The Elegant Solution by Matthew May

The Elegant Solution by Matthew May

For the first time, an insider reveals the formula behind Toyota's unceasing quest to innovate and do more with less, a philosophy that has made it one of the ten most profitable companies in the world (and worth more than GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, and Honda combined). In a rare look into Toyota's ability to consistently achieve breakthroughs that outperform the competition, The Elegant Solution explains what Toyota associates have known all along: it's not about the cars. Rather, Toyota's astounding success is just the visible result of a hidden creative process that begins with a seven-digit number. One million. That's how many new ideas the Toyota organization implements every year. These ideas come from every level of the organization -- from the factory floors to the corporate suites. And organizations all over the world want to learn how it's done. Now senior University of Toyota advisor Matthew May shows how any company can achieve an environment of everyday innovation and discover the kinds of elegant solutions that hold the power to change the game forever. World-class benchmarks like Lexus, Prius, Scion -- even Toyota's vaunted production system -- are simply shining examples of elegant solutions. A tactical playbook for team-based innovation, The Elegant Solution delivers powerful lessons in breakthrough thinking in a provocative yet practical guide to the three core principles and ten key practices that shape successful business innovation. Innovation isn't just about technology -- it's about value, opportunity, and impact. When a company embeds a real discipline around tapping ingenuity in the pursuit of perfection, the sky is the limit. Dozens of case studies (from Toyota and other companies) illustrate the universal power and applicability of these concepts. A unique clamshell strategy prepares managers to successfully lead and sustain the innovation effort. At once a thought-starter and a taskmaster, The Elegant Solu

Thornton May knows knowing. His work on the complex intersection of the informational, knowledge, and behavioral components of organizational change includes teaching at distinguished business schools, writing for widely read technology magazines, futuring at think tanks, and keeping in monthly contact with more than 1,000 C-level executives.

May specializes in creating collaborative knowledge places, postindustrial campfires where the best and brightest convene to understand what they know, what they don't know, and what they can do about it. He currently engages executives at organizations such as the CIO Executive Summit (Evanta/DMG Group), the Multi-Channel Value Lab (Digital River), the Olin Innovation Lab (Olin College of Engineering), and the Value Studio at Florida State College at Jacksonville.

The editors at eWeek magazine acknowledged May as one of the 100 Most Influential People in IT. The editors at Fast Company consider him one of the 50 best brains in business.

Thornton May received his BA from Dartmouth College and his MSIA from Carnegie-Mellon University. He did doctoral work in Japanese studies at the University of Michigan and Keio University in Tokyo.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780743290173
ISBN 10	0743290178
Title	The Elegant Solution
Author	Matthew May
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Simon & Schuster
Year published	2006-10-01
Number of pages	236
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.