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Product Description
The Lean Toolbox for Service Systems is the first book that attempts to assemble a comprehensive set of tools for lean service and administration. Other publications have dealt with only a segment of the tools or a segment of the range of service systems. The book is a result of several years' work in Lean Service at the Lean Enterprise Research Centre, Cardiff Business School, and the service management programme at the University of Buckingham. All material in the book has been 'field tested' by exposure to service professionals and executive programmes. A feature of the book is that it integrates several approaches rather than advocating a particular approach. Attention is given to general Lean service concepts and frameworks, to mapping and understanding different types of service system, and to a range of tools that have been found to be useful in a variety of service environments.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the best book on lean service I have seen - because John Bicheno recognises the true nature of service. Many lean service books insist that lean manufacturing tools can be applied equally in service processes. This may be true in a minority of service situations (fast food service being the classic example. Paying money into the bank may be another example).
As Mr Bicheno shows, process stability is achieved in manufacturing by reducing variation (for example by standardisation). This is not the case in service situations where responding to the varied needs of the customer is a real way to add value. In service a skilled and flexible workforce is the way to deal with variety, not standardisation of the customer experience !.
Many lean service tools and techniques are presented in the book. It is a toolbox of different approaches for different circumstances, rather than a narrative of a single "best" method.
The book does have some weaknesses - for me these are in its discussion of customer value, and performance measures for service. Nevertheless, this is required reading if you are involved in service processes. It contains so much I immediately had to go back and read it again !.
As Mr Bicheno shows, process stability is achieved in manufacturing by reducing variation (for example by standardisation). This is not the case in service situations where responding to the varied needs of the customer is a real way to add value. In service a skilled and flexible workforce is the way to deal with variety, not standardisation of the customer experience !.
Many lean service tools and techniques are presented in the book. It is a toolbox of different approaches for different circumstances, rather than a narrative of a single "best" method.
The book does have some weaknesses - for me these are in its discussion of customer value, and performance measures for service. Nevertheless, this is required reading if you are involved in service processes. It contains so much I immediately had to go back and read it again !.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've read many books on Lean both manufacturing lean as well as office lean. This is an excellent considered work with practical examples combined with philosophy, an important element to truly understand Lean. Other office lean books by comparison are for kids, trotting out basic and obvious advice with no learning.
Your lean journey never ends, but this will move your thinking to another level.
Poor type setting and graphics but it's content is pure gold.
A must for your lean library.
Your lean journey never ends, but this will move your thinking to another level.
Poor type setting and graphics but it's content is pure gold.
A must for your lean library.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Most of the books about Lean use manufacturing related case studies and examples. As Lean is derived from Toyota's TPS, this is not surprising. So there is a real need for books that relate Lean principles and tools to the service environment, and this book definitely addresses that niche.
There is no doubting that the author knows his stuff, and he does try very hard to relate Lean to the service environment. A strong point about the book is that he wraps his approach within a framework, and gives ideas about what Lean tools can be used where. Like John Seddon - who he draws upon extensively - he cautions against simply applying Lean tools as this is over simplistic and can even be counter productive.
The book has some grave flaws, the principle of which is the presentation. It is amateurish and looks like it was knocked up in a word processor. The illustrations (mainly just simple line drawings) are poor - in some cases really bad (e.g. an arrow obscures text in the figure on p. 64, the examples on p. 126 are too small to be of any use and the process chart on p. 149 is simply awful). Similarly the tables are very poorly laid out: in an extreme case with words wrapping around at strange points and without hyphenation; personally I would have used a sans serif typeface in the tables which allows the font size to be smaller and still easily readable. The author also uses underlining in the text for emphasis - a throwback to the days of electronic typewriters and surely not needed where italic or bold can be used more effectively. Finally, and most significantly, the author makes several cross references to other parts of the book without giving page numbers or section headings. There is an index, but not all of the items he cross references are mentioned, so it can be quite difficult to find the section he refers to.
Also I do wish it was really more of a "toolbox": many of the tools are not described in enough detail to be able to apply out of this "box". He does give extensive further reading, but the use of the word toolbox is a misnomer.
The book is written in a clear, easy to follow style, and there is much to praise. The presentation lets it down though. I really want to like this book, and there is much of use within its pages, but the poor presentation and layout ultimately get in the way. If the author is considering a new edition (and I hope he is), I strongly recommend that he pays attention to detail and perhaps seeks a more professional publisher.
As there is no other book on Lean that addresses the service environment this book is to be recommended for that reason. But be prepared for the flaws.
There is no doubting that the author knows his stuff, and he does try very hard to relate Lean to the service environment. A strong point about the book is that he wraps his approach within a framework, and gives ideas about what Lean tools can be used where. Like John Seddon - who he draws upon extensively - he cautions against simply applying Lean tools as this is over simplistic and can even be counter productive.
The book has some grave flaws, the principle of which is the presentation. It is amateurish and looks like it was knocked up in a word processor. The illustrations (mainly just simple line drawings) are poor - in some cases really bad (e.g. an arrow obscures text in the figure on p. 64, the examples on p. 126 are too small to be of any use and the process chart on p. 149 is simply awful). Similarly the tables are very poorly laid out: in an extreme case with words wrapping around at strange points and without hyphenation; personally I would have used a sans serif typeface in the tables which allows the font size to be smaller and still easily readable. The author also uses underlining in the text for emphasis - a throwback to the days of electronic typewriters and surely not needed where italic or bold can be used more effectively. Finally, and most significantly, the author makes several cross references to other parts of the book without giving page numbers or section headings. There is an index, but not all of the items he cross references are mentioned, so it can be quite difficult to find the section he refers to.
Also I do wish it was really more of a "toolbox": many of the tools are not described in enough detail to be able to apply out of this "box". He does give extensive further reading, but the use of the word toolbox is a misnomer.
The book is written in a clear, easy to follow style, and there is much to praise. The presentation lets it down though. I really want to like this book, and there is much of use within its pages, but the poor presentation and layout ultimately get in the way. If the author is considering a new edition (and I hope he is), I strongly recommend that he pays attention to detail and perhaps seeks a more professional publisher.
As there is no other book on Lean that addresses the service environment this book is to be recommended for that reason. But be prepared for the flaws.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Very good overall
This book is comprehesive, and covers a wide range of tools. Do not make the mistake (I made) of thinking it is a manual for implementing lean. Read more
Published 3 months ago by KndIrl
Well worth it
I bought this on personal recommendation. I can only say that if you are trying to get your head around using LEAN techniques in a non traditional i.e. Read more
Published on 1 April 2010 by Preston Girl
Excellent
A comprehensive explanation of the differences between Lean in manufacturing and its application to the service sector
Published on 12 Dec 2009 by N. J. Parker
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