A massive disconnect exists between consumers and providers today.
Consumers have a greater selection of higher quality goods to choose
from and can obtain these items from a growing number of sources.
Computers, cars, and even big-box retail sites promise to solve our
every need. So why aren't consumers any happier?
Because everything surrounding the process of obtaining and using all
these products causes us frustration and disappointment. Why is it that,
when our computers or our cell phones fail to satisfy our needs,
virtually every interaction with help lines, support centers, or any
organization providing service is marked with wasted time and extra
hassle? And who among us hasn't spent countless hours in the waiting
room at the doctor's office, or driven away from the mechanic only to
have the "fix engine" light go on?
In their bestselling business classic Lean Thinking, James Womack and
Daniel Jones introduced the world to the principles of lean production
-- principles for eliminating waste during production. Now, in Lean
Solutions, the authors establish the groundbreaking principles of lean
consumption, showing companies how to eliminate inefficiency during
consumption.
The problem is neither that companies don't care nor that the people
trying to fix our broken products are inept. Rather, it's that few
companies today see consumption as a process -- a series of linked goods
and services, all of which must occur seamlessly for the consumer to be
satisfied. Buying a home computer, for example, involves researching,
purchasing, integrating, maintaining, upgrading, and, ultimately,
replacing it.
Across all industries, companies that apply the principles of lean
consumption will learn how to provide the full value consumers desire
from products without wasting time or effort -- theirs or the consumers'
-- and as a result these companies will be more profitable and
competitive.
Lean Solutions is full of surprising success stories: Fujitsu, a
leading service company for technology, has transformed the way call
centers solve problems -- learning how to eliminate the underlying cause
of current problems rather than fixing them again and again. An
extremely successful car dealership has adopted lean principles to
streamline its business, making for dramatically reduced wait time,
fewer return trips, and greater satisfaction for customers -- and a far
more lucrative enterprise.
Lean Solutions will inspire managers to take the first steps toward
perfecting their company's process of giving consumers what they really
want.
