Jeffrey Liker

11/17/2021

Lean Transformation Comic Book: I am excited to announce our graphic novel about the transformation of Zingerman's Mail Order business will be shipping December 1. It tells the story through graphic arts of this company's transformation from large batch to one-piece flow with all the bells and whistles of lean. It has been a journey of over 15 years guided by my former Doctoral Student, Eduardo Lander. You will get to feel what an organic transformation of learning is about in very different circumstances than a Toyota assembly plant. I think you will enjoy it and even want to share it...maybe with your family.

Lean in a High-Variability Business: A Graphic Novel about Lean and People at Zingerman’s Mail Order

11/17/2021

Lean Transformation Comic Book: I am excited to announce our graphic novel about the transformation of Zingerman's Mail Order business will be shipping December 1. It tells the story through graphic arts of this company's transformation from large batch to one-piece flow with all the bells and whistles of lean. It has been a journey of over 15 years guided by my former Doctoral Student, Eduardo Lander. You will get to feel what an organic transformation of learning is about in very different circumstances than a Toyota assembly plant. I think you will enjoy it and even want to share it...maybe with your family.

Lean in a High-Variability Business: A Graphic Novel about Lean and People at Zingerman’s Mail Order

10/27/2020

Toyota Way Second Edition now available on Kindle.

A big day. I felt a need to update the book with the many things I have experienced and learned. Now in the center of the model is scientific thinking and I have many manufacturing and service examples outside Toyota. From its early days Toyota’s success has been based on a scientific approach to improvement and innovation. Toyota leaders assume they do not know the solution in advance so run experiments to test ideas and learn. Every leader is a teacher and coach to develop in subordinates the skills and mindset for practical scientific thinking to achieve difficult goals. I have weaved this through the book and completely rewrote the problem solving principles emphasizing 12) scientific thinking as the way to solve problems and achieve seemingly impossible challenges, 13) Hoshin kanri as the way to align improvement goals from top to bottom and sideways, and 14) strategy to create a direction executed through some large leaps and many small steps. I also write about the Toyota Way in the digital age.

The Toyota Way, Second Edition: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer

10/19/2020

I enjoyed being interviewed by Brad Jeavons about my background leading to the Toyota Way and the new second edition of the book.

IntroductionI am so honoured to be talking with Professor Jeff Liker in this episode. Jeff is a Professor at the University of Michigan. He is the author of the International Best Seller "The Toyota Way". Jeff has won 13 Shingo prizes throughout h...

05/21/2020

Akio Toyoda on Toyota's Response to Crisis--Great insights!

https://planet-lean.com/akio-toyoda-crisis-management/

11/21/2019

kata in a warehouse: I hope you enjoy this article about how Zingerman's mail order has used kata to foster continuous improvement. It was the first method that lit a fire under their employees and made improvement exciting.

06/04/2019

Unforgettable study mission in January visiting lean plants across Japan. Wonderful group of delegates all eager to learn.

May 31, 2019: The Leadership Network® posted an article on LinkedIn

02/06/2019

I have written about Tesla before and compared their strategy and ex*****on to that of Toyota in our new book "Designing the Future" cited at the end of the post below. Tesla seems to defy gravity--despite failure after failure to execute as promised the vehicles themselves are loved by customers. They are having an amazing impact on the auto industry. In this post I ponder what might have been if they also could make the cars with high quality on time and distribute them effectively--the bread and butter logistics that Toyota is so great at.

Jeff Liker asks of Tesla: What if it took Toyota’s help seriously in learning basic manufacturing before undertaking disruptive technology change? What if Tesla built in quality and did not have to rebuild most Model 3s to get quality right? What if Tesla took manufacturing and logistics seriously...

02/06/2019

Jim Morgan and I wrote a book called "Designing Your Future" about lean product-process development that features companies that have made game changing products using the methods pioneered by Toyota. Jim learned these methods from Toyota and then as Global Director of Body and Stamping Engineering used what he learned as part of the historic turnaround of Ford. He worked closely with Alan Mulally who inspired Jim more than any CEO ever had. Alan agreed to do this podcast with Jim. It is inspiring and informative about one of the greatest turnarounds in history.

12/05/2018

From.my day speaking in the city of Ryazan in Russia at a sports arena for boxing and karate.

11/20/2018

Connect Value Stream Mapping to Scientific Thinking using Kata

It is the 20th anniversary of the book "Learning to See" that introduced value stream mapping (VSM) to the world. VSM maps the current material and information flow of any value stream and then a group develops a desired future state VSM. The question is what to do when you have the future state. The attached presentation argues we should not "implement it," but rather strive to achieve it. Like others have said: planning is priceless, but plans are worthless. The future state is what we think we want but we have to learn our way there through experimenting. The improvement kata is a way to scientifically navigate in the direction of your vision.

https://www.slideshare.net/mike734/value-stream-mapping-and-toyota-kata-123356815

Download powerpoint version and use as much as you like.
www.tinyurl.com/VSMslides

On the 20th Anniversary of the book "Learning to See" Mike Rother and Jeff Liker reflect on what they've learned about turning value stream maps into reality. …

10/05/2018

Jim Morgan and I wrote Designing the Future (due out last week of October) about lean product and process development in practice. Jim created an excellent synopsis of a part of that book about what it takes to build a management system that will take you to the next level of performance.

Product and process development expert James Morgan fills you in on the winning formula for a successful management system for your organization.