Purchase as a Kindle eBook or Paperback Book at http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0950871842

Published as a Second Edition in 2019 this Concise Guide has proved quite a popular selling book both in the Kindle eBook and Paperback formats sold through Amazon. In the printed format it measures 13 cm by 21 cm (5 in by 8 in) and it handles like a paperback book. The text has a large print font size and it makes extensive use of tables making for easy reading. The bibliography takes a unique approach with a photograph of the referenced books front covers along with the books name, author, publication date, publisher and ISBN along with a brief book review. This approach to the bibliography supports the DMB Publishing concept of encouraging the reader to access other relevant texts on the subject being covered to gain a broader understanding of the subject.

The background as to why the book was written is worth understanding to put it into context. In 2003 I was a Project Manager responsible for the installation of a new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) computer system called System 21 in an American business called Stoneridge Pollak Limited which operated two UK manufacturing plants producing specialised car switches and sensors. The American business had implemented the Six Sigma quality methodology but it had been decided in the UK to transition to using the Toyota Production System (TPS) as the preferred production and quality management methodology. TPS used a lot of Japanese terminology (eg Gemba, Andon etc) which were new to the workforce and to me. So I started a file listing the Japanese term, the English meaning and how it achieved process change. Although there were many more TPS Japanese terms the focus was placed on the Top Twenty in terms of their usage. This proved an invaluable reference document. The ERP system was successfully implemented but under global (Chinese) commercial pricing pressures UK manufacturing proved no longer economic. The UK plants were closed down and I was made redundant 2006.

Whilst seeking work the writing of this book became something to keep me sane and also it had the potential to improve my CV and thereby my future job prospects. Whilst researching the book I came across Edwards Deming along with the other gurus popular at the time. Although I was aware of the name I had never appreciated the significance of his contribution to the Japanese recovery after the Second World War. So whilst retaining the TPS Japanese dictionary element it was decided to extend the narrative into the work of Edwards Deming and the other gurus whilst comparing the Japanese approach to manufacturing to that of the Americans. Then things changed as I got back into a job at National Probation Service as a Business Systems Trainer so the draft was filed away for another day. That day came with another redundancy from the National Probation Service in 2015. So following my normal plan in terms of being out of work out came the draft with a new plan to complete it and get it published.

Although by now my career had moved from manufacturing to a totally office based setting it became obvious that much of the content was just as applicable to office work as manufacturing work. In fact the Japanese tend not to see any difference between how work should be organised in factories or offices tending to integrate the two together under the same methodological approach.

One significant decision I made was to describe the development of Total Quality Management (TQM) in waves of ideas propagated by different gurus. I came up with four waves of innovation in terms of TQM as each wave built upon the previous wave of innovation each lead by different gurus. This seemed to give the subject a more historical perspective. For some odd reason as an author I like the term waves like similarly I like the terms generations and spectrums. The Training Courses I ran in partnership with Business Network from 2000 to 2003 were based upon the Third Wave of the eCommerce revolution. There were four separate one day courses focussed upon the different perspectives of Business, Solutions, Technology and Strategy and although these were very successful they had to be abandoned due to the New York 9/11 disaster in 2003 destroyed the training industry.

These days waves are now expressed in industry and internet technologies as 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 or in the case of network communications as generations like 1G to 5G. They look to compartmentalize the mind into sequenced versions, stages, sections or categories of thinking and innovation. Whilst having a spectrum indicates a blending of things where I like the expression a digital document spectrum which is to be the subject of one of my future books on Digital Documents. In most cases technological innovation evolves over a spectrum as different components of the innovation evolve and come together. The term wave appeals to me since it also reflects the fact that things then build up like an ocean wave does before finally releasing all its energy. The release into the market of a new innovation when things have firmed up is possibly better termed a version or a generation. Increasingly in the computer based world of digital technology terms like platforms and versions of these platforms have evolved as a way of distinguishing different solutions provided by different businesses. Having defined a platform it is about integrating solutions into or onto this platform. The significant new use of technologies in manufacturing has been called Industry 2.0 where computer driven additive processes will be the way things are manufactured in the future. Inevitably it will be by the application of more automation.

Always keen to try to innovate in my book design I made the decision that I wanted to include most of the book resources I had used to write the book. Never liking how nonfiction books tended to create a boring bibliography I decided to include a picture of each books cover along with supporting information. I think it makes the end of the book attractive and readable. It also give me a brief opportunity to share my views on the content of each book. A sort of very brief book review.

You will note in my Concise Guide genre I avoid contents pages and indexes. Although I look to give some structure where necessary using numbered Lists or Stages (eg Top Twenty Japanese Terms) or the use of mnemonics (eg TIMWOOD). The objective being to avoid any large blocks of narrative by breaking up the text so it is readily consumed into the reader’s consciousness. Communicating nonfictions subjects demands a different approach to fiction. Structure is the essence.

Well that is the background. Interestingly as a writer of nonfiction I bounce from subject to subject. I like to investigate and communicate. DMB Publishing has always been based upon my current consciousness and that is certainly unpredictable. So now back to my Estuaries of Devon book and a real masterpiece a book on the Domesday Book. 

Now go on and purchase a copy of Organisational Change - Japan and re-model your consciousness. Or buy a copy for someone else where you would like to re-model their consciousness. The concepts are applicable to any work setting or with Covid-19 the planning of work to be undertaken in a home setting.