Everything I Know About Lean I Learned in First Grade

by Robert O. Martichenko, Liz Maute (Illustrator)

Overview

Every lean practitioner occasionally wishes for a simple, fun, and quick-read introduction to lean thinking to give acquaintances, associates, and family members – even to our kids. If lean thinking often entails unlearning a plethora of bad habits, wouldn’t it better if we learned better thinking – and habits – from the beginning?

"Everything I Know About Lean I Learned in First Grade" is just that sort of book. It brings lean back to its original simplicity by showing how lean is alive in a first grade classroom. The book connects common lean tools to the broader lean journey, shows how to identify and eliminate waste, and aids the reader in seeing lean for what it truly is: a way to create a learning and problem-solving culture.

Written to educate the entire organization on the fundamentals of lean thinking, this is the perfect source to engage all team members at all levels of an organization. Originally self-published in 2008, Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) is proud to re-issue this book and make it available to the broader lean community.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940014674126
Publisher:	Lean Enterprise Institute, Inc.
Publication date:	03/13/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	105
Sales rank:	137,711
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Robert Martichenko is the CEO of LeanCor, LLC. LeanCor is a trusted supply chain partner that delivers operational improvement and measurable financial results. LeanCor offers a unique combination of training and education, hands-on consulting, and outsourced logistics services that help manufacturers eliminate waste, drive down costs, and instill a problem solving culture across their supply chain.

Robert has over 20 years of lean supply chain implementation, logistics, and organizational transformation experience. He’s worked with companies such as Mitsubishi Caterpillar, General Mills, Kimberly Clark, JC Penney, Starbucks, Nestle, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, helping them improve inventory visibility and logistics control while achieving process improvement that delivers peak operating performance.

In addition to leading LeanCor, Robert is a senior instructor for the Lean Enterprise Institute and the Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute, as well as a frequent speaker for professional industry events. Robert has authored multiple lean and supply chain books and educational materials, including the Shingo Award winning workbook, Building a Lean Fulfillment Stream. His other books include Success in 60 Seconds, and Lean Six Sigma Logistics. Additionally, Robert has written several dozen articles on the topic of lean supply chain published in trade journals and industry publications.

Editorial Reviews

This is a unique and compelling book about the Lean methodology. It's written from the perspective of the author visiting his daughter's 1st grade class and discovering methods for teaching and managing the classroom that seem very similar to the Toyota Production System.

This is a great book for introducing people to Lean -- maybe particularly for those outside of traditional manufacturing settings.

Amazon.com - Mark Graban