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Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System
Abstract
The Toyota Production System is a paradox. On the one hand, every activity, connection, and production flow in a Toyota factory is rigidly scripted. Yet at the same time, Toyota's operations are enormously flexible and responsive to customer demand. How can that be? After an extensive four-year study of the system in more than 40 plants, the authors came to understand that at Toyota it's the very rigidity of the operations that makes the flexibility possible. That's because the company's operations can be seen as a continuous series of controlled experiments. Whenever Toyota defines a specification, it is establishing a hypothesis that is then tested through action. This approach-the scientific method-is not imposed on workers, it's ingrained in them. And it stimulates them to engage in the kind of experimentation that is widely recognized as the cornerstone of a learning organization. The Toyota Production System grew out of the workings of the company over 50 years, and it has never actually been written down. Making the implicit explicit, the authors lay out four principles that show how Toyota sets up all its operations as experiments and teaches the scientific method to its workers. The first rule governs the way workers do their work. The second the way they interact with one another. The third governs how production lines are constructed. An the last, how people learn to improve. Every activity, connection, and production path designed according to these rules must have built-in tests that signal problems immediately. And it is the continual response to those problems that makes this seemingly rigid system so flexible and adaptive to changing circumstances.
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... Errors, defects, or rework in products or (8)processes, result in wasted materials, time, and resources, as well as potential damage to reputation and customer satisfaction. ...
This study is comprehensive. It looks at how lean manufacturing concepts transform industrial processes. They make them efficient and cut waste. The study uses real-time data to back up its findings. The Toyota Production System is rooted in lean manufacturing. It emphasizes creating value, cutting waste, and improving. The research delves into key lean principles. These include just-in-time production, value stream mapping, 5S, and Kaizen. It also covers their practical use in many industrial settings. The method involves a detailed analysis of case studies and data. It uses real-time data from many manufacturing sectors. We used advanced data analytics and IoT (Internet of Things). They let us track and improve production in real time. They provided a dynamic view of lean implementation. This approach allowed for the quick finding and fixing of inefficiencies.
... They explored how corporate-wide improvement programmes could simultaneously enable the transformation of improvement work in multiple production sites. As exemplified, some scholars have shifted focus from successful practices at Toyota to studying the development of the Toyota Production System and the processes for company-specific adaptations (Fujimoto, 1999;Miyake, 2008;Netland, 2013;Spear & Bowen, 1999), sometimes referred to as company-specific production/excellence systems, called XPS (X for company name, PS for production system). ...
Purpose: This paper aims to explore and describe how companies manage the level of standardisation of improvement practices in a multisite context. It seeks to explain the managerial strategies applied to change the standardisation level in manufacturing companies with multiple production sites worldwide.Design/methodology/approach: This paper collects data through interviews, observations and company documents from a large multinational producing company and, specifically, from of the largest production sites in the company. The research design resembles a grounded theory approach by being reflexive and open to emerging themes. The standardisation strategy was analysed at a company that strived to increase the standardisation of problem-solving practices within about 20 production sites as part of their corporate lean programme.Findings: Several managerial tools were applied at the corporate level to increase the standardisation level of problem-solving practices, such as developing standards and a company-specific toolbox aligned with an in-house maturity model. In addition, deploying change leaders and global implementation targets enabled audits and progress. However, consequences at the production-site level became minor adaptations of standards, the design of training models as a "roll-out", and a resource-demanding implementation process.Originality/Value: This paper empirically demonstrates strategic tools that corporate management teams apply to influence the company's standardisation level of practices. The study describes the purpose and consequences of the design of the toolbox, maturity model, training model, and implementation targets, which aims to simplify the complex task of managing standardisation in a corporate group. By applying a knowledge-based view, four processes (i.e. adaptation, integration, upskilling, and learning) were identified to improve the management strategies in multisite contexts.
... With these capacity buffers as backup, Toyota could afford to run much leaner with respect to inventory. Furthermore, there has been much made of the use of "problem solvers" on the line at Toyota that are available whenever an operator has a problem (see Spear and Bowen 1999). This additional staff represents an even larger capacity buffer that was not available in the original system. ...
The terms pull and lean production have become cornerstones of modern manufacturing practice. However, although they are widely used, they are less widely understood. In this paper, we argue that while the academic literature has steadily revealed the richness of the pull/lean concepts, the practitioner literature has progressively simplified these terms to the point that serious misunderstandings now exist. In hopes of reducing confusion, we offer general, but precise definitions of pull and lean. Specifically, we argue that pull is essentially a mechanism for limiting WIP, and lean is fundamentally about minimizing the cost of buffering variability.
Book series on Medical Science gives the opportunity to students and doctors from all over the world to publish their research work in a set of Preclinical sciences, Internal medicine, Surgery and Public Health. This book series aim to inspire innovation and promote academic quality through outstanding publications of scientists and doctors. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners, and educators to publish the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Medical Science. It also provides a remarkable opportunity for the academic, research and doctors communities to address new challenges and share solutions and discuss future research directions.
Lean transformation in the US manufacturing industry aims to improve efficiency and competitiveness by reducing waste, implementing continuous improvement, and taking a customer-centric approach. However, various obstacles prevent the proper implementation of lean principles. This study identifies and tackles significant obstacles such as cultural resistance, insufficient training, mismatched organizational structures, and a lack of managerial commitment. Employees frequently perceive lean initiatives as threats to job security or an increase in workload, which leads to cultural resistance. Overcoming this requires cultivating a culture of trust, open communication, and integrating employees at all levels in the transformation process. Inadequate training is another important hurdle, as lean tools and processes require a thorough understanding to be effectively implemented. Investing in comprehensive and continuing training programs is critical to providing the workforce with the appropriate skills. Organizational structures that do not adhere to lean principles can impede transformation attempts. Realigning structures to encourage cross-functional collaboration and speed decision-making processes is critical. Furthermore, without strong management support, lean efforts may lose momentum and fail to persist. Leaders must provide unwavering support and actively participate in lean initiatives to inspire and drive change throughout the organization. This study focuses on best practices and tactics for overcoming these challenges, such as using change management approaches, creating pilot projects, and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement. By tackling these difficulties, US firms may increase efficiency, acquire a competitive advantage, and respond more quickly to market demands. The insights presented seek to help industry leaders navigate their lean transformation journeys successfully.
In recent years, Just-in-Time (JIT) inventory systems have drawn considerable interest in the field of operations management because of their potential to increase efficiency, decrease waste, and improve overall productivity. This paper presents a descriptive analysis of the implementation of Just-In-Time (JIT) inventory management at Ashok Leyland, a prominent player in the automotive industry. Through a comprehensive examination of the challenges faced, solutions adopted, and the overall success or failure of JIT implementation, this paper aims to provide valuable managerial insights for organizations considering or undergoing similar transformations. This research paper aims to explore the advantages and obstacles that come with implementing JIT inventory systems in various industries. By conducting a comprehensive review of existing literature, this study investigates the primary benefits of JIT systems, including reduced inventory costs, enhanced responsiveness to customer demands, and improved quality control. Additionally, the paper examines the difficulties and limitations that organizations face when adopting JIT practices, such as the need for accurate demand forecasting, reliable suppliers, and potential disruptions in the supply chain. Through a detailed analysis of empirical evidence and case studies, this research offers valuable insights into the factors that contribute to the successful implementation of JIT inventory systems and provides recommendations for overcoming common challenges.
Quality Assurance in higher education is a lean tool to improve the quality and performance of HEIs, including lecturer research performance. This study examines the effect of implementing Quality Assurance in higher education as a lean tool on the research culture and research performance of lecturers at Indonesia’s private HEIs. The data represent respondents’ perceptions of the research variable indicators. 184 questionnaires were suitable for processing. Data were collected from 184 lecturers from approximately 25 private HEIs in Jakarta, Indonesia. A 5-point Likert scale was used to measure indicators of research variables. Statistical data analysis was carried out using Structural Equation Modeling with the Smart-PLS ™ program. The results show that Quality Assurance as a lean tool has a significant impact on research performance (β = 0.643; p = 0.000) and research culture (β = 0.361; p = 0.000). Research culture affected research performance significantly (β = 0.281; p = 0.000), and research culture significantly mediates the effect of Quality Assurance as a lean tool on the research performance (β = 0.102; p = 0.010), and the effect is strong (Ѵ = 0.181). Research findings reveal that the successful implementation of Quality Assurance as a lean tool is determined more by organizational readiness than individual readiness; this is reflected in the existence of effective research centers. An effective research center will support the standardization of research processes through continuous improvement so that lecturers behave more actively in scientific activities and perform research more productively.
Organizations today are faced with the dual imperative of fostering both quality and innovation. The simultaneous pursuit of quality and innovation may introduce a paradox: achieving quality involves the promotion of a lean management climate, characterized by standardization, risk mitigation, waste reduction, and resource efficiency, while innovation necessitates a climate conducive to risk-taking, challenging established norms, accepting potential wastefulness, and allocating resources. We propose that problem-solving that encompasses the identification and resolution of disruptions and challenges can serve as a critical bridge between these two potentially conflicting climates. Results of a survey of 402 employees and their managers working in 53 teams in two organizations (a hospital and a high-tech company) demonstrated that when the level of problem-solving was low, the paradoxical relationship between high lean management and innovation climates impaired the teams' quality performance. Conversely, under higher levels of problem-solving, high lean management and innovation climates were associated with better quality performance. However, problem-solving did not solve the above-mentioned climates' paradoxical relationship regarding innovation performance, i.e., innovation performance was high when the innovation climate was higher and the lean management climate was lower. Future research and implications for practice are discussed.
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