Writers Steven E. Hoeft, Steven C. Bell and Michael Orzen have all been named winners of the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence, Research, and Professional Publication, which is bestowed on authors who advance the Lean body of knowledge into new areas and promote a broad understanding of operational excellence.
Hoeft is the author of Stories from My Sensei, about his personal experiences learning the Toyota Production System (TPS) and various tools such as kanban, quick changeover and A3 problem solving. Bell and Orzen wrote Lean IT: Enabling and Sustaining Your Lean Transformation, which includes hands-on instructions on how to implement Lean tools and principles within an IT organization, using real-world case studies.
Hoeft is a practitioner, change agent and teacher of Lean principles, who has trained hundreds of clients in multiple industries as a Toyota-trained TPS coach at the Altarum Institute. Bell, a certified Fellow of Production and Inventory Management (CFPIM), has more than 20 years of experience in finance, operations management and information systems. Orzen, a CFPIM and Project Management Professional, also has mamy years of experience in IT, operations management and Lean Six Sigma. Both Bell and Orzen are co-founders of the Steady Improvement Inc. management consulting firm.
