Tag Archives: Toyota

Origins of the Toyota Production System

Posted on July 10, 2006 by John Hunter

Brief Investigation into the Origins of the Toyota Production System [the broken link was removed] by Art Smalley. Another excellent article by Art Smalley. Loaded with great historical information. I find these articles interesting on at least two levels. First there is great management information. Learning more about how the ideas we use now developed adds to my understanding. Second it is interesting historical information – I am not sure if it actually makes any difference in how I would … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Management Articles, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , ,

More on Non-Auto Toyota

Posted on July 7, 2006 by John Hunter

Toyota: Way, Way Off-Road [the broken link was removed] by Ian Rowley. Business Week has an article exploring the non-automotive Toyota, as we have mentioned previously: Toyota Robots – Toyota as Homebuilder – Toyota Engineers a New Plant: the Living Kind. Toyota controls dozens of businesses that have virtually nothing to do with automaking, ranging in size from resort developer Nagasaki Sunset Marina (77% owned by Toyota), with just five employees, to Toyota Financial Services Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary … Continue reading →

Posted in Innovation, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged | 2 Comments

Toyota Homes

Posted on July 4, 2006 by John Hunter

Live in your next Toyota [the broken link was removed]: Housing makes up less than 1% of Toyota’s $183 billion annual sales. But company officials say technology acquired from years of making cars is central to homebuilding Toyota style. A “smart key” similar to the car key you don’t need to take out of your pocket to unlock your Toyota opens and closes the front door. A mechanism for reducing engine noise and tremors is installed under the floor to … Continue reading →

Posted in Innovation, Management, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged | 1 Comment

Seminars by Toyota UK

Posted on July 3, 2006 by John Hunter

‘Increasing quality, efficiency and profitability via A Lean Approach’ is a series of six one day tour, seminar and workshop events at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire that focuses on the Toyota Production System (TPS) and Quality Management. Guests can choose from three workshops, HRM, Visual Control or Practical Problem Solving, and take part in a Q&A session with the speakers: Hein Van Gerwen, Managing Director; Carl Klemm, Deputy Managing Director; Clive Bridge, Corporate Affairs Director … Continue reading →

Posted in Manufacturing, Toyota Production System (TPS), UK | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Trust: Respect for People

Posted on June 30, 2006 by John Hunter

Respect for People [the broken link was removed*], Toyota.co.jp Respect for People has always been important to Toyota, and nowhere is this more evident than in the relationship among Toyota associates. … There has been only one exception to this rule throughout Toyota’s entire history. In June 1950, during a postwar period of great hardship in Japan, the company was forced to choose between corporate restructuring or risking complete collapse. Then-President Kiichiro Toyoda battled for months for the sake of … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Lean thinking, Management, Respect, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Toyota IT for Kaizen

Posted on June 22, 2006 by John Hunter

How Toyota Uses Information Technology (IT) for Kaizen [the broken link was removed] by Jon Miller. He quotes Toyota’s CIO from the Japanese article: Part of my job as CIO is to take on these company-wide issues and use this data to make improvement suggestions when I have an opportunity to meet with the managing executives. Of course, it requires more than me making suggestions for Toyota to make good use of IT. The departments who are the users of … Continue reading →

Posted in IT, Management, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Lessons From Visit to Toyota’s Kentucky Plant

Posted on May 27, 2006 by John Hunter

Construction Executive Lessons from the Toyota Visit [the broken link was removed] by Hal Macomber including: Stopping to fix the problem – jidoka – could lead to far fewer quality problems. … Establish standard work – the currently understood best way – for key project operations. … As leaders, involve yourself to ease the work of the project team members rather than operating in the illusion that you can control. via: Construction Executives Visit Toyota, Learn Kaizen [the broken link … Continue reading →

Posted in Management Articles, Manufacturing, Quality tools | Tagged ,

Shigeo Shingo’s Influence on TPS

Posted on May 12, 2006 by John Hunter

A very interesting article by Art Smalley based on an interview with Mr. Isao Kato: Shigeo Shingo’s Influence on TPS [the broken link was removed]. For those interested in the history of the Toyota Production System this article provides some excellent information. Some background on Isao Kato: As much as anyone alive Mr. Kato knows the history of TPS development from an insider’s point of view from the 1950’s forward. He also had working relationships with Mr. Ohno even more … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Management Articles, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Toyota in the US Economy

Posted on April 17, 2006 by John Hunter

Some figures on Toyota’s economic impact in the USA. Toyota North American vehicle manufacturing totals: From Toyota’s web site: Toyota Manufacturing in the USA [the broken link was removed]: by 2008, Toyota will have the annual capacity to build 1.81 million cars and trucks, 1.44 million engines, and 600,000 automatic transmissions in North America. The company’s direct employment in North America is more than 38,000 and direct investment is nearly $16.8 billion with annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Manufacturing, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Toyota Again Get Positive Press

Posted on April 7, 2006 by John Hunter

Toyota Eyes Chance to Pass by Anthony Faiola, Washington Post: The mainstream press continues to note the success of Toyota. Toyota has been toying with hybrid engines for the past 20 years. But the company began to seriously pursue a mass-producible hybrid in 1993. Ogiso, 45 years old and now the chief engineer on the third-generation Prius still under development, said the edict came from Eiji Toyoda, the patriarch of the Toyota family who headed the company until 1994. Ogiso … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Lean thinking, Management, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged

A Company’s Purpose is to be Useful to Society

Posted on April 2, 2006 by John Hunter

Toyota powers to the front [the broken link was removed] (Toyota President, Katsuaki Watanabe) eschews the normal management mantra of shareholder value above all. A company’s purpose, Watanabe insists, is to be useful to society. W. Edwards Deming described the purpose of an organization in New Economics, on page 51, as: The aim proposed here for any organization is for everybody to gain – stockholders, employees, suppliers, customers, community, the environment – over the long term. More from our previous … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Lean thinking, Management, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

People: Team Members or Costs

Posted on April 1, 2006 by John Hunter

Inside TPS at Toyota, Georgetown, Kentucky [the broken link was removed] by Ralph Rio: Toyota believes people need to be intimately involved with the process to understand how to improve it. The team member writes the standardized work they use because the person performing the work is the true expert. People are trusted to understand the process and improve it. Automation is used but is seen as a tool for helping people manage the process. This can be contrasted with … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Management, Systems thinking, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

What makes Toyota tick?

Posted on March 27, 2006 by John Hunter

Advanced Manufacturing magazine continues the focus on Toyota with a cover article, What Makes Toyota Tick? [the broken link was removed] by Vanessa Chris “Toyota has been coined ‘the most feared automaker in the industry.’” Just a few days ago I posted on: Fear Remains a Toyota Motivator. No matter what Toyota continues to be the focus of attention. Every aspect of the assembly process flows flawlessly into the next – making the plant’s 157 processes seem like one. Parts … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Manufacturing, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged

Fear Remains a Toyota Motivator

Posted on March 23, 2006 by John Hunter

First, don’t let the title fool you, this is not an indication Toyota is going against Deming’s obligation of management to “Drive out fear and build trust so that everyone can work effectively”. Deming was talking about driving out the fear management creates for employees intentionally (forced ranking…) and un-intentionally (creating a climate where people are more fearful of pointing out problems than just ignoring them…). See: Deming and Toyota. This article is talking about Toyota’s never ending quest to … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Lean thinking, Management, Management Articles, Psychology, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , ,

Deming and Toyota

Posted on March 17, 2006 by John Hunter

In response to Deming Electronic Network message, Deming and Toyota (broken link removed): I have read a few of the threads referring to Toyota and their success. I am somewhat familiar with the Toyota Production System (where Lean principles sprouted from), but I have often wondered if Toyota subscribed to all of Deming’s 14 points. I believe Toyota applied Deming’s ideas to create a management system and continued to develop that system to create the Toyota Production System (also known … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Management, Popular, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Toyota in China: Full Speed Ahead

Posted on March 10, 2006 by John Hunter

Toyota in China: Full Speed Ahead [the broken link was removed], Business Week. Yoshimi Inaba, who’s driving the Japanese auto maker’s expansion in the Middle Kingdom, discusses the Chinese market and his goals there. Toyota’s market share is just 3.5% in China, compared to 13% in the U.S. and more than 40% at home in Japan. We’re a minor player in the China market, with a 3.5% share, but we’re one of the few manufacturers where demand exceeds supply. Even … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Management, Manufacturing, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , | 1 Comment