Lean Production for Competitive Advantage ― A Comprehensive Guide to Lean Methodologies and Management Practices

The second edition will include four new topics that fully address the scope of Lean: Hoshin Kanri (HK), Managing for Daily Improvement (MDI), Production Preparation Process (3P), and Lean in project management (especially for projects in product development). HK is a management planning process that evolved in Japan concurrent with Lean and early adopters employed it. MDI addresses the 5th S (sustain) in the 5S process. Together, HK and MDI answer questions such as: How is Lean tied to strategic planning? What is the role of management in Lean? How are daily improvements tied to organizational goals? and How are improvements sustained? The two topics address Lean as a "culture."

John Nicholas is professor of operations management at Loyola University Chicago where he teaches in the areas of production and operations management, healthcare management, project management, and global operations management. He first introduced a course on lean production at Loyola in 1990. As a management consultant he has conducted productivity improvement projects and training programs in process improvement, quality circles, project management, and teamwork.

He is the author of numerous academic and technical trade publications and four books, including The Portal to Lean Production: Principles and Practices for Doing More with Less and Project Management for Business, Engineering and Technology: Principles and Practices.

Prior to Loyola John held the positions of test engineer and team lead for Lockheed/Martin Corporation, senior business analyst at Bank of America, and research associate at Argonne National Laboratory. He has a BS in aerospace engineering and an MBA in operations research and management, both from the University of Illinois, and a PhD in industrial engineering and applied science from Northwestern University.