Integrating the lean enterprise

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

This course addresses some of the important issues involved with the planning, development and implementation of lean enterprises. People, technology, process and information dimensions of an effective lean company will be addressed in a unified framework. Particular emphasis will be placed on the integration of these dimensions across the entire enterprise, including product development, production, and the extended supply chain. Information requirements and technology and process enablers for achieving enterprise integration will be addressed. Analysis and implementation tools as well as future trends and directions will be explored. Outside speakers and industry practitioners will be utilized.

A key component of this class will be team projects involving enterprise-level evaluation of value streams from concept development through product delivery and support. These term-long projects will include an assessment of current company process/information flows, resource requirements, technology utilization, and cycle times. The projects will culminate with a report and presentation of summary recommendations on actions required to transition to a "lean" enterprise.

Individual assignments will be distributed throughout the semester. They will consist of mapping exercises, stakeholder analysis, literature research and the creation of your own vision of a framework for the lean enterprise.

Womack, James P., and Daniel T. Jones. Lean Thinking. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2003. ISBN: 0743249275.

Murman, Earll. Lean Enterprise Value. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. ISBN: 0333976975.

Rother, Mike, John Shook, Jim Womack, and Dan Jones. Learning to See. Cambridge, MA: Lean Enterprise Institute, 2003. ISBN: 0966784308.

Womack, James, Daniel Jones, and Daniel Roos. The Machine That Changed the World. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1991. ISBN: 0060974176.

The grade will be based 75% on the team assignments and project, 15% on individual assignments, and 10% on class participation and Web discussion.

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