh the great effort required.

That said, Liker does provide 13 "general tips." The first is to begin with action in the technical system and then follow quickly with cultural change. Other suggestions include learning by doing first and training second, using value stream mapping to develop future state visions to help "learn to see," and being opportunistic in identifying opportunities for big financial impacts. They are provided with brief but precise explanations on Pages 302-307.

It remains for each person who reads this book to determine which of the 14 management principles are most relevant to her or his own enterprise, and then to determine how to translate each into effective action. Presumably Liker agrees with me that most companies have 3-5 areas in which "lean" initiatives are urgently needed. Developing an execution plan can be tricky, however, because all business transaction involve a process of some kind and improvement of one process inevitably has a direct impact on several others. Here's one possibility, suggested to me by a COO to whom I gave a copy of this book: Read the final chapter, Chapter 22, first. It's title is "Build Your Own Lean Learning Enterprise, Borrowing from the Toyota Way." He thinks that will provide an appropriate framework within which to proceed from Gary Convis' Foreword and Liker's Preface to the conclusion of Chapter 21. That suggestion is worth consideration.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Liker's Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way as well as Matthew Mays' The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation, David Magee's How Toyota Became Toyota: Leadership Lessons from the World's Greatest Car company, and What Is Lean Six Sigma? co-authored by Michael L. George, David Rowlands, and Bill Kastle.

Andrew Scotchmer, 24 Aug 2007
Takes you through the evolution of the Toyota Production System and introduces the reader to the 14 points of the lean philosophy. Excellent, as is the followup "field-book) for implementation of lean in your workplace.

Something to continuously reflect on , 03 Jul 2007
The Company That Invented Lean The 14 Management Principles

Being totally uninterested in cars I did not realise that Toyota is one of the worlds greatest manufacturers.

I was listening to In Business on Radio4. It was all about how Toyota has revolutionised management to create what they call lean production.

It is a fascinating read by Jeffrey K Liker. MC Graw-Hill (2004) pp 330 The Japanese have learnt in the last forty years how to make top quality cars. The 14 principles can be applied to any business and are not exclusive to manufacturing.

It is a whole way of life and a way of thinking.

Principles 1: Base your management decision on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals

Principle 2 Create continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface

Principle 3 Use" pull" systems to avoid overproduction

Principle 4 Level out the workload( heijunka)

Principle 5 Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time.

Principle 6 Standards task are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment

Principle 7 Use visual control so problems are hidden

Principle 8Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes

Principle 9 Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work,live the philosophy and teach it to others.

Principle 10 Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company's philosophy

Principle 11 Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers y challenging them and helping them improve.

Principle 12 Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situations(genchi genbutsu)

Principle 13 Make decision slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all the options implement decisions rapidly ( nemawashi)

Principle 14 Become a learning organization through relentless reflection (hansei) and continuous improvement ( kaizen)


Recently it was announced that Toyota had overtaken General Motors. How Toyota had done it was common knowledge and they have been happy to tell pople the theory but obviously General Motors had not done the practical.

I particularly like continuous reflection which works whether you are succeeding or not. If you are a succes which General Motors has been for years they obviously have not learnt to reflect on their success and maintain it.
Maybe they thought their way was the only way. Many once mighty companies have fallen from a great height,

A good read

THE book on the Toyota Production System!, 17 Jun 2007
Everyone in the auto industry is familiar with Toyota's dramatic business success and, of course, consumers are demonstrably aware of the company's world-renowned quality. In fact, Toyota has done so well that, as Liker points out, many consider the company to be "boring." For, after all, steadily growing sales, consistent profitability, huge cash reserves, operational efficiency (combined with constant innovation--not an easy complement to pull off), and top quality, year after year, are not the stuff of breaking news. But, despite this reputation as the best manufacturer in the world, and despite the huge influence of the lean movement, most attempts to emulate and implement lean production have been fairly superficial, with less than stellar results over the long term. "Dabbling at one level--the `Process' level," U.S. companies have embraced lean tools, but do not understand what makes them work together in a system.

This integration is precisely what The Toyota Way examines, explaining how to create a Toyota-style culture of quality, lean, and learning that takes quantum leaps beyond any superficial focus on tools and techniques. Suffice it to say, there are hundreds of books out there explaining, analyzing, and advocating lean--providing details and insight into the tools and methods of TPS. The two most noted among this treasure trove are, of course, the contributions of The Machine That Changed the World (Womack, Jones, Roos, 1991) and Lean Thinking (Womack and Jones, 1996), and both stand as excellent resources on the subject. The first introduced the world to the tools and techniques of lean manufacturing by extracting its principles from their initial Japanese application and examining them in detail. And, the second explained how "to make value flow smoothly at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection."

The Toyota Way is, however (according to Liker), the first business book in English to provide a blueprint of Toyota's management philosophy for general business readers, dispelling the misconceptions that TPS is merely a collection of tools that lead to more efficient operations. Of course, there is no way of ascertaining the validity of this claim, without an extensive and time consuming exploration of the literature, but that truly doesn't matter. The Toyota Way is an approach of such breadth, depth, and significance to the world of business that it has yet to be fully understood; thus, the subject has not yet been fully exhausted. Liker's keen sense of the subtleties of TPS intrepidly challenges conventional understanding and transforms it with eloquent simplicity. He takes the reader deeply and comprehensively into the "heart and intelligence" of Toyota's "way," giving businesses in diverse industries some very practical and effective ideas that they can use to develop their own unique approach to TPS.

Brilliant and well written!, 12 Jan 2007
Jefferey Liker's well reasoned book explains the management principles that enable TOYOTA to outperform its piers - and explains why western managers pre-occupied with `management techniques' can't `go lean', without changing the culture of their organisation

One of the best, 01 Oct 2008
One of the best overall references for lean. John has brought together a wealth of knowledge and common sense and created a great reference for anyone wanting to understand almost any aspect of lean, right up to date. The book is highly practical and a very good every day reference.

I also like the play on words 'New Lean' which supports current thinking in how lean needs to be expanded beyond tools into lean management or value systems.

All the theory of Lean in one book, 26 Mar 2008
John Bicheno has pulled together all the information on Lean together in this wonderful reference book. He gives all references and sources for further reading.

As of the 2004 edition I noticed some minor typos in the edition, but this should not stop you from buying what is likely to become a definitive Lean reference book for Lean practioners.

Case Study photographs of practical application of some of the techniques would only add to the value of a future edition.



Not a Toolbox but a Treasure Chest, 16 Mar 2008
The New Lean Toolbox is a great compilation and summary of all the lean approaches being deployed today. Bicheno ties together all these approaches in a framework that elevates the readers understanding of how lean works as an interlocking system of techniques not as isolated tools. It is a excellent companion and guide to the world of lean and it will lead to rich sources of deeper learning on its vast subject matter. It is a veritable lean in short hand book that is the best possible thesaurus /codex for any lean practitioner or novice alike.

THE NEW LEAN TOOLBOX, 24 Jan 2008
An excellent book. Very concise in explanations yet easy to understand. Well worth buying as a reference book that can help you explain to others what the tools are all about and jog your memory if you need to find a specific tool.

Takes Lean to new level, 28 Apr 2004
The "New" Lean Toolbox means just that this is not just an updated versionof the previous Lean toolbox but a different way to approach what is ineffect the Best Current Method of production.
Whilst the book does provide the same level of detail as the previous LeanToolbox, ie a good description of individual techiques and conceptsfollowed by references for the reader to further discover. The thoughtbehind the book is much more holistic in approach.
Namely the book postulates the combination of Theory of Constraints, Leanand Six Sigma and urges the reader to consider their production systemssolely with respect to customer wants and needs, using whatever tool orapproach is appropriate, even increasing WIP!
Another excellent book by Bicheno, this one will be well thumbed by manyproduction personnel. At least until his next one is published.

essential reading, 21 Jan 2008
This text explained all aspects of supply chain managment. the language is easy to read. examples are very well articulated.

Martin Christoper is the guru of Logistics, 23 Aug 2000
I had the pleasure to meet Martin Christopher in person when I was a student of Cranfield University, trying to get my MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Martin Christopher is in reality what is depicted in his book - simply a pure genious. This particular book gives an extremely good explanation of what Logistics is, using a very simple language and many many case studies. It can easily be read by a student but also be used as a manual by a professional. The reader should especially focus on the chapters discussing about global Logistics. This is really a very useful tool for all the people involved with the SCIENCE and ART of logistics.

Superb summary of the key logistics issues., 16 Jul 2000
This is a superb summary and introduction to the key logistics issues. Customer service, the benchmarking of supply chains, logistics costs and performance, the strategic issues and the Japanese techniques are all covered.

Great for plucking quotes, such as 'uncertainty is the mother of inventory'. Lots of diagrams and case studies. As a practising supply chain professional, I thoroughly recommend this book.

As Professor of Marketing and Logistics at Cranfield, Martin Christopher is one of the leading lights in logistics

A short and "down to the point" book about SCM, 28 Mar 1999
Martin not only knows his stuff about logistics he can also write, whitch cannot be said about most authors in this category.

A very good book especially for non-logisticans who wants an introduction in this field. It has not too many fancy words and is very much focused on the business process rather than logistics as such.

If I were to have one book in logistics management in my bookshelf, it would be this one.

Good overview of implementing lean sigma in services, 24 Feb 2007
Lean Six Sigma for Service provides an overview of how to implement lean and six sigma projects in service organisations. The book is clearly written and includes loads of case studies and covers issues such as the challenges faced in implementation; setting up the project; how your project teams should work; the importance of leadership commitment; and so on. It gives a high level overview of the challenges and requirements for success. For a book with "six sigma" in the title there is very little statistical detail. This makes is suitable for the novice, though a weakness for me is the lack detail of the tools and how to use them. You will need other books for that. Interestingly, most of the case studies emphasise the importance of using lean tools when getting started. Most of the successes seem to stem from process mapping, establishing flow, cutting down on WIP etc. There are few sigma based case studies. I guess that shows the importance of using lean to understand your processes, get them under control and standardise them, before you can use sigma processes to cut variation. Overall a good book. A little over long perhaps but excellent on the project management of lean and sigma.

Indicative of a flawed cultural phenomenon, 02 Oct 2007
So called 'LEAN' thinking is becoming increasingly pervasive. Often this is a diluted and poorly thought-out version of the revolutionary system introduced by Toyota. The 'for dummies' concept is the problem here: rather than helping businesses and employees understand the processes, this book perpetuates the dumbing-down process.

To understand this company's success, first understand its DNA, 31 Jul 2008
I read this book when it was first published in 2004 and recently re-read it, curious to know how well Jeffrey Liker's explanation of Toyota's management principles and lean production values have held up. My conclusion? Very well.

No good purpose would be served by merely listing the 14 management principles, out of context. Liker devotes a separate chapter to each, carefully explaining not only what it is but also how it guides and informs everyone at all levels and in all areas of the Toyota organization. What Liker also accomplishes, and what cannot be adequately summarized in a review such as this, is to explain how all 12 principles are interdependent. Together, they serve as the company's DNA. In the Preface, he recalls asking Fujio Cho (President of Toyota Motor Company) what was unique about his company's remarkable success. His answer was quite simple: "The key to the Toyota Way and what makes Toyota stand out is not any of the individual elements...But what is important is having all the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner." To understand Toyota's success, therefore, it is important to understand that lean production is not a methodology, it is literally a way of life.

The 14 principles are divided into four sections:

Having a long-term philosophy that drives a long-term approach to building a learning organization

Absolute faith that the right process will produce the right results

Adding value to the organization by developing its people and partners

Continuously solving root problems to drive organizational learning

As Liker points out, it is important to understand that the Toyota Production System is not the Toyota Way. TPS is the most systematic and highly developed example of what the principles of the Toyota Way can accomplish. The Toyota Way consists of the foundational principles of the Toyota culture, which allows the TPS to function so effectively.

How does lean improvement differ from traditional process improvement? "Briefly, wheras the traditional approach to process improvement focuses on local efficiencies, in a lean improvement initiatuve, most of the progress comes from a large number of non-value steps being squeezed out. For example, overproduction, delays, and wasted motion. In fact, the ultimate goal of lean manufacturing is to apply the ideal of one-piece flow to all business operations, from product design to launch, order taking, physical production, and shipment."Some of the differences are subtle but no less significant.

To repeat, anyone can read this book and then uncerstand what the Toyota Way is. Possessing a gourmet chef's recipe, however, does not ensure that a gourmet meal will be prepared. Toyota has its own way. Other companies must develop theirs based on their own "roots." In other words, lead from their traditional strengths but not be limited by them. In fact, companies may need to re-invent themselves, not once but several times. That is what Toyota did...and continues to do. Use operational excellence as a strategic weapon and the rewards and results will far outweigh the great effort required.

That said, Liker does provide 13 "general tips." The first is to begin with action in the technical system and then follow quickly with cultural change. Other suggestions include learning by doing first and training second, using value stream mapping to develop future state visions to help "learn to see," and being opportunistic in identifying opportunities for big financial impacts. They are provided with brief but precise explanations on Pages 302-307.

It remains for each person who reads this book to determine which of the 14 management principles are most relevant to her or his own enterprise, and then to determine how to translate each into effective action. Presumably Liker agrees with me that most companies have 3-5 areas in which "lean" initiatives are urgently needed. Developing an execution plan can be tricky, however, because all business transaction involve a process of some kind and improvement of one process inevitably has a direct impact on several others. Here's one possibility, suggested to me by a COO to whom I gave a copy of this book: Read the final chapter, Chapter 22, first. It's title is "Build Your Own Lean Learning Enterprise, Borrowing from the Toyota Way." He thinks that will provide an appropriate framework within which to proceed from Gary Convis' Foreword and Liker's Preface to the conclusion of Chapter 21. That suggestion is worth consideration.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Liker's Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way as well as Matthew Mays' The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation, David Magee's How Toyota Became Toyota: Leadership Lessons from the World's Greatest Car company, and What Is Lean Six Sigma? co-authored by Michael L. George, David Rowlands, and Bill Kastle.

Andrew Scotchmer, 24 Aug 2007
Takes you through the evolution of the Toyota Production System and introduces the reader to the 14 points of the lean philosophy. Excellent, as is the followup "field-book) for implementation of lean in your workplace.

Something to continuously reflect on , 03 Jul 2007
The Company That Invented Lean The 14 Management Principles

Being totally uninterested in cars I did not realise that Toyota is one of the worlds greatest manufacturers.

I was listening to In Business on Radio4. It was all about how Toyota has revolutionised management to create what they call lean production.

It is a fascinating read by Jeffrey K Liker. MC Graw-Hill (2004) pp 330 The Japanese have learnt in the last forty years how to make top quality cars. The 14 principles can be applied to any business and are not exclusive to manufacturing.

It is a whole way of life and a way of thinking.

Principles 1: Base your management decision on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals

Principle 2 Create continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface

Principle 3 Use" pull" systems to avoid overproduction

Principle 4 Level out the workload( heijunka)

Principle 5 Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time.

Principle 6 Standards task are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment

Principle 7 Use visual control so problems are hidden

Principle 8Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes

Principle 9 Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work,live the philosophy and teach it to others.

Principle 10 Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company's philosophy

Principle 11 Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers y challenging them and helping them improve.

Principle 12 Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situations(genchi genbutsu)

Principle 13 Make decision slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all the options implement decisions rapidly ( nemawashi)

Principle 14 Become a learning organization through relentless reflection (hansei) and continuous improvement ( kaizen)


Recently it was announced that Toyota had overtaken General Motors. How Toyota had done it was common knowledge and they have been happy to tell pople the theory but obviously General Motors had not done the practical.

I particularly like continuous reflection which works whether you are succeeding or not. If you are a succes which General Motors has been for years they obviously have not learnt to reflect on their success and maintain it.
Maybe they thought their way was the only way. Many once mighty companies have fallen from a great height,

A good read

THE book on the Toyota Production System!, 17 Jun 2007
Everyone in the auto industry is familiar with Toyota's dramatic business success and, of course, consumers are demonstrably aware of the company's world-renowned quality. In fact, Toyota has done so well that, as Liker points out, many consider the company to be "boring." For, after all, steadily growing sales, consistent profitability, huge cash reserves, operational efficiency (combined with constant innovation--not an easy complement to pull off), and top quality, year after year, are not the stuff of breaking news. But, despite this reputation as the best manufacturer in the world, and despite the huge influence of the lean movement, most attempts to emulate and implement lean production have been fairly superficial, with less than stellar results over the long term. "Dabbling at one level--the `Process' level," U.S. companies have embraced lean tools, but do not understand what makes them work together in a system.

This integration is precisely what The Toyota Way examines, explaining how to create a Toyota-style culture of quality, lean, and learning that takes quantum leaps beyond any superficial focus on tools and techniques. Suffice it to say, there are hundreds of books out there explaining, analyzing, and advocating lean--providing details and insight into the tools and methods of TPS. The two most noted among this treasure trove are, of course, the contributions of The Machine That Changed the World (Womack, Jones, Roos, 1991) and Lean Thinking (Womack and Jones, 1996), and both stand as excellent resources on the subject. The first introduced the world to the tools and techniques of lean manufacturing by extracting its principles from their initial Japanese application and examining them in detail. And, the second explained how "to make value flow smoothly at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection."

The Toyota Way is, however (according to Liker), the first business book in English to provide a blueprint of Toyota's management philosophy for general business readers, dispelling the misconceptions that TPS is merely a collection of tools that lead to more efficient operations. Of course, there is no way of ascertaining the validity of this claim, without an extensive and time consuming exploration of the literature, but that truly doesn't matter. The Toyota Way is an approach of such breadth, depth, and significance to the world of business that it has yet to be fully understood; thus, the subject has not yet been fully exhausted. Liker's keen sense of the subtleties of TPS intrepidly challenges conventional understanding and transforms it with eloquent simplicity. He takes the reader deeply and comprehensively into the "heart and intelligence" of Toyota's "way," giving businesses in diverse industries some very practical and effective ideas that they can use to develop their own unique approach to TPS.

Brilliant and well written!, 12 Jan 2007
Jefferey Liker's well reasoned book explains the management principles that enable TOYOTA to outperform its piers - and explains why western managers pre-occupied with `management techniques' can't `go lean', without changing the culture of their organisation

One of the best, 01 Oct 2008
One of the best overall references for lean. John has brought together a wealth of knowledge and common sense and created a great reference for anyone wanting to understand almost any aspect of lean, right up to date. The book is highly practical and a very good every day reference.

I also like the play on words 'New Lean' which supports current thinking in how lean needs to be expanded beyond tools into lean management or value systems.

All the theory of Lean in one book, 26 Mar 2008
John Bicheno has pulled together all the information on Lean together in this wonderful reference book. He gives all references and sources for further reading.

As of the 2004 edition I noticed some minor typos in the edition, but this should not stop you from buying what is likely to become a definitive Lean reference book for Lean practioners.

Case Study photographs of practical application of some of the techniques would only add to the value of a future edition.



Not a Toolbox but a Treasure Chest, 16 Mar 2008
The New Lean Toolbox is a great compilation and summary of all the lean approaches being deployed today. Bicheno ties together all these approaches in a framework that elevates the readers understanding of how lean works as an interlocking system of techniques not as isolated tools. It is a excellent companion and guide to the world of lean and it will lead to rich sources of deeper learning on its vast subject matter. It is a veritable lean in short hand book that is the best possible thesaurus /codex for any lean practitioner or novice alike.

THE NEW LEAN TOOLBOX, 24 Jan 2008
An excellent book. Very concise in explanations yet easy to understand. Well worth buying as a reference book that can help you explain to others what the tools are all about and jog your memory if you need to find a specific tool.

Takes Lean to new level, 28 Apr 2004
The "New" Lean Toolbox means just that this is not just an updated versionof the previous Lean toolbox but a different way to approach what is ineffect the Best Current Method of production.
Whilst the book does provide the same level of detail as the previous LeanToolbox, ie a good description of individual techiques and conceptsfollowed by references for the reader to further discover. The thoughtbehind the book is much more holistic in approach.
Namely the book postulates the combination of Theory of Constraints, Leanand Six Sigma and urges the reader to consider their production systemssolely with respect to customer wants and needs, using whatever tool orapproach is appropriate, even increasing WIP!
Another excellent book by Bicheno, this one will be well thumbed by manyproduction personnel. At least until his next one is published.

essential reading, 21 Jan 2008
This text explained all aspects of supply chain managment. the language is easy to read. examples are very well articulated.

Martin Christoper is the guru of Logistics, 23 Aug 2000
I had the pleasure to meet Martin Christopher in person when I was a student of Cranfield University, trying to get my MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Martin Christopher is in reality what is depicted in his book - simply a pure genious. This particular book gives an extremely good explanation of what Logistics is, using a very simple language and many many case studies. It can easily be read by a student but also be used as a manual by a professional. The reader should especially focus on the chapters discussing about global Logistics. This is really a very useful tool for all the people involved with the SCIENCE and ART of logistics.

Superb summary of the key logistics issues., 16 Jul 2000
This is a superb summary and introduction to the key logistics issues. Customer service, the benchmarking of supply chains, logistics costs and performance, the strategic issues and the Japanese techniques are all covered.

Great for plucking quotes, such as 'uncertainty is the mother of inventory'. Lots of diagrams and case studies. As a practising supply chain professional, I thoroughly recommend this book.

As Professor of Marketing and Logistics at Cranfield, Martin Christopher is one of the leading lights in logistics

A short and "down to the point" book about SCM, 28 Mar 1999
Martin not only knows his stuff about logistics he can also write, whitch cannot be said about most authors in this category.

A very good book especially for non-logisticans who wants an introduction in this field. It has not too many fancy words and is very much focused on the business process rather than logistics as such.

If I were to have one book in logistics management in my bookshelf, it would be this one.

Good overview of implementing lean sigma in services, 24 Feb 2007
Lean Six Sigma for Service provides an overview of how to implement lean and six sigma projects in service organisations. The book is clearly written and includes loads of case studies and covers issues such as the challenges faced in implementation; setting up the project; how your project teams should work; the importance of leadership commitment; and so on. It gives a high level overview of the challenges and requirements for success. For a book with "six sigma" in the title there is very little statistical detail. This makes is suitable for the novice, though a weakness for me is the lack detail of the tools and how to use them. You will need other books for that. Interestingly, most of the case studies emphasise the importance of using lean tools when getting started. Most of the successes seem to stem from process mapping, establishing flow, cutting down on WIP etc. There are few sigma based case studies. I guess that shows the importance of using lean to understand your processes, get them under control and standardise them, before you can use sigma processes to cut variation. Overall a good book. A little over long perhaps but excellent on the project management of lean and sigma.

Indicative of a flawed cultural phenomenon, 02 Oct 2007
So called 'LEAN' thinking is becoming increasingly pervasive. Often this is a diluted and poorly thought-out version of the revolutionary system introduced by Toyota. The 'for dummies' concept is the problem here: rather than helping businesses and employees understand the processes, this book perpetuates the dumbing-down process.

Easy read and a good introduction to LSS, 31 Jul 2008
My qualifications for buying this book were:

I knew nothing about Lean
I knew nothing about Six Sigma
I was head of CMMI implementation for my dept and another neighbouring dept was taking Lean Six Sigma

So I bought the book and read it.

I now know enough about Lean Six Sigma to (a) tell the difference between Lean and Six Sigma (b) incorporate its requirements into my implementation plans (c) give a presentation to my dept on what the other department is doing and (d) enough to discuss LSS over lunch (pass an interview?) with LSS experts.

For me, the 17 Eur I paid at the airport and the few hours it took to read and make some notes were time and money well spent. The book is not enough to implement six sigma yourself, for that you need to spend a lot more but it is perfect for familiarising the novice. It is also, thank god, readable. Examples abound in the book, they're all a `bit American' but don't worry about that, the substance was spot on for me.


Now what? What can I do with it?, 09 Dec 2007
This book in nothing more than a set of articles about Lean Six Sigma implementation cases. It does not tell you much on how to implement it, how to approach real life problems, what tools to use in different situations. This is only a soft read to get acquainted with "Lean Six Sigma". If you are looking for something that can really help you applying these principles on your company/work choose another title for you'll consider this one useless.

Concise but a light read, 17 Aug 2007
Not a great deal of substance but it does give a useful perspective on combining Lean process thinking with Six Sigma's emphasis on quality.

An accelerated explanation of how to produce more and better results, in less time, and at a lower cost , 15 May 2007

It seems eminently appropriate that a book which explains what Lean Six Sigma is (and isn't) should exemplify the same principles it addresses: It delights its reader with the speed by which its material is covered and with the quality of that material, it offers immediate help with mastering whatever the given process (or processes) may be, its authors work effectively with their reader to achieve the desired objectives within that reader's organization, and they prepare their reader to make better decisions, based on verifiable data.

Many people who consider purchasing it may be deterred by terms such Six Sigma and Lean which tend to be associated only with immensely large and complicated organizations such as GE and Motorola. In fact, authors Michael L. George, David Rowlands, and Bill Kastle include a number of mini-case studies throughout their narrative that suggest how decision-makers in almost any organization (regardless of size or nature) can apply Lean Six Sigma to produce more and better results, in less time, and at a lower cost if (huge "if") there are leadership at the top of the given organization, buy-in and sustained commitment at all levels and in all areas, sufficient resources, and accurate and consistent performance measurement.

For me, some of the most valuable material is provided in Chapter 8, "Making Improvements That Last." After explaining the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) process, the authors make skillful use of various "Figures" that serve two separate but related purposes: they highlight key points, and, they facilitate, indeed expedite frequent review of those points later. For example, Figure 8.1: Sample Project Charter that demonstrates how to capture the essence of a Lean Six Sigma project. It describes what the team should accomplish, who will work on the project (and in what roles), timelines and other key information. Then with Figure 8.3: Value Stream Map, the authors indicate with the example provided how the value stream map, based on an actual process, captures the main sequence of activities in the boxes across the top line. If executed with rigor and discipline, the DMAIC process offers a framework for effective collaboration that will reveal real solutions to root problems.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones's Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation and their more recent book, Lean Solutions: How Companies and Customers Can Create Value and Wealth Together. Also, Michael George's Lean Six Sigma for Service: How to Use Lean Speed and Six Sigma Quality to Improve Services and Transactions, The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed (with John Maxey and David T. Rowlands) and Fast Innovation: Achieving Superior Differenti