Kevin J. Duggan has more than 30 years of experience applying advanced Lean techniques to achieve Operational Excellence. He is the author of three books on the subject: Design for Operational Excellence: A Breakthrough Strategy for Business Growth (McGraw-Hill, 2011), Creating Mixed Model Value Streams (Productivity Press, 2002), and The Office That Grows Your Business: Achieving Operational Excellence in Your Business Processes (The Institute for Operational Excellence, 2009).

A recognized authority on Operational Excellence, Duggan has contributed to publications such as Industry Week, Aviation Week, Food Engineering, Flow Control, Assembly, Lean Management Journal, and Plant Services, and has appeared on CNN and the Fox Business Network. He is a frequent keynote speaker, master of ceremonies, and panelist at both public and private conferences globally, and he also lectures graduate students in colleges throughout the United States.

In 1998, Duggan founded Duggan Associates (North Kingstown, Rhode Island), an international training and advisory firm that assists companies in applying advanced Lean techniques to their manufacturing and office operations through hands-on support and workshops. Since Duggan Associates' inception, he has helped Fortune 50 corporations as well as small businesses with single site operations in the insurance, engineering development, financial services, aerospace, energy, and manufacturing industries.

In 2007, Duggan founded the Institute for Operational Excellence (also in North Kingstown), the leading educational center on Operational Excellence, which provides resources, such as workshops, online training, how-to articles, and books to a global community of members.

Introduction -- About the Authors -- Acknowledgments -- How to Use This Book -- Part One: Getting Started -- Chapter One: Operational Excellence in the Office -- Chapter Two: The Key Function of Any Office -- Chapter Three: Value Stream Design for the Office -- Chapter Four: Determine Service Families -- Chapter Five: Create a Current State Value Stream Map for Each Service Family -- Part Two: Applying the Nine Guidelines for Office Flow -- Chapter 6: Guideline #1 Takt and Takt Capability -- Chapter 7: Guideline #2 Continuous Flow -- Chapter 8: Guideline #3 FIFO -- Chapter 9: Guideline #4 Workflow Cycles -- Chapter 10: Guideline #5 Integration Events -- Chapter 11: Guideline #6 Standard Work -- Chapter 12: Guideline #7 Single-Point Initialization -- Chapter 13: Guideline #8 Pitch -- Chapter 14: Guideline #9 Changes in Demand -- Chapter 15: Applying the Nine Guidelines: The Acid Test -- Part Three: Creating Operational Excellence.