Grow Your Factory, Grow Your Profits: Lean for Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Enterprises

Using case studies, practical examples, illustrations, charts, and pictures from real small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) manufacturers, this book provides practical solutions to the issues facing every growing manufacturing business. The book details how SMEs differ from large organizations and why the approach to Lean Manufacturing must also be different. Covering the complete life cycle of small and medium-sized manufacturers, the book addresses a different SME manufacturing issue in each chapter--enabling readers to tackle issues at their own pace and in their order of priority.

Tim McLean is the founder and managing director of TXM, one of the Asia Pacific’s leading Lean consulting companies. Tim was first introduced to Lean and Operational Excellence in the late 1980s as a young production manager of a small plastics extrusion plant, part of German global chemical manufacturer, Hoechst AG. Tim went on to lead a range of medium-sized manufacturing plants across the plastics molding, packaging, printing, and chemical industries for major companies, including Hoechst AG, Amcor, and PPG. Tim was fortunate to be coached by a succession of mentors steeped in the principles of Lean. As an operations manager and general manager, Tim then faced the real challenge of applying these theories to drive performance in his plants. After a successful 16-year career leading manufacturing operations, Tim turned down a transfer to Europe in order to set up TXM, a consulting business in Australia aimed at helping other manufacturing leaders like himself achieve their goals. TXM has since grown to be one of the leaders in Lean in Asia and the Pacific, operating from offices in Australia and China and carrying out projects with small, medium, and large manufacturers throughout the region. In line with Tim’s experience and values, TXM has developed a reputation for delivering practical outcomes for manufacturers, especially SMEs. It is this experience that Tim has drawn on in writing Grow Your Factory, Grow Your Profits.

Tim and TXM have an extensive network throughout the Asia Pacific region, and Tim is a frequent speaker at industry events, including the Association for Manufacturing Excellence Conferences, Lean Enterprise China, the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers, Australian Manufacturing Week, and many more. TXM has a weekly blog (www.txm.com.au/blog) to which Tim is a major contributor, and Tim’s quarterly e-newsletter goes out to more than 2,000 manufacturing leaders around the region (www.txm.com.au/resources/newsletters ).

Tim also provides articles to a wide range of manufacturing industry publications, including Australian Manufacturing Technology, Manufacturers Monthly, Australia-China Connections, China Sourcer Magazine, etc. Examples of these articles can be found at www.txm.com.au/resources/articles.

Tim and TXM have a strong social media presence, primarily on LinkedIn, with over 1,000 connections, three groups (Australian Manufacturing Futures, Total Excellence Manufacturing, and Lean Support China), and regular and popular contributions to Lean interest groups across the globe. TXM also actively promotes its content via Twitter, Facebook, and a YouTube Channel (TXMLeanVideo).