TABLE OF CONTENTS The response to new priorities in the United States was captured in the mantra Better, Faster, Cheaper , which was popularized by NASA Administrator Dan Goldin. No longer did society value massive endeavors like the Apollo program or the Supersonic Transport, so characteristic of the prior Cold War years. Military and non-military customers alike wanted better products, available sooner, and at a lower cost than in the past. For aerospace, that meant a new challenge one for which its Cold War legacy had left it ill equipped.
While the United States was focused on Cold War priorities after World War II, Japan was focusing on economic challenges. Japan s needs centered on building an economically competitive industry with the least investment of resources. The paragon became Toyota and its lean Toyota Production System. But automobiles and their consumers are so different from aircraft or spacecraft and their customers and users: could an industry such as aerospace quickly transform itself to such a radically different paradigm, and create the radically new culture that would be necessary? It was by no means certain hence the question mark on our title for Part II.
Part II takes us on a journey. In Chapter 4, Lean Thinking , we delve into lean , explaining its origins, principles and practices, and relationship to major change initiatives such as Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, Reengineering, and others. Fundamentally, lean is the...
