Are you interested in reading books about Lean?
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, people spend much of their time at home. And what better way is there to aim for continuous improvement than start reading a Lean book? And who knows? Maybe you will get triggered to sign up for one of the Lean trainings and eventually end up learning even more about the philophy.
However, the question remains: which books are the most interesting and describe the philosophy of Lean best? Do not worry! We created a top 3, just for you. Experiences of consultants and our own participants have influenced this list.
- The first book is called The Toyota Way, written by Jeffrey Liker.
When starting with Lean, it is easy to gain success. But keeping it that way is the trick, as well as expanding your success. That is the main reason why waste increases after a while, even if you had eliminated the greatest part at the beginning of your Lean adventure.
Toyota
As you can read in our Blog Toyota and Lean, Toyota takes on a central role within Lean. It is considered to be the very beginning of the philosophy. But why? What makes Toyota so special? According to Jeffrey Liker, it must be the system which used for the development of leadership. Together with Gary Convis, he describes The Toyota Way for every Green and Black Belt.
2. The second book is Lean Six Sigma for Dummies, written by John Morgan and Martin Brenig-Jones.
I can hear almost hear you think. No, you are correct. The ‘for Dummies’ series often does not belong to everyone’s favourite books. With its notable appearance, un-catchy title and lack of in-depth approach, these types of books are not my first choices as well. With exceptions, apparently. Some time ago, I had to read this book, as part of a accreditation. In no time, you are taught about Lean Six Sigma and you will be able to talk about the ins and outs of this philosophy. Using examples people can relate to, they enthuse their readers. It is an easy-to-read book, containing many images and tables. This is why it does belong in our top 3 books about Lean.
3. The third book is called What is Lean Six Sigma, written by Mike George, Dave Rowlands and Bill Kastle.
If you are wondering what the exact definition of Six Sigma is, do not hesitate to read this blog, because it is hard to summarize this in a few sentences. Something like “Lean Six Sigma focuses on the customer and creates a more efficient working environment”, often does not cure all curiosity of the person of interest.
What is Lean Six Sigma is perfect for managers or project leaders, who are fairly new to Lean Six Sigma. The first part of the book explains the foundation of the philosophy. Well-written, all principles are discussed. The second part, however, dives into a deep a little more. Implementation is the main focus of this part. The DMAIC project-approach is discussed, with each phase being supported by images and examples. In other words, this book is a perfect example of Lean Six Sigma for beginners.
