Another thing that makes the Perry Manufacturing Company story special is that Perry isn’t in the automotive industry.  That’s important because most Lean authors build their material around automotive inputs and outputs.  That’s not all bad, but many non-automotive managers perceive the auto industry as being more predictable for planning and managing production than the more typical customized product environment.  The fact is Perry is a furniture manufacturer.  They are in a market segment which is mainly specified by architects and designers and is therefore more customized than the furniture you see in a department store.

However, this book focuses on the process of improvement through Lean rather than on product inputs and outputs.

This is the account of the milestone events that took place in the transition of a company from a traditional batch manufacturing, task-management structure to the Lean business model.  We were part of that experience and are proud to be able to share their story with you.

The process of transitioning to Lean and the subsequent financial results are all based on true facts.

Perry just happens to be a vehicle for communicating that process.

It’s a story of how the people at Perry are successfully transforming their company and how they are utilizing their resources more effectively.

We will share with you how Perry transformed their on-time order completion from a disappointing 65% to 92% in less than one year.

You will see how internal on-time completion and delivery of engineering drawings and specifications to the manufacturing group surged from 40% to 100% in the same time period.

Those are outstanding achievements considering Perry’s business volume increased 20% during that time so they had to juggle change and business growth at the same time.

Finally, we will share how EBIT tripled in the first year of the Lean transformation.

This is the kind of stimulus plan that can restore our domestic manufacturing base to its once prominent role in the global marketplace.

If you are willing to make the same commitment to change as the Perry management team has, you can achieve similar results.  If you are not a decision-making executive at your company we encourage you to share this with a person who is; he or she should thank you for your insight and initiative.

To help you define how the Lean philosophy can be effectively applied at your company, we recommend establishing study groups to discuss and analyze the tools and techniques that will be described in the remainder of this book.  To facilitate that process we have included talking points at the end of each chapter.  You will also find references and other helpful resources at the end of the book.  Don’t limit yourself or your staff to just the questions we have developed.  Stretch the envelope and get creative in your discussion points.  You might be surprised to find that some of your perceptions are clouded by the wrong thinking.

Can a United States Furniture Manufacturer

Compete?

Concern about China’s emergence as a manufacturing power?

What about Indonesia?

The flow of Chinese goods alone to the United States increased from $100 billion in 2000 to nearly $200 billion in 2004 and contributed to the loss of three million U.S. factory jobs.

Does this profile sound familiar?

• Small public company, Third generation family-owned business.
• A company that has been in business for 40 to 60 years.
• There are less than 200 employees.
• Annual revenue is $10 to $20 million.
• Most of the employees have little experience outside their current industry.
• Company leadership has evolved from within the organization.
• Production is done in a batch manufacturing mode using MRP for planning and scheduling.
• On-time delivery is frustratingly poor.
• Costs are high and margin is low.
• Management has tried some kind of improvement program at least once in the past 10 years with mixed or poor results.
• Supervisors are task-managers that spend an inordinate amount of time in an expediting mode or crisis management.

This was Perry Manufacturing

Who is behind the Story?

Even though the owner has a passion for sharing his company’s success with other business leaders, he has requested the anonymity so they can continue to surge ahead of the competition. The Center for Lean Learning, LLC. Unlike Perry, The Center is a real business. Our staff specializes in facilitating a business’s transition to the Lean business philosophy. One of the principals, Jim Lewis is an author, writer, and lecturer. When Mark Perry, the Vice President of Operations approached us about sharing their story, we asked if he would like to collaborate in the writing. Writing is a bit out of Mark’s comfort level so Jim and Dave, one of the other principals at The Center, decided to try a unique approach to writing that we hope you will enjoy. We are telling this story from both Mark’s perspective and our own, which we hope will not be confusing. Mark’s perspective will be told in italic type and ours will be in standard type.

The Perry Story consists of:

• Chapter 1 – Company History
• Chapter Two – Creating the Foundation for Improvement
• Chapter Three – Assessing Opportunities
• Chapter Four – Equipping the Staff for Sustainment
• Chapter Five – Establish Key Performance Indicators
• Chapter Six – Putting the Tools to Work
• Chapter Seven – Blending Technology and Lean
• Chapter Eight – Leadership 501 – Leading in a Lean Environment- Part 1
• Chapter Nine – Leadership 501 – Leading in a Lean Environment – Part 2
• Chapter Ten – Creating a Self-Sustaining Lean Culture
• Chapter Eleven – What’s Next?
• Epilogue
• Appendix
  • 5S Appraisal Sheet
  • 5S Pictures
  • 5S Spider Diagram
  • Dashboard
  • Quarterly Results
  • Current and Future State Mapping
  • Team Leadership Training
• The Center For Lean Learning

More than 200 pages of a

True Lean Transformation

Special bonuses within the book!

Coupons for discounts on Center for Lean Learning Workshops!

Special discounted Lean Products and Services!

Available February 28th, 2010

“The Perry Story”

by Jim Lewis and Dave Irwin

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