Details

Synopsis

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Most of the things we use are manufactured goods. We take them for granted, and tend to forget that we owe this convenient world to factories. In fact, even some people whose jobs are related to manufacturing don't know much about what happens in the factories. This book is for such people, and those who are interested in manufacturing and are considering careers in the field.
The book first takes us on a quick tour of factories to show us how the things around us are made. Then, it looks at manufacturing from various points of view such as production methods, organizational structures, and management systems. As business consultants specializing in manufacturing the authors also explain the environment and challenges facing today's factories, and suggest future directions.
Plenty of charts and illustrations are included, and the writing style is conversational and easy to read. This book provides beginners with an over-all picture of manufacturing.

Submitted by Akiko Kunita

Category Level

Business
Engineering
Management

Editorial Review

This was a bit like a "for Dummies" book, I thought. Even though I was a dummy about the world of manufacturing, by the time I finished reading the book, I was able to grasp the basic idea of how factories work.
The notable feature of this book is its format. Each topic compactly fits into two pages. That's good news for someone, like me, who just wants to get the whole picture without going into too many details. Still, I learnt so many things, especially the meanings of some business and management terms including those three-letter acronyms. Factories also felt a bit more familiar to me at the end, as the authors had promised in the foreword.

Table of contents

• Foreword
• Chapter 1: What Is a Factory?
• Chapter 2: Factory Tours! - See How Products Are Made
• Chapter 3: Production Systems and Types
• Chapter 4: Overall Function of a Factory
• Chapter 5: Report – A Day in Each Department in a Factory
• Chapter 6: Development and Design
• Chapter 7: Production Management
• Chapter 8: Today's Factories
• Chapter 9: Cost Management
• Chapter 10: Quality Control
• Chapter 11: Automation and IT Utilization
• Chapter 12: Where Factories Will Take Us in the Future

About the Author

[Mitsuo Matsubayashi]
After graduating from Waseda University, Mitsuo Matsubayashi worked for IBM Japan in their production and consulting departments. His background also includes the position of Industry Solutions Director in SAP Japan, and ERP consultant, SCM consultant and Managing Director positions in Japan Business Create. He founded Waku Consulting in 2003 and is currently the CEO and Executive Consultant. Matsubayashi is a qualified Professional Engineer in Industrial Engineering, and on the faculty of Toho Gakuen University.

[Hiroshi Watabe]
Hiroshi Watabe is a director and Executive Consultant at Waku Consulting. He earned a master's degree in chemistry from Kyushu University. He worked for IBM Japan in their system and engineering departments, then, worked as CIO for SAP Japan. Watabe also has consulting experience at Japan Business Create and Price Waterhouse Consultants (now called IBM Business Consulting).