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      John A. A. Earley

      The Lean Book of Lean

      This edition first published 2016

      © 2016 John Earley

      Registered office

      John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19

      8SQ, United Kingdom

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      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

      ISBN 978-1-119-09619-1 (pbk) ISBN 978-1-119-09620-7 (ebk)

      ISBN 978-1-119-09621-4 (ebk) ISBN 978-1-119-27170-3 (ebk)

      Cover Design: Kathy Davis/Wiley

      Cover Image: © singpentinkhappy/Shutterstock

      Acknowledgements

      Without the help, support and inspiration from those around me throughout my life, this book would never have been written and my life would have been very different. While there are many who have guided, prodded and cajoled me into what I am, there are a few people to whom I would like to specifically say a big “thank you” in the context of this book.

      Firstly, my wife Helen, who has supported and put up with me for over 30 years and kept believing in me, even when things haven't gone quite according to plan.

      To Jim Prendergast, a Partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, who recognised the Lean in me and let me loose to practise and develop my skills. His mentorship helped me to turn some good concepts and rough thoughts into practical approaches to helping people see the light. To the others in the “Lean Team” at PwC who were instrumental in a lot of the thinking behind this book.

      To James C. Paterson, author of Lean Auditing and a colleague from my time at AstraZeneca. James very kindly introduced me to his contact at Wiley which opened the door to turning a pipe dream into reality. To Gemma from Wiley who sponsored this book and has been very patient with me during the writing and publishing process.

      Thank you all for your help, support and encouragement.

      Preface

      Why did I choose to call this book The Lean Book of Lean? Having attempted to read many of the books published on the subject, I always found myself unable to finish them. That's not to say that they are irrelevant, badly written or uninteresting, it is just that with the little time available to your average busy person, there is always something which takes priority. I often questioned, why doesn't someone write a book which covers the major points, has some useful hints and tips, but can be read during your average 3 to 4 hour flight? (And have time for your in-flight drink as well!) After many years pondering this issue, I came to the conclusion that the “someone” might as well be me.

      As more of an afterthought, but just as relevant, Lean is all about achieving a desired outcome with the minimal amount of fuss and effort, so I felt compelled to write a book which practises what it preaches.

      In addition, I have become increasingly frustrated over the years with learned people and scholars trying to make out that Lean is magic, something only they can easily understand. I'm on slightly shaky ground here as I'm a consultant myself and have made a more than decent living from helping others “get it” so could be considered as one of the culprits mentioned above. To try and break this myth, I've tried to explain the concepts and principles in everyday terms and demonstrate that we all “do Lean” naturally in our everyday lives. In a light-hearted vein, I've also added a glossary in the back defining some of the key Lean terms in the same way.

      Just to be very clear from the outset, I have not done extended research or interviewed all the “gods of Lean” to create this book. It is a collection of my own thoughts, experiences and, in some cases, opinions of the subject. I don't pretend to know everything. I don't profess to be right about anything. What I do have is 30 years of experience and battle scars of helping others on their journey, which I'm offering up for the price of this book.

      So here it is: The Lean Book of Lean. Able to be read on your average flight (well, if you're a fast reader or take long flights!). Not the definitive compendium of Lean and all its facets, but hopefully sufficient to leave you motivated and confident that anyone can do it, and yes, that means you! Take what you want, discard what you don't need or don't agree with, but I hope you find it useful in some way and that it gives you a little food for thought in whatever capacity you live your life and for whatever reason you picked up this book.

      Thanks for your time and interest.

      1

      Introduction to Lean

      Welcome to The Lean Book of Lean: a not-too-daunting volume about a subject that has been the subject of ebbs and flows of popularity over the last three decades. Lean has seemed to reinvent itself over and over with a few name changes along the way. To some, it's a silver bullet capable of saving the world as we know it; to others it's had its day and should move over and let the new silver bullet take the limelight. To others still, it's just a name for a collection of tools that have been around a long time and seem to be of some practical use. For me? Well, I'm inclined towards the last group. Enough of this philosophical wittering, I've only got 70,000 words to play with, so on with the book!

      In this first chapter we will do a brief exploration into what Lean is, where it can be applied and what certified level of Master Wizard you need to achieve to be confident you can apply it without destroying the universe.