The Lean IT Field Guide A Roadmap for Your Transformation

How many IT books have you read that are long on theory and short on practical application? They are interesting, but not very impactful. They provide a framework from which to think and understand, but lack a process from which to act. Addressing this urgent need for the IT community, The Lean IT Field Guide explains how to initiate, execute, and sustain a lean IT transformation.Illuminating a clear path to lean IT, the authors integrate more than two decades of combined experience to provide you with a proven method for creating and sustaining a true lean IT workplace. This field guide not only highlights the organizational techniques of more agile and lean processes, but also the leadership work required to help management adopt these new approaches.Based on proven methods from different industries, including banking, manufacturing, insurance, food and beverage, and logistics, the book details a clear model that covers all the components you need to achieve and sustain a favorable work environment and culture in support of lean IT.Filled with anecdotes and case studies from actual businesses, the book includes pictures, templates, and examples that illustrate the application of the lean methods discussed.

IntroductionLean Primer for IT ProfessionalsIntroductionThe Lean IT CosmosLean IT FrontierNotesThe Transformation FrameworkIntroductionThe Lean IT HouseLet’s Get Started! Your RoadmapNotesThe Importance of PurposeIntroductionTrue NorthNotesDay ZeroIntroductionPractice Makes PerfectManagement’s First StepsFrontline Associates’ First StepsBuilding a Purpose-Driven SystemDay Zero Wrap-UpNotesThe Paradox of ProcessIntroductionPeople and ProcessStandard WorkPeople-Centric ProcessNotesProblem-Solving ScientistsIntroductionWhat Is a Problem?Who Wants to Be a Scientist?Why Thinking Is Less Important Than Behavior!NotesEverything Is VisibleIntroductionMaking the Invisible VisibleThe Visual JourneyVisual Management Wrap-UpNotesWhy Management (Still) MattersIntroductionLost in TranslationLeading with RespectThe Coach in You—A Reflective JourneyNotesSustain Your ProgressBuilding for the Long TermThe Five-Part Accountability SystemSustainability Wrap-UpNotesThe Importance of Strategic AlignmentIntroductionPurpose-Driven AlignmentNotesEngineering ExcellenceExcellence EverywhereEngineering Excellence in the Model LineMaking the Commitment to ExcellenceNotesContinue the JourneyIndex

Michael A. Orzen, MBA, has a consulting and coaching career spanning more than 20 years. He received the BA degree in economics from Stanford University and the MBA degree in finance and management from the University of Oregon. He has gathered a unique blend of lean, IT, finance, and operations experience, which he uses to coach organizations in their pursuit of enterprise excellence. His personable approach and people-first philosophy have inspired leaders and empowered workforces to successfully apply conscious awareness, lean, and enterprise excellence practices in many complex work environments.He is the coauthor of the award-winning book, Lean IT—Enabling and Sustaining Your Lean Transformation (CRC Press, 2011), and recipient of the Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award. He holds degrees from Stanford University and the University of Oregon. Mike teaches with the Lean Enterprise Institute, the Shingo Institute, and The Ohio State University Fisher School of Business.Thomas A. Paider, MBOE, is an IT executive for Nationwide, a Fortune 100 insurance and financial services company. He received his BS degree in business administration from Ohio Dominican University and his master’s degree in business operational excellence from the Ohio State University. His teams work across Nationwide to foster Lean thinking and improve software development capability. He is also a Lean coach in the Masters in Business Operational Excellence program at The Ohio State University.Tom is the cofounder of the IT Leadership Network at the Center for Operational Excellence at The Ohio State University, a partnership between industry and academic leaders focused on helping member companies collaborate and sustain their Lean journeys. Tom has consulted with dozens of companies, ranging from startups to large enterprises, on their Lean transformations.