Monday, August 4, 2008

Real Numbers




Highly recommended, especially Chapter 8: Budgeting and Capital Planning and Chapter 7: The One Day Close. You will be surprised how much time recording closing entries a bit early will save you during the close.

A basic understanding of Lean is a must in really appreciating this novel of the obstacles companies face when Accounting/Finance is not involved in the Lean transformation.

What is Lean?


That's what I asked myself in September of '07 when I assisted a "Meet the Firms" Beta Alpha Psi activity at Utah State University. "Lean" seemed like the buzz word for most speakers that night, without much of an explanation on what "Lean" really is.

Low and behold, 11 months later I now find myself as an internship assistant at the Shingo Prize, under the direction of Dr. Randy Cook. (I appreciate his mentoring when he's not traveling.) Ok, to learn the basics of Lean, visit this link...lean.org.

First I read "Lean Simplified," then "Andy and Me," both by Pascal Dennis. As I continue to read "The Machine that Changed the World," and other lean books, I am grasping the powerful Business Philosophy that Lean teaches.

I am now starting off on my lean journey, focusing on the impact of lean on Accounting and Finance. I've read "Real Numbers," and am currently reading "Accounting for World Class Operations."

The purpose of this blog is to share my journey with you and learn from your insights.