Operations management in Japan: the efficiency of Japanese manufacturing

Table of Contents 1. Introduction: How Manufacturing Engineers Contribute to Efficient Manufacturing 2. Manufacturing Engineers at a Benchmark Japanese Car Component Firm 3. A Typical Work Day of a Japanese Manufacturing Engineer (Benchmark Firm) 4. Manufacturing Engineers in the Parts Processing and Assembly Sector: Automobile, Electronics, and Business Machine Industries (Japan) 5. Manufacturing Engineers in the Material Processing Sector: Steel, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical Industries (Japan) 6. Sectoral, Industry, and Company Variations in the Roles of Manufacturing Engineers in Japan 7. Manufacturing Engineers in the Automotive Industry in Germany, France, and the United States 8. Conclusions: The Hidden Linchpin Roles of Manufacturing Engineers

Book Description This book provides insights into Japanese production and operations management through the roles and human resource management of Japanese manufacturing engineers and how their roles contribute to efficient manufacturing. The book looks at six industries i.e. automobile, electronics, business machine industries of the parts processing and assembly sector, steel, chemical and pharmaceutical industries of the material processing sector, and 13 Japanese leading multinational companies. It also compares Japanese automotive firms with their German, French, and American counterparts. The analysis reveals that many managers, employees, and scholars underappreciate the roles and contributions of manufacturing engineers in the United States. The book will offer invaluable lessons to management scholars interested in operations management and global supply chains, especially in the context of the Japanese manufacturing industry.