■ The Big Idea
The author explains that kaikaku are Chinese characters which mean: ‘transformation of the mind,’ ‘working with others to achieve radical change,’ and ‘to bring new and vital change to your organization.’

The author also defines Lean as an all-out war against waste -- the waste that results from inefficiency, as well as the waste that is brought about by the underutilization of people.

This book presents a fresh perspective with respect to keeping only value-adding processes and optimizing the creative capacity of manpower.

■ About the Author
Norman Bodek is president of PCS Press, a publishing, training, and consulting company. He discovered and published the works of: Dr. Shigeo Shingo and Taiichi Ohno, the inventors of the Toyota Production System. He introduced the west to Kaizen Blitz, SMED, TPM, Poka-Yoke, Visual Factory, Hoshin, and QFD and other methodologies. In 1988 he initiated the Shingo Prize for Manufacturing Excellence with Professor Vern Buehler at Utah State University.

Most recently he co-authored a book with Bunji Tozawa titled: The Idea Generator - Quick and Easy Kaizen. Through newsletters, books and 50 industrial study missions to Japan Norman discovered, had translated and popularized many of the Japanese quality tools, techniques, and technologies that transformed American industry in the mid 1980s and 1990s.

Norman has been a frequent instructor and speaker for organizations including the American Management Association, President Reagans Productivity Conference, Institute of Industrial Engineers, American Society for Quality, as well as at hundreds of conferences, seminars, and in plant training events.