All kinds of processes – those that make things or deliver services or operate companies – can be made more productive, and society's continued well-being requires it. This book is for all those with a stake in improving how companies run. It introduces the concept of 'swift, even flow' and explains how that concept stands behind popular business tools such as 'lean' principles and Six Sigma. More than that, it shows how swift, even flow can lead to deep, strategic insights and fresh ideas. The book uses many examples, both contemporary and historic, and 16 case studies from all sorts of business situations to demonstrate how swift, even flow can be applied. Services and manufacturing, supply chains and individual operations, product development and outsourcing, strategy and tactics, hourly workers and top level executives – all benefit from this fundamental re-thinking of what it takes to become productive.

‘If you want to know how the modern approach to operations productivity can make such an impact on management practice, this book will give you the best account that you can get. It is a masterful explanation by a master of his subject. Roger Schmenner has distilled his deep understanding, vast experience and rigorous research into bringing a complex yet vitally important subject alive, getting right to the heart of what really matters in process management. Even more impressive, it is exceptionally accessible and full of memorable examples that clearly demonstrate the relevance of the ideas to managers in all types of industry.’

Nigel Slack - Warwick Business School

‘In this easy-to-read volume, Roger Schmenner builds on thirty years of his research and teaching about the nature and application of 'swift, even flow'. Asserting that this concept both underlies and unifies most new management methodologies, from six-sigma to lean production, that have been promulgated since international competition began intensifying in the 1970s, he lays out the elements that make it so effective, then illustrates its application, both over time and across industries, in a variety of fascinating contexts. Finally, he provides useful advice for those who want to apply this concept to their own situation. Managers and students of management at all levels all would benefit from a careful reading of this valuable work.’

Bob Hayes - Professor Emeritus, Harvard Business School