Book Talk: Training Within Industry

You may have heard of the Training Within Industry program, developed by the U.S. during World War II. Its four modules – Job Instruction, Job Methods, Job Relations and Program Development – have been used by Toyota for decades.

While the program pre-dates lean, it embodies lean concepts for measurable continuous improvement because it sets a baseline, then establishes a framework for efficiency and innovation.

We publish two books about TWI. The first, by Donald Dinero and entitled Training Within Industry: The Foundation of Lean, gave the TWI concepts renewed popularity when it was published four years ago. It subsequently won the 2006 Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing Research.

We then published The TWI Workbook: Essential Skills for Supervisors by Patrick Graupp and Robert J. Wrona. This manual teaches supervisors how to apply the TWI concepts with examples and exercises. It won the Shingo research prize in 2007.

Both of these books can be valuable resources to help you address your training needs.

Do you have a question or comment about a book(s) that you would like addressed in Book Talk? Email me directly at Ralph.bernstein@taylorandfrancis.com.