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Today, tens of thousands of companies are
struggling to become "time-based" competitors,
inspired by such corporations as Motorola, General Electric,
Citicorp, and a myriad of others who have cut production
time in half -- or more. But until now, the literature has
focused on the theory and philosophy of fast cycle time,
rather than the tools and techniques for implementing it.
Here, for the first time, Christopher Meyer, an internationally
recognized expert in cycle time reduction, presents a step-by-step
blueprint for transforming traditional companies into fast
cycle competitors.
Meyer argues that fast cycle time is achieved
not by working faster, but by aligning the organization's
purpose, strategy, and structure. He demonstrates how the
product development cycle must become a learning laboratory
in which the four continuous elements "Design, Fabricate,
Assemble, and Test" are analyzed with the intent to
improve strategy in the next business cycle. Analyzing strategy
and core processes enables management to detect and correct
problems earlier, and leverage knowledge for improved
innovation and increased value for customers.
Employing an ongoing case study, Core Products,
Inc., throughout the test, Meyer shows how to redesign the
organization for manufacturability and assembly, how to
implement multifunctional teams that work, how to analyze
and map critical cycle time interdependencies such as "co-location,"
and how to measure the impact of cycle time on business
performance. Meyer's practical approach provides a simple
methodology for organizations to deliver products to customers
rapidly, accurately, and reliably.
Christopher Meyer is the founder and
Managing Director of the Strategic Alignment Group in Portola
Valley, California, a rapidly growing management consulting
firm with clients such as Ford Motor Company, Quantum Corporation,
Procter & Gamble, and Glaxo Inc. He is also the creator
of the California Institute of Technology seminar on time-based
competition, the most widely attended public seminar of
its kind.
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