BSc (Eng), GDE (Witwatersrand), MA (Lancaster), MBA (Bradford), PrEng, CFPIM (APICS), FSAPICS
John was born in South Africa. He graduated with Engineering degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and spent 12 years in industry and local government in South Africa in the areas of project and design engineering, management services, operations research, and operations management. One of his jobs was Chief Solid Waste Engineer, where he was line manager for 1200 people and 400 vehicles. At current prices, the annual budget controlled by this post was over £30m.
In 1987 he came with his British wife and three boys to live in England and took up a position as Senior Lecturer in Operations Management at the University of Buckingham. He became a Reader in 1990 and was Dean in 1992. His interests are in lean operations, both in service and manufacturing. Becoming ‘lean’, he believes, should be a priority for all operations-led organisations. John is the author of several best-selling books including The Lean Toolbox (sales exceeding 100k) and The Service Systems Toolbox. He is a former associate professor of industrial engineering, and mentor to many companies.
John began learning about Lean in 1982 with Toyota in South Africa and is the founding Director of MSc in Lean Operations, Lean Enterprise Research Centre, 1999-2012.
Publications
Books
Bicheno, J. The lean toolbox for service systems (Buckingham: PICSIE Books, 2008). 300 pp. ISBN: 978-0-9541-2444-1. See our Publication of the week section (April 2008).
Bicheno, J. Fishbone flow (Buckingham: PICSIE Books, 2006). 122 pp. ISBN: 0-9541-2443-X.
Bicheno, J. The new lean toolbox (Buckingham: PICSIE Books, Buckingham, 2005). 211 pp. ISBN: 0-9541-2441-3.
Bicheno, J. & P. Catherwood. Six Sigma and the quality toolbox (Buckingham, PICSIE Books, 2005). 152 pp. ISBN: 0-9541-2442-1.
Gopalan, M.R. & J. Bicheno. Management guide to quality and productivity (2nd ed.; New Delhi: Wiley-Dreamtech, 2005).
Bicheno, J. with J. Austad & B. Bloland. Den Nye Lean Vaerktojskasse (Lean Team Denmark, 2004). ISBN: 87-990316-0-4.
Bicheno, J. with B. Otto. Die Excellence Box (Ostfildern: Otto Consult, 2002). 152 pp. ISBN: 3-00-009531-4.
Bicheno, J. Quality 75: towards Six Sigma performance in service and manufacturing (Buckingham: Picsie Books, 2002).
Bicheno, J. Cause and effect lean: lean operations, six sigma and supply chain (Buckingham: Picsie Books, 2000).
Bicheno, J. The lean toolbox (2nd ed., Buckingham: Picsie Books, 2000).
Bicheno, J. Teams, measures, accounting and design (APICS Lean SIG CD-ROM Series, APICS, VA, USA, 2003). 130 pp. and 125 slides.
Articles
Bicheno, J. “Lean futures …” (editorial), Operations Management 33.4 (2007), 5.
Bicheno, J. Four short articles published in The Biz, 2005.
Bicheno, J. “Leaning into the future” (editorial), Control 30.7 (2004), 4.
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