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Toyota Culture
Written By Jeffrey K. Liker and Michael Hoseus |
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– The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way
What is it about?
This is an in-depth analysis of the ‘human systems' that uniquely distinguish the Toyota Motor Corporation from virtually every other organization on the planet. Processes and Process Improvement is put in context of the sustaining elements of a continuous improvement culture . The focus in on the “ people value stream” as much as it is on the process value stream.
Structured in five parts – Liker and Hoseus analyze the various inter-related components of the Toyota focus on people and culture.
Part One – What is Toyota Culture?
Part Two – The Quality People Value Stream
Part Three – People Supporting Processes
Part Four –Organizational Supporting Processes
Part Five – Learning from Toyota about growing a Lean Culture
The contrast between traditional Six Sigma or Lean deployments and the “Toyota Way” is introduced in Chapter One and rounded-out in the final part of the book. The general focus on methods and improvement initiatives goes some way to explaining why there are so few examples of true business transformation outside of Toyota. Process methods and technologies alone will never result in sustained change.
Why read it?
While based on a manufacturing environment, the key success themes of the Toyota Motor Company are a valuable insight into the more systemic elements of sustained, ongoing improvement for any organization. Understanding the principles of the Toyota Way and appreciating that the company-wide culture is the sustaining ingredient of operational excellence for Toyota are a sharp contrast to the crisis-driven, short-term solutions sought in many businesses today. The insights of this book are as deep and lasting as is Toyota's global success. It is a long journey. This book will frustrate many as they come to realize that they will not be able to emulate Toyota's success quickly through methods and technologies without first having established a strong culture of continuous improvement. That in itself is a reason enough to read it and ensure that your manager does too.
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Process Mapping, Process Improvement,
and Process Management
Written By Dan Madison |
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– A Practical Guide to Enhancing Work and Information Flow
What is it about?
Madison provides a practical summary of the three key process activities of the title. He takes the reader on the journey mirroring what many strive for in their organisations – to go from understanding the current processes, improving them, and ultimately managing them.
Key subject areas covered include:
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The Importance of Process – foundational thinking |
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Lenses of Analysis – important aspect to consider when seeking to improve processes |
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Process Design Principles – a great introduction or revision of the basics |
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Planning for and Managing the Process Organisation – key considerations for sustained change |
This book provides a structured overview of some of the key aspects of BPM from a business perspective.
Why read it?
The distinction between mapping, improving, and managing business processes is often unclear and the terms frequently used interchangeably. To have a book that distinguishes them in sequence from a business perspective is rare. The author is clearly a practitioner/consultant who has summarized some of his key learning's into a well structured text. This book will not provide detailed depth on any particular aspect but will provide the inexperienced 'process' reader with a good overview and the experienced BPM professional with a good checklist/summary.
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The Discipline of Market Leaders
Written By Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema |
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– Choose your Customers, Narrow your Focus, Dominate your Market
What is it about?
Treacy and Wiersema present us with the “Value Disciplines” model within which they describe three value disciplines of:
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Operational Excellence – best total cost, speed, delivery. |
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Product Leadership – best product. |
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Customer Intimacy – best total solution. |
They propose that successful companies develop a level of threshold competence in all three disciplines but choose only one in which to excel. This is because each discipline requires a company to adopt a different operating model in order to effectively develop and deliver on their value proposition. Their operating models comprise the areas of Culture, Organisation, Core Processes, Management Systems, and Information Technology.
Why read it?
This is a business book that discusses processes in context of operating models that are designed to deliver successful value propositions. It does so using simple yet effective models and referring to real-world examples to illustrate their points. By emphasizing how the various areas of an operating model must be aligned to the customer and business outcomes for which they strive; Treacy and Wiersema provide a sound basis upon which processes should be designed, measured, and context – from a customer perspective back.
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Improving Performance
Written By Geary A. Rummler and Alan P. Brache |
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– How to Manage the White Space on the Organisation Chart
What is it about?
Understanding your organisation as a series of inter-related processes that must be measured and managed. Rummler and Brache introduce the “Three Levels of Performance” – Organisational, Process, and Job/Performer levels. Key themes include:
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Process Improvement and Process Management |
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The Human Performance System |
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Relationship Maps |
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Balance of consequences |
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Process Measurement |
Why read it?
This is a seminal book for me in my ongoing journey of understanding of systems and process thinking. Rummler and Brache offer a unique perspective on viewing organisations as systems through their relationship maps and levels of performance. They offer a balanced mix of thought leadership coupled with practical methods to guide in deployment. The focus is on strategy, people, processes, and performance and include a neat insight on the difference between process improvement and process management.
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