"We are overwhelmed and swimming in reports on every SKU, machine, shift."... "We need to increase capacity this year."... "I need to prepare for new product introduction next year. And the CEO says that we must change with the times and become a more responsive learning organisation – able to respond more quickly to the marketplace."... "I don't know where to start. But I know there is a problem on line 7, so that is what I need to look at first."... "We need to fill the trucks."– ADL Minimalist Manufacturing Forum, December 1994 These comments reflect the challenges facing today's general managers. On the one hand, their factories must master the production process in order to produce more and better products – while using the same assets. On the other, they need to be able to change flexibly – and fast – to produce new products.