"e;Command and Control is failing us. There is a better way to design and manage work - a better way to make work work - but it remains unknown to the vast majority of managers."e;An adherent of the Toyota Production System, John Seddon explains how traditional top-down decision making within service organizations leads to managers

Proving that top-down decision making within service-oriented businesses leads to managers who are detached from employees and daily operations, John Seddon demonstrates that decision-making based on purpose-related measures (such as putting customers first and improving services) can help managers reconnect with operations, see waste, and exploit opportunities for improvement. Through case material, this Toyota Production Systems adherent illustrates how systems thinking leads to improved service, revenues, and staff morale. He also posits that the service industry fundamentally differs from manufacturing, and shows how Toyota production principles can be transformed for application in that arena.