Acknowledgments

Life is precious and short; it challenges us to take what knowledge our predecessors have nurtured, add some measure of value, and pass it on to others.I am grateful to the pioneers of Lean: Ohno, Shingo, Womack, Jones, Rother, Shook, Schonberger, and many others listed in the bibliography for what they have begun.I am also grateful to many people for their time and effort in the development of this book, which I hope will add value in some way:To my wife of twenty years, Karen, whose love, support, writing skill, and most of all patience, have sustained me through this effort.To my little muse, Biscuit, who stayed close during those early morning hours of research and writing.To my friend and business partner Mike Orzen, your tireless effort added so much value.Though your name is not on the cover of this book, what is within represents our deeply shared vision and principles.To Carol Ptak, your 'goal' is to improve the world in your own special way.You've been warm and generous with your criticism and encouragement.To Norman Bodek, through Productivity Press and the creation of the Shingo Prize you helped introduce Lean to the West.Your recent books, and your generous assistance with mine, helped me to appreciate the human side of Lean.To Jeffrey Liker, though I must have tried your patience at times, you always stuck with me and challenged my ideas