I'm currently sitting on a picnic table at the Royal Highland Show reading Taiichi Ohno's book "Toyota Production System". As you do - call me old fashioned but there are only so many cows and tracters a modern man can look out with having to read a book written by a dead Japanese guy. If you are wondering ... it is 2 cows and 3 tractors.
I've just gotta share this bit from the forward - since everytime I reread it the world becomes a little clearer:
When asked, "what is toyota doing now?", Ohno answers, "all we are doing is looking at the time line from the moment the customer gives us an order to the point when we collect the cash. And we are reducig that time line by removoing the non-value-added wastes."
Where would we be without books and blackberries?