Augmented Lean:
A Human-Centric Framework for Managing Frontline Operations

Augmented Lean debunks hyped-up industry 4.0 automation efforts, providing evidence of how the best leaders in manufacturing implement industrial technology to empower their workers and achieve efficiencies. Executives need a management framework that prioritizes humans over machines. When you empower your frontline workers, you invest in their growth, productivity, and loyalty. Increased efficiency of your machines is just a side effect.

About the book

In Augmented Lean: A Human-Centric Framework for Managing Frontline Operations, serial startup founder Dr. Natan Linder and futurist podcaster Dr. Trond Arne Undheim deliver an urgent and incisive exploration of how to facilitate agile processes amongst a millennial workforce that already lives by many of its tenets. The book demonstrates how to abandon legacy industrial technology that is failing modern operations and hinders operational excellence and digital progress. The authors provide:

A step-by-step walkthrough of the augmentation framework that shows readers when, how, and why to augment their workforce
Concrete strategies on how to scale your augmentation methods throughout your organization
Insightful advice for how to use the augmentation framework in small- and medium-size enterprises

A thoroughly practical playbook for augmenting your workforce with the latest digital technologies, Augmented Lean provides you with the organizational-, process-, and management-level techniques you need to get the most out of your employees.

7 things you’ll learn

To abandon legacy industrial technology because it is failing modern operations, and hindering operational excellence and digitalfprogress.

Management frameworks must prioritize humans over machines.

Industrial workers can also be knowledge workers if they are equipped with unobtrusive digitalftools.

Manufacturing is set to, once again in history, transform all organizations by example.

Industry 4.0 is the wrong approach for rolling out industrial tech and will not lead to manufacturing success.

The Augmented Lean management framework radically enhances Lean operations

The no-code approach is the solution to the enormous reskilling problem across industries.

The Augmented Lean management framework radically enhances Lean operations

Industry 4.0 is the wrong approach for rolling out industrial tech and will not lead to manufacturing success.

The no-code approach is the solution to the enormous reskilling problem across industries.

About the authors

Natan is a pioneering entrepreneur of industrial tech. He’s the co-founder and CEO of frontline operations platform Tulip, and a co-founder and chairman of the Board of Formlabs, an industry leader in professional desktop 3D printing. Formerly with Jerusalem Venture Partners, Samsung, Sun Microsystems, and Rethink Robotics, his work aims to fuse design with engineering to create novel human experiences. He’s a Forbes columnist, holding a Ph.D. from MIT Media Lab and based in Cambridge, MA.

Natan Linder

Trond is a futurist, scholar, podcaster, venture partner, nonresident Fellow at the Atlantic Council, co-founder of Yegii, and Lead Ecosystem evangelist at Tulip. He formerly worked with MIT, WPP, Oracle, and the EU. He’s an author of Health Tech, Future Tech, Pandemic Aftermath, Disruption Games, and Leadership From Below. In addition, he hosts two podcasts, Augmented and Futurized, and is a Forbes columnist. He holds a Ph.D. in the future of work and artificial intelligence. Trond is based in Wellesley, MA.

Trond Undheim

Endorsements

It is not just that the authors have a powerful thesis. It is that they implemented it in real life —skin in the game. This makes the book an imperative read for anyone in industrial technology.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

author of The Black Swan

Augmented Lean is contrarian, as are many great entrepreneurs. The book will change how you see the key challenges of manufacturing. You can sense the immense possibilities for the future of empowered workers through innovative use of technology. An excellent read for anyone from CEOs to investors considering making enterprise technology investments.

Klaus Schwab

Founder and Executive Chairman, the World Economic Forum

Augmented Lean is an important puzzle piece in the fourth industrial revolution. The proposed management framework provides a new way to help stakeholders achieve the full benefits of industrial technology.

Brad Feld

Co-Founder of Foundry Group and Techstars

...an important book. Despite a generation of tops down tech investment, productivity is in decline, supply chains have failed, and our workforce is disenchanted. The next generation of tools must liberate the workforce to be faster and more flexible.

Jeff Immelt

Venture Partner at NEA, former CEO of GE

In Augmented Lean: A Human-Centric Framework for Managing Frontline Operations, authors Natan Linder, Tulip CEO and Co-Founder, and Trond Arne Undheim, futurist podcaster, call for the adoption of a new management framework for frontline operations that embraces a human-centric approach.

The goal of this book is to provide companies with concrete steps for augmenting their workforce with the latest digital technologies.