World Class Manufacturing - by Richard J Schonberger (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Since the invention of double-entry bookkeeping, managers have judged a company's worth by sales and profits. Now Richard Schonberger exposes the fallacies of this timeless practice. Schonberger's pathbreaking new research reveals that, from 1950 to 1995, while "financials" dipped and soared repeatedly, industrial decline and ascendancy correlated perfectly with inventory turnover -- one of two key nonfinancial indicators and a bedrock measure, along with customer satisfaction, of a company's power, strength, and value. In this immensely readable book, he captures these new metrics -- the true predictions of future success -- in 16 customer-focused principles created from self-scored reports supplied by over 100 pioneering manufacturers in nine countries. Armed with new world-class benchmark data, Schonberger redefines excellence in terms of competence, capability, and customer-focused, employee-driven, data-based performance.

From the Back Cover

Since the invention of double-entry bookkeeping, managers have judged a company's worth by sales and profits. Now, Richard J. Schonberger, the architect of the worldwide Just-In-Time revolution, reaches beyond "financials" to redefine excellence - and reveals, with new benchmark data, how pioneers become dynasties. This book will be indispensable reading for manufacturing and general managers in all industries, as well as for pension fund managers, institutional investors, stock analysts, and stockbrokers.

Review Quotes

John M. Burnham

CFPIM Regional Vice President, American Production and Inventory Control Society

Richard Schonberger has successfully addressed the next steps in the journey toward becoming world-class manufacturers -- issues of holistic view and perspective, effective interfacing among functional areas, and demonstrated results that demolish the arguments that "we're different" and "it can't be done." Each of his chapter topics is logically and persuasively developed. In a word, I wish I had written this book.

Philip Gray

Vice President, Defense Systems & Electronics Group, Texas Instruments

"World Class Manufacturing" brings together for the first time all the programs and approaches we at Texas Instruments and other companies have been working toward for the past six years -- total quality control, just-in-time manufacturing, statistical process control, manufacturing cells, and, most important, employee involvement. It will be required reading for managers who have marketing, product design, and manufacturing responsibilities.

Eric Olsen Worldwide Manufacturing Education Manager, Hewlett Packard Components Group Dick Schonberger's call to "manage the basics, watch the results," plays well in Hewlett Packard's environment where we believe people want to do a good job. Focusing on the right metrics at each level tells them what a good job is.

About the Author

Richard J. Schonberger, author of Japanese Manufacturing Techniques (also from The Free Press), is a world-renowned authority on production and manufacturing. President of the consulting firm of Schonberger & Associates, Inc., in Seattle, Washington, he was formerly George Cook Professor of Management at the University of Nebraska.