books that have influenced our thinking

books are generally listed alphabetically by author.

Read reviews of other books here

about knowing and knowledge

Hall looks at how we can use the rigorous systems developed by Toyota in both the Toyota Production System and the Toyota Product Development System—paticularly Learning— to work in a more environmentally responsible way.  I’m impressed on first sight.  Thoroughly referenced (but so frustrating that it is via endnotes) and indexed.  More when I have read it properly.

Kata = form, as in, say, Tai Chi form; something that is practiced and used time and again so that it becomes second nature.  In Toyota Kata Rother describes two forms in the third and fourth  sections of this five section book. Section one answers the question “What defines a company that thrives long-term?”; Section two “Know yourself” looks at critical issues in self knowledge at both a personal and a corporate level and explains why it is important to understanding how Toyota is different. Section five talks about developing kata in your organisation.

This is a shorter book than its 300 pages suggest.  it is easy to read, well illustrated and sign-posted with a helpful index.  references are consigned to notes at the end of each chapter.

Anumba, C.J., Egbu, C., Carrillo, P. Ed. (2005) Knowledge Management in Construction; Blackwell Publishing Ltd.; Oxford

This book taught me about the sterility of some approaches to Knowledge management  that have little or nothing to do with either learning, organisational learning or the creation of a learning organisation.

Aouad, G., Lee, A., Wu, S. Ed. (2007) Constructing the Future: nD modelling; Taylor & Francis; Oxon

Barrett, P., Sexton, M., Angela, L. (2008) Innovation in Small Construction Firms; Taylor & Francis; Abingdon

Baudin, M. (2004) Lean Logistics: The Nuts and Bolts of Delivering Materials and Goods; Productivity Press; New York

This is an important book - written for manufacturing it has lots that is of value in Construction

Bicheno, John (2004) The New Lean Toolbox: Towards Fast Flexible Flow; PISCE Books; Buckingham

Cain, C.T. (2004) Profitable Partnering for Lean Construction; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Oxford

Cain believes that Lean Construction can all be subsumed in Supply Chain Management - he hasn’t got the culture piece at all.  Unfortunately he is also responsible for the RICS website article on Lean Construction.

I read this in my final year studying architecture and it was so refreshing. Many of the ideas are still valid AND would now want to have at least a quartet rather than a troika at the design table with the constructor as the fourth member.

Clift; D.J. (2007) Lean World: The DNA of Success and the Path of Prosperity; Lean World Ltd, Ipswich

A look at target costing from a manufacturing viewpoint.

Collins, Jim et al. (2005) Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies; Random House Group Ltd.; London

Cusumano, M.A., Nobeoka, K. (1998) Thinking Beyond Lean: How Multi-Project Management Is Transforming Product Development At Toyota and Other Companies; The Free Press; New York

An important safety text

Dennis, P. (2006) Getting the Right Things Done: A leader’s guide to planning and execution; The Lean Enterprise Institute; Cambridge, USA

I’ve had this since the early 80s.  There is some really good practical facilitation ideas here which I use everytime I stand at a flipchart - and so do Greg and Glenn.

A super little book, sadly out of print, that does what it says on the cover

Health and Safety in Commission (2007) Managing Health and Safety in Construction: Construction (design and management) Regulations 2007; Norwich

Hino, S.(2006) Inside the Mind of Toyota: Management Principles for Enduring Growth; Productivity Press; New York

Hopp, W.J., Spearman, M.L. (2000)Factory Physics: Foundations of Manufacturing management; McGraw-Hill; New York

the maths and physics of lean clearly explained and well presente

Imai, M. (1986) Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success; McGraw-Hill; New York

Imai, M. (1997) Gemba Kaizen: A Commonsense, Low-Cost Approach To Management; McGraw-Hill; New York

Ishikawa, K. (1985) What is Total Quality Control: The Japanese Way; Prentice-Hall, U.S.A.

Jackson, T.L. (2006) Hoshin Kanri for the Lean Enterprise: Developing Competitive Capabilities and Managing Profit; Productivity Press; New York

Johnson, H.T., Bröms, A. (2000) Profit Beyond Measure; Nicholas Brealey Publishing; London

Bo’s doctoral thesis has an excellent literature review and bibliography of lean up to 2005

Keyte, B., Locher, D. (2004) The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value Stream Mapping for Administrative and Office Processes; Productivity Press; New York

Kondo, Yoshio Ed. (1989) Human Motivation, A Key Factor for Management; Japanese Standards Agency

Koskela, L., Roberts, P. Ed. (2007) Towards the Foundation of Theory for the Built Environment; University of Salford; Salford

An in-depth study of the Respect for People side of the Toyota Way - the overarching philosophy that supports both the TPS and the TPDS. Good chapter about Training within Industry (TWI)

Mann, David (2005) Creating A Lean Culture: Tools to Sustain Lean Conversions; Productivity Press, New York.

More on TWI as it applies to leaders

Mant, Alistair (1983) Leaders We Deserve; Martin Robertson & Company Ltd.; Oxford

May, Matthew E. (2007) The Elegant Solution: Toyota’s Formula for Mastering Innovation; Simon & Schuster UK Ltd.; London

McDermott, Peter et al. Ed.  (2003) Construction Procurement; University of Salford, Great Britain

McGregor, Douglas (1960) The HUMAN SIDE of ENTERPRISE; McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.; New York

An excellent introduction to systems thinking by one of the original authors of the 1960 Club of Rome report.

Miller, W.B., Schenk, V.L. (2001) All I Need to Know About Manufacturing I Learned in Joe’s Garage: World Class Manufacturing Made Simple; Bayrock Press; U.S.A.

Morgan, J.M., Liker, J.K. (2006) THE TOYOTA PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM Integrating People, Process, and Technology; Productivity Press; New York

Morwood, R., Scott, D., Pitcher, I.(2006) Alliancing: a participants guide; Maunsell AECOM; Brisbane, AUS

A study of alliancing projects, most of them in public sector infrastructure, on the Australian east coast.

Nakane, Chie (1979) Japanese Society; Penguin Books Ltd; Harmondsworth

One of my first formal introductions to Japanese culture after my first visit in 1970. 

Ohno, Taiichi (1988) Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production; Productivity Press

Organisational change from a complexity perspective.

Pascale, R.T., Athos, G.A. (1983) THE ART OF JAPANESE MANAGEMENT; Penguin Books Ltd.; Harmondsworth

There is one paper in the midst of this great tome that I value - it is Normal excellence: Lean human performance technology and the Toyota Production System by Knuf & Lauer (pp 717-742)

Poppendieck, M. Poppenendieck, T. (2003) Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit; Addison-Wesley, Inc., Upper Saddle River

Makes reference to Last Planner; interesting discussion of different approaches to software development

Rother, M., Shook, J. (1998) Learning to See: value stream mapping to add value and eliminate muda; The Lean Enterprise Institute; Brooklyn, U.S.A.

A practical introduction to Value Stream Mapping

Critique of six sigma

Schmaltz, D.A. (1999) This Isn’t A Cookbook: the elements of project style; David A. Schmaltz

A great little book about managing projects

Schmaltz, David A. (2003) The Blind Men and the Elephant: Mastering Project Work; Berrrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.; San Francisco

Shewhart, Walter A. (1986) Statistical Method from the Viewpoint of Quality Control; Dover Publications Inc.; New York

The Productivity Press Development Team (1996) 5S for Operators: 5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace; Productivity Press; New York

The Productivity Press Development Team (2002) Kaizen for the Shopfloor; Productivity Press; New York

The Productivity Press Development Team (2002) Standard Work for the Shopfloor; Productivity Press; New York

The Productivity Press Development Team (2003) Identifying Waste on the Shopfloor; Productivity Press; New York

Partnering and teamwork are necessary for lean, but not sufficient.

Tozawa, B., Bodek, N. (2001) The Idea Generator: Quick and Easy Kaizen – Change Creativity Involvement Empowerment; PCS, Inc.; Vancouver

A handy pocket sized tool box.

Tunstall, Gavin (2006) Managing the Building Design Process; Elsevier, Oxford

Published posthumously, this is based on an advanced draft.  Ward’s lamda idea first appears here in a note by the colleagues who prepared the draft for publication.

Weston, Anthony (2009) A Rulebook for Arguments; Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.; Indianapolis

Womack, J.P., Jones, D.T., Roos, D. (1990) The Machine That Changed The World; Rawson Associates; New York

Womack, James, P.J., Jones, D.T. (2003) Lean Thinking: Banish Waste And Create Wealth In Your Corporation; Free Press, Simon & Schuster, Inc; New York

Womack, James, P.J., Jones, D.T. (2005) Lean Solutions: How Companies and Customers Can Create Value and Wealth Together; Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, London