Leading the Lean Enterprise Transformation

Updated with new information, illustrations, and leadership tools, Leading the Lean Enterprise Transformation, Second Edition describes how the metrics used by Toyota drive every line item in a financial statement in the right direction. Rather than focus on Lean tools and principles, the new edition of this bestselling reference focuses on what may be the least understood and most critical aspect of a Lean transformation: the building of a Lean culture. In addition to new appendices with background information and insightful stories on Lean leadership and implementation, it includes new information on tactical organization practices, strategy deployment, and Lean culture.

An inductee to IndustryWeek's Hall of Fame, George Koenigsaecker illustrates successful strategies and valuable lessons learned with case histories of U.S. leaders who have been instrumental in bringing Lean to the forefront. He explains the use of value stream analysis at the leadership level and describes how to structure kaizen events that can improve the value stream. Organized in the chronological sequence that a leader embarking on a Lean journey would experience, the book discusses the methods used by the author during the Hon Company’s successful Lean conversion, which doubled productivity, tripled revenues, and led IndustryWeek to recognize Hon as one of the "World’s 100 Best Managed Firms."

The book not only introduces powerful leadership tools―including strategy deployment, transformation value stream analysis, and transformation plan of care―but also arms potential change agents with the soft skills needed to define, develop, and communicate their vision. Detailing the steps required to sustain improvements, it supplies time-tested guidance for effective leadership throughout a Lean transformation in any organization.

George Koenigsaecker is a principal investor in several Lean enterprises. He is a board member of the Shingo Prize (the international award for "Lean enterprises"), the Association of Manufacturing Excellence, the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, Baird Capital Partners, Gefinor Venture Partners, Simpler Consulting, and Watlow Electric Corporation.

From 1992 until 1999, Koenigsaecker led the Lean conversion of the HON Company, a $1.5-billion office furniture manufacturer. During this period, his efforts led to a tripling of volume and culminated in HON Industries being named by IndustryWeek magazine as one of the "World’s Best Managed Companies."

Prior to this time, Koenigsaecker was with the Danaher Corporation, where he was president of the Jacobs Vehicle Equipment Company (whose Lean conversion is featured in the book Lean Thinking by Jim Womack and Dan Jones) and group president of the Tool Group, then the largest business unit of Danaher. In addition to leading the Lean conversion of these operations, Koenigsaecker developed and implemented the Danaher Business System, a comprehensive Lean enterprise model.

In addition, Koenigsaecker has held senior management positions in finance, marketing, and operations with Rockwell International and Deere & Company. He is a graduate of the Harvard Business School.

George Koenigsaecker was inducted into IndustryWeek's 2010 Manufacturing Hall of Fame for his years of experience leading successful Lean management transformations across a multitude of organizations.