This book is dedicated to all those who belong to the “Homo Faber” group - the makers - who realised that just making is not enough. They made repetitive efforts to do better what they were doing, making mistakes, sometimes failing badly, but getting back up again and finally reaping results.
It starts from the foundations of Logistics, Purchasing, Production and Quality set in my book Operations Management - Homo Faber at Work. It shows “how to do it better” by applying continuous improvement mindset and methods to processes, in search of Excellence. Which is integral part of the activity of an Industrial engineer.
The focus is on running and improving Operations, but many concepts and tools are applicable to other functions within an industrial company, as well as to Service companies. Because the search for Excellence is a must for all. It is a survival issue.
Strangely, even after more than forty years that systematic improvement methods were introduced in the business world, many companies still do not use them. Others used them without the needed consistency. Some used them but forgot such methods after a while. However, without continuous efforts to improve and transform, a company is doomed to die. “Doing it better” should be everyone's task in a company, as a very important addition to their daily business activity.
“Transformation is everyone’s job” (E. Deming)
