June 1, 2004
Traditionally, bookbinding has been a relatively simple operation. But, as in many industries, competition has become fiercer than ever. For many book manufacturers, this competition launched a race to apply quality manufacturing methods and standards, such as Lean or Six Sigma, to the bookbinding operation in order to reduce waste and working capital, increase inventory turns, or improve productivity. Ironically, while great progress has been made in decreasing turnaround time from publishing to book delivery, several book manufacturers report increased numbers of rejections due to poor quality, despite advanced manufacturing techniques. And as every book manufacturer knows, a 'good' book is one that doesn't
