Lean is the most widespread management philosophy of our time and is currently present in every industry, yet the concept is still vaguely defined and widely misunderstood. This is Lean - Resolving the efficiency paradox was launched in October 2011 (Swedish title: Vad är lean?) and has sold more than 37 000 copies in Sweden. By using clear, concise language and insightful examples, the book has brought greater clarification to the essence of lean and revolutionized top-executives and employees understanding of what lean actually is. The book also introduces the idea of the efficiency paradox, which claims that organisations' understanding of "true efficiency" is incorrect. It suggests that when organisations focus too much on utilising resources efficiently - the traditional and most common form of efficiency - it tends to lead to an increase in the amount of work there is to do. Consequently, the more organisations try to be efficient (being busy), the more inefficient they will actually become (taking care of non-value adding but necessary work). This is Lean addresses how to resolve this paradox.
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Praise for This is Lean
The book is relevant to any kind of business and is currently being used by a number of multi-national companies including AstraZeneca, Ericsson, Scania and Volvo. It is also widely used by the Swedish public sector, including the Swedish Police Service, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, Sweden National Migration Board, the Swedish Tax Agency and all larger hospitals. The book is also held in high regard by world-renowned authorities, including:
"This Is Lean is a wonderful and original book that will do much to help people gain an accurate understanding of lean management. It presents ideas and concepts in unique ways that are easy for anyone to understand and apply. It is a fantastic book. I absolutely love it."
Professor Bob Emiliani, Central Connecticut State University
"This Is Lean describes how organisations can develop world-class operational excellence. It is about teamwork, respect, challenging yourself and your team, and continuous improvement. It does not matter if it is an organisation or a top-athlete: the keys to success are universal. World-class performance is a matter of always having the right mind-set!"
Peter "Foppa" Forsberg, Ice Hockey Legend, Investor
"Lean is an apparently easy term to remember, but a rather difficult concept to understand accurately. This Is Lean is one of the most concise, easy-to-grasp, and fun-to-read books on the topic and it will help you understand the essence of this important management philosophy of the 20th and 21st centuries."
Professor Takahiro Fujimoto, University of Tokyo