Lean resources for further study

[mkeif]

In All aspects of Lean a couple of lean resources were discussed. I think it would be helpful to compile a list of various lean resources that are available to the printing industry. At the risk of being self-serving, I acknowledge that I am personally involved in items 1 and 3 listed below. But here are the resources I know of. I encourage others to post too.

BOOKS
1. Lean Printing: Pathway to Success - Amazon.com: Lean Printing: Pathway to Success: Kevin Cooper, Malcolm G. Keif, Kenneth L. Macro Jr.: Books (buy from PIA/GATF if you are a member for better pricing)
2. Total Production Maintenance - Store Search Results

WORKSHOPS
3. Cal Poly's Lean Printing 2-day workshop - GrCI Workshop: Lean Manufacturing for Lower Costs
4. PIA/GATF Center for Lean Practices - Research and Consulting

OTHER PUBLICATIONS
5. PIA/GATF Lean Printing Survey - http://www.gain.net/eweb/docs/res_te...May-June08.pdf
6. Several of David Dodd's articles are available at Whattheythink.com - Try WhatTheyThink Premium Access (may need to be a member to access these).
7. Tom Southworth's Lean Printing blog - Lean Printing: Lean Printing Questions and Answers
8. RIT's Lean Printing study - http://print.rit.edu/pubs/picrm200404.pdf

What else is out there specific to the printing and packaging industry?

[mattf]

The lean printing study is a good read and helped me a lot to get some idea of what my company faced if we started on the road to lean manufacturing. Granted, I am an RIT alumni so I might be biased.

I liked it a lot because it showed that, even though small and medium sized print companies probably won't get a huge improvement with lean compared to larger printers, changes to lean manufacturing still have the potential to help out those types of companies.

And since I am a recently graduate of RIT, I cannot get David Dodd's articles. Sucks being poor.

[David Dodd]

I would add two books to the list: Lean Thinking by James Womack and Daniel Jones, and The Toyota Way by Jeffrey Liker. These books aren't specific to the printing industry, but they provide a great introduction to lean.

[jworkman]

There are a growing number of Lean training and education focused on the printing industry, such as PIA/GATF's workshops (Lean Manufacturing for Print Managers and Lean Tools to Optimize Print Production) and Cal Poly's workshop (Lean Manufacturing for Lower Costs).

In addition, the PIA/GATF Continuous Improvement Conference, now in its 19th year, covers lean application for printing companies. This annual event is devoted to helping companies increase manufacturing excellence and customer satisfaction through the use of quality philosophies and tools like Lean. The April 5-8, 2009 event in Lexington (KY) includes a plant tour of Toyota's main assembly plant and presentations by Toyota managers.

[mkeif]

Yes, of course Jim.....sorry I forgot. This is an excellent conference!

[adam]

While you're at WhatTheyThink.com reading David's articles, checkout an article we published today as part of our Printing Industry Center at RIT Article Series on
Print Productivity by Jorge Uribe - its a free article.

There is also a full research monograph on System Dynamics to Print Productivity at RIT Printing Industry Center