The Lean Toolbox for Service Systems

Rating: ******* (Good)

Review:

A try to adapt the Lean concepts to Services. To date, it is supposed to be one of the best adaptions, but it more reads like a collection of tools that may or may not be used in Services. The authors insistence on always refering to Strickland and the systems view, warms an old MBA-students heart :-). In fact, he manages to refer to a lot of authors that I like and thereby make me investigate more closely what is "Lean" in this concept (services). Unfortunately, it is an imperfect match, but that doesn't mean that a lot of the tools and checklists the author describes can't be used, on the contrary!

The approaches that are descibed in the book can be used, with slight alterations, by most service companies, but to call it Lean, is a bit of a misnomer (even though the classical Lean concepts, like S5, A3, Kaizen, etc., are in there).

All in all, a worthwhile book to have handy, but not something you read from cover to cover.