The Foundations of Lean Management ─ A History of the Civil Communication Section and Japanese Management

This book is a history book documenting the CCS-Civil Communication Section – which was created by General Douglas MacAuthur during the occupation of WWII to improve communications in Japan. However, before they could work on improving the quality of communications they found they had to train the major communications companies in American Management. Ultimately this training led to the resurgence and later dominance of the Japanese electronics industry and Japan’s economic miracle. Many of the teachings laid the foundation for what we call Lean and Six Sigma today. This book documents the genesis of the CCS and how three engineers helped get the Japanese economy by teaching American management and placing an emphasis on shop-floor leadership.

Kenneth Hopper

Born in Glasgow, Scotland 1926. First Class Honors Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Glasgow University. Served graduate apprenticeship at Metropolitan Vickers, Manchester, England and then worked as manager and engineer in British plants of Procter & Gamble and as an industrial engineer in Britain, Ireland and continental Europe. Spent 1965-66 at Harvard Business School on the International Teachers’ Program, studying the use of college graduates as foremen. Active since 1966 as management consultant based in United States and writer on industrial management. Now U.S. citizen.

Has made a lifelong study of different national corporate cultures with a particular emphasis on the influence of America’s managerial culture on industry in Japan and elsewhere in the post-war years. Recognized in Japan and the U.S. for his research and writing on the early post-war Japanese Quality Movement. Co-founder and Director of CCS Institute which promotes education in progressive management methods. Author of various academic and newspaper articles.

William Hopper

Younger brother of Kenneth, with whom he has worked on research into management culture for as long as either of them can remember. Co-founder and Chairman of CCS Institute (see above). British subject.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland 1929. First Class Honors Degree in Modern Languages, Glasgow University. Education Officer, Royal Air Force. Formerly Director, Morgan Grenfell and Co Limited, investment bankers in London. Member of the European Parliament for Greater Manchester West (1979 - 1984). Member of Executive Committee (also Founder-Chairman), Institute for Fiscal Studies, London (1969 to date). Member of Management Committee (formerly Chairman), Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel, London (1995 - 2000). Now Chairman WJ Hopper & Co Limited, investment bankers in London.

Charlie Protzman spent over 13 years with AlliedSignal (now Honeywell) and has a total of 32 years experience in Materials and Operations Management. The first Lean Master and a Strategic Operations Manager for AlliedSignal, he received several special recognition and cost reduction awards. Charlie was an external consultant for the Maryland World Class Consortium and a contributor to the resulting World Class Guidelines. He assisted the Consortium in the first three World Class company assessments.

Charlie, as the CEO of BIG, spent the last eighteen years implementing successful lean product, and administrative implementations and World Class Kaizen events across the U.S. in all types of industries. He has taught Lean Thinking principles to students from all over the World.

Charlie is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Charles W. Protzman, Sr. who, as part of the CCS, under the direction of Macarthur, in 1948 surveyed over 70 Japanese companies and in 1949, taught CEO's of over 50 prominent Japanese telecommunications companies an eight week course in American Management Techniques which paved the way for Deming’s visit in 1950.

Charlie has a BA and MBA from Loyola College in Maryland and is a member of SME, SAE, Association for Psychological Type (APT) and past member of APICS, AME Champions Club and NAPM organizations.

Daniel Protzman is Director of Customer Solutions for consulting company, Business Improvement Group LLC. In addition to benchmarking companies around the world, Daniel has consulted with a multitude of clients including Foundries, Manufacturing companies and those in the Service and Healthcare Industries. Daniel is also the co-author of upcoming book, One Piece Flow vs. Batching: A Guide to Understanding How Continuous Flow Maximizes Productivity and Customer Value, published by Productivity Press.