Lean in a High Variability Business

You know Zingerman's as a purveyor of delicious artisan foods. But we're also a nimble, innovative fulfillment warehouse that tackles the same challenges most businesses face: how can we best get our products delivered on time, with as little waste as possible?

Lean in a High Variability Business is a graphic novel that shares the story of how we understand and solve those challenges by incorporating the lessons learned from Toyota and how they manufacture cars and more using lean principles. Turns out we have a lot in common. 

If you're running a business that deals with high variability (as we are—over half of our business comes in November and December), regardless of your product, this graphic novel is for you. It's certainly going to be the most engaging business book you'll read all year. 

For a deeper dive on how to engage managers and front-line staff alike in becoming better at learning about and solving problems, Engaging the Team at Zingerman's Mail Order is a second, short graphic novel that builds on the lessons of Lean in a High Variability Business and offer practical guidance on building a systematic, scientific approach to improvement using the Toyota Kata method.

Both books were written by Zingerman's Mail Order managing partner Tom Root, logistics consultant Eduardo Lander, and professor Jeffrey K. Liker, author of The Toyota Way. 

"John Dewey famously pointed out, 'We don't learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.' Here's your chance to learn as the three authors reflect on the (successful) struggle to build a Lean production and management system at Zingerman's Mail Order. Thousands of people visit and benchmark ZMO. This book delivers the backstory in a richly illustrated way."
Mike Rother, author of the best selling books Toyota Kata and The Toyota Kata Practice Guide