About the Book
Lean Refining: How to Improve Performance in the Oil Industry addresses the tremendous opportunities this quality improvement system can exploit to achieve huge financial gains, while simultaneously improving morale, timeliness, quality, safety, reliability, and environmental performance. The book offers numerous examples of how lean methodologies can be applied, the gains that can be achieved, and takes readers through a prescriptive process of implementation.
The book is divided into 3 parts. Part I is specific to the topic of lean manufacturing, and explains exactly what lean is… as well as what it isn’t. Part II addresses lean manufacturing in the oil industry in general, and refining in particular. It explains why lean is not the prevalent improvement strategy in refining, and why it’s more likely to appear among the smaller companies first. It also explains the differences that petroleum refining brings to the lean model. Part III covers topics needed to understand how to implement, organize, and roll out a lean transformation from the top down.
An affiliated website boasts tons of valuable information, including: Forms and evaluations for such topics as The 10 Lean Killers, The 6 Roll Out Errors, The 5 Precursors to a Lean Transformation, and more; Samples of working documents such as A3s, Leader Standard Work, and 5 supervisory tools, in both template form and completed; A comprehensive reading and reference list of nearly 500 resources, broken into topical material; Links to 3rd-party websites where readers can download e-forms and other related information.
“Lonnie Wilson merges his extensive knowledge and experience of both lean manufacturing and refining in an easy-to-grasp way.”
—N. Brandon Hughes, ChEng & Energy MBA, Optimization & Production Analyst, YASREF an Aramco JV“No matter what your business, the principles identified in this book can positively change your company’s operating and financial results—and your management skills…. I highly recommend it.”
—Eugene J. Voiland, Founding President & CEO (retired), Aera Energy, LLC“It is simply uncanny how he breaks down complexity to deliver valuable insight and, most importantly, solutions that work.”
—Jason Farley, Founder BridgeGap Consulting“I have found in Lonnie Wilson a rare combination of both passion for, and the ability to clearly communicate, the principles of continuous improvement.”
—Michael J. Wiseman, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt MJW Lean Consulting LLC“A ‘must read’ for all refinery employees, these are instructions on how to create a world-class refining team.”
—R.R. Kooiman, PE“I wish I could have had the opportunity to have Lonnie teach and mentor me 25 years ago.”
—Fred Kaschak, Global Manufacturing Director, The Woodbridge Group“It is not just the best book on the subject; it is the only book. Lean Refining will change the industry forever.”
— Robert H. Simonis, Founder, KCE Consulting, Director of Rapid Improvement, CEVA Logistics, Lieutenant Colonel (retired), U.S. ArmyLonnie Wilson, a Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Six Sigma trainer, has been teaching and implementing Lean techniques for 40 years. His experience spans 20 years in manufacturing management with an international oil company. In 1990, he founded Quality Consultants, which teaches and applies Lean techniques to small entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 Firms, principally in the US, Mexico, and Canada. Mr. Wilson has taught for the El Paso Community College and the University of Texas at El Paso, and is an active Senior Member of the American Society for Quality Control. He has spoken at the iSixSigma annual Petroleum Energy Conferences, Industry Week, Honda Lean Suppliers Network, APICS, ASQ, and ARM (Association of Rotational Molders) Annual Conferences. Wilson is the author of the highly successful, How to Implement Lean Manufacturing, published by McGraw-Hill.
● Preface ● Introduction ● The Story of the Toyota Headrest Cell, the Theta Cell ● What Is Lean Manufacturing? ● Why Is Lean Manufacturing So Misunderstood? ● How Much Has Lean Penetrated the Refining Business? ● Where Will Lean First Appear in the Refining Industry? ● How Can Lean Benefit the Refining-Focused Businesses? ● What Differences Does Petroleum Refining Bring to Lean? ● The House of Lean ● Lean Manufacturing Foundational Issue—People ● Lean Manufacturing Foundational Issue—Process Stability ● Lean Manufacturing: The Quality Control Tools ● How Lean Has Worked in the Oil Business ● Distinguishing Lean from Other Improvement Methodologies ● Implementing the Lean Transformation.
Table of Contents:
* Preface * Introduction * The Story of the Toyota Headrest Cell * What Is Lean Manufacturing? * Why Is Lean ManufacturingSo Misunderstood? * How Much Has Lean Manufacturing Penetrated the Oil Refining Business? * Where Will Lean FirstAppear in the Refining Industry? * Lean and the Refining-Focused Business * What Differences Does Petroleum RefiningBring to the Application of the Lean Model? * The House of Lean * Lean Manufacturing Foundational Issue: People * LeanManufacturing Foundational Issue: Process Stability * Lean Manufacturing Quality Control Tools * How Lean Has Worked inthe Oil Business * Implementing the Lean Transformation * Final Thoughts.
About the Author :
Lonnie Wilson, a Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Six Sigma trainer, has been teaching and implementing Lean techniques for 40 years. His experience spans 20 years in manufacturing management with an international oil company. In 1990, he founded Quality Consultants, which teaches and applies Lean techniques to small entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 Firms, principally in the US, Mexico, and Canada. Mr. Wilson has taught for the El Paso Community College and the University of Texas at El Paso, and is an active Senior Member of the American Society for Quality Control. He has spoken at the iSixSigma annual Petroleum Energy Conferences, Industry Week, Honda Lean Suppliers Network, APICS, ASQ, and ARM (Association of Rotational Molders) Annual Conferences. Wilson is the author of the highly successful, How to Implement Lean Manufacturing, published by McGraw-Hill.
Review :
Lonnie Wilson merges his extensive knowledge and experience of both lean manufacturing and refining in an easy to grasp way. It reads as a conversation with a friend that is an expert in lean manufacturing and refining and he is on your team to help you solve your most challenging problems. He highlights ideas with specific examples in the refining industry. As a former refinery improvement manager, I can vouch for the values obtained by the implementation of lean in a variety of projects. The next step is for a refinery to completely embrace the lean principles. The refining company that does this will be in a position to set themselves apart from the competition. -- N. Brandon Hughes, ChEng & Energy MBA, Optimization & Production Analyst, YASREF an Aramco JV
No matter what your business, the principles identified in this book can positively change your company's operating and financial results--and your management skills! Implementing lean in our company profoundly changed our business, and me personally. Once we perfected these skills, we could take virtually any process and improve it by eliminating waste. This resulted in significant and lasting time and cost savings, while improving output and quality. Lonnie is an early practitioner and expert in lean management. His book offers practical advice on how to successfully implement lean. I highly recommend it."" -- Eugene J. Voiland, Founding President & CEO (retired), Aera Energy, LLC
For 25 years. I've watched Lonnie Wilson unwrap the most convoluted cause and effect relationships within complex systems and identify the opportunity like no other... I really mean like no other. It is simply uncanny how he breaks down complexity to deliver valuable insight and, most importantly, solutions that work. This book presents a snapshot of Lonnie's gift. Enjoy the story telling and reap the benefits of this opportunity to get inside his head! -- Jason Farley, Founder, BridgeGap Consulting
I have found in Lonnie Wilson a rare combination of both passion for, and the ability to clearly communicate, the principles of continuous improvement. And, maybe even more rare, he does so not for his own reputation but to equip and enable others to move out smartly and make a difference! -- Michael J. Wiseman, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, MJW Lean Consulting LLC
Here is a book that provides clear direction on how, and why to harness the collective experience and wisdom of the refinery workforce. In complex process plant operations such as oil refineries, raw material is processed with only a few percent profit. The product passes through the plants largely hidden in pipes, tanks and vessels, so the clues to the operation are observed through testing and various sensors. These all produce insight, most of which is difficult for computer analysis, but recognizable by people, especially when an enabling culture is in place. Improved utilization of the people is explained very well by the author in this ""how to"" for refiners. A ""must read"" for all refinery employees, these are instructions on how to create a world-class refining team. -- RR Kooiman, PE
Another wonderful resource from Lonnie on implementing lean manufacturing.If you are interested in someone to shine your shoes so you can look pretty at lean manufacturing, keep looking. However, if you are actually looking to Implement lean manufacturing and have a sensei that really knows how to do Lean, that will stand shoulder to shoulder with you and help you actually DO Lean, Lonnie is my recommendation. I wish I could have had the opportunity to have Lonnie teach and mentor me 25 years ago. Thank you, Sensei. -- Fred Kaschak, Global Manufacturing Director, The Woodbridge Group
Lonnie Wilson has brought his years of experience and passion in continuous improvement back to his roots in oil refining. This title will galvanize the refinery and continuous process industries to create huge gains in throughput and financial results. With practical and simple language, Lonnie shows how refineries can make huge gains in safety, quality, employee retention, and profits. His guidelines in this work will be followed by the industry's future winners and ignored by those destined to be on the scrapheap of history. It is not just the best book on the subject; it is the only book. It will change the industry forever. -- Robert H. Simonis, Founder, KCE Consulting, Director of Rapid Improvement, CEVA Logistics, Lieutenant Colonel (retired), U.S. Army
