Press Releases

AUGUST 2005

For Immediate Release

IMPLEMENTED SUCCESSFULLY BY TOYOTA FOR DECADES, "MISSING LINK" TO LEAN IS A U.S. INVENTION

New York… For many years, U.S. Industry has been searching for a system to aid the transition from mass production to Lean -- one that standardizes training processes and assists front line supervisors in teaching new operations to workers quickly and effectively.  And for years, the crucial link between mass production to Lean has been largely overlooked by American Industry. Remarkably, this system, Training Within Industry (TWI), was originally developed by the United States during World War II to help train millions of people at their worksites to quickly increase production and then later exported overseas.

Indeed, one of the most well respected Lean experts, John Shook, author of the groundbreaking Learning to See, who began his career at Toyota in the early 1980s, writes: "I discovered them, TWI materials, in a roundabout way…When I found myself struggling with some of the concepts of a certain training program, my Japanese colleague fetched from a back-room file a yellowed, dog-eared, coffee-stained copy of the English language original training manual, just as they received it (minus the coffee stains I trust) some 30 years before. To my amazement, the program Toyota was going to great expense to 'transfer' to NUMMI was exactly that which the Americans had taught the Japanese decades before."

Training Within Industry -- The Foundation of Lean, a new book by Donald A. Dinero, explores the history and application of the four modules that compose TWI, arguably the most underrated achievement of 20th century U.S. Industry: Job Instruction - in which employees are trained to perform their tasks as quickly as they are capable with minimal waste; Job Methods - in which employees are taught how to improve their processes using existing resources; Job Relations - in which personnel problems are solved in an analytical, non-emotional manner so that employees are focused on a stated objective; and Program Development - in which robust training plans are developed to meet the particular needs of a specific plant.

The TWI program can:

• Drive a culture change from mass production to Lean flow.
• Help transform autocratic, "command and control" organizations into team-oriented, democratic learning organizations.
• Offer a simple, analytical method for employees to take action, implement changes and improve their jobs.
• Make learning "stick" because the participants learn by doing and demonstrate their skills through on-the-job applications.

Readers of Training Within Industry will see that standardized work imparts measurable continuous improvement because it sets a baseline. It establishes a framework for efficiency and innovation. In addition, this book includes a CD containing the text of the original TWI bulletins issued by the U.S. Government in the 1940s.

List price is $40.00. Complimentary review copies are available to media contacts by calling (212) 216-7865 or by e-mailing: leon.carter@taylorandfrancis.com.

Advance Praise For:

"This excellent historical overview of the TWI Programs will educate decision makers on what the Job Instruction, Job Methods and Job Relations programs are, how each is delivered, and the significant impact each TWI program can have on their organization. Examples of past success illustrate the contribution TWI made for U.S. industry to provide overwhelming supplies of war materiel for the Allied armies to shorten World War II by an estimated four years. Dinero's book makes it convenient for executives and managers to sort through pertinent TWI materials under one cover rather than visiting a few select libraries to learn about TWI and evaluate the impact these programs can have to create a learning culture in support of a successful Lean initiative."

—Robert J. Wrona
TWI Program Manager
CNYTDO, Inc.

About the Author:

Currently a Lean consultant with MainStream Management, LLC, Donald A. Dinero draws on over 35 years of industrial experience in engineering, manufacturing and independent consulting. His first successful Lean project was in 1985, before the term Lean was even coined. Dinero has a B.S., Mechanical Engineering from The University of Rochester, and MBA and MS degrees from RIT.

About Productivity Press:

Founded to provide world-class guidance for every level of an organization, Productivity Press is unrivaled in publishing high-quality material on lean manufacturing and business improvement.  Our books, learning tools and newsletter, Lean Manufacturing Advisor, are designed to help educate and support organizations in their efforts to implement the advanced management and manufacturing methodologies required to compete in today’s global business environment.