Principles of Mass and Flow Production is a 55th Anniversary Special Reprint Edition of Frank G. Woollard's long-forgotten book published in 1954, and includes Woollard's amazing 1925 paper "Some Notes on British Methods of Continuous Production." Both are presented as unabridged digitized images of the original works, and include commentary and analysis by noted Lean management practitioner, author,and educator, Bob Emiliani, Ph.D.
Frank G. Woollard made major contributions to progressive manufacturing management practices in the British automobile industry of the 1920s, and was also the first to develop and implement mechanical materials handling equipment known as automatic transfer machines while working at Morris Motors Ltd., Engines Branch, in Coventry, U.K. His work is comparable to that of the legendary Taiichi Ohno, the principal architect of Toyota Motor Corporation's production system, and suggests that the timeline for discoveries and attributions of key accomplishments must be revised.
Woollard deserves widespread recognition for his own groundbreaking achievements, which lie between the time of Henry Ford and Kiichiro Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Motor Corporation. His work is highly relevant to current-day Lean management, in that he understood the idea and practice of continuous improvement in a flow environment. Woollard also recognized that flow production will not work properly if used by management in a zero-sum manner, which is an insightful and distinctive feature of Woollard's flow production system, and shows he understood the importance of what is today called the "Respect for People" principle in Lean management.
Woollard's remarkable work in flow production and his prescient innovations in industrial automation ensure him a prominent place in the history of production engineering, automation, and industrial management. Readers interested in Lean management, the evolution of flow production, and the history of industrial management and automation will find this book to be entertaining, informative, and a valuable resource for future reference.
