12/20/2023 0 Comments Tps lean![]() ![]() These intuitions – obsessions, one could probably say – are distinctive and, I believe, sent the whole lean movement through its specific evolutionary path. I’ve been collecting Ohno anecdotes over the years and I’ve come to believe that TPS is the codification and enrichment of a few strong intuitions Taiichi Ohno had and strengthened in his time on the shop floor. In essence, TPS specifies which kind of problems to solve through kaizen. The aim is complete customer satisfaction in terms of quality, delivery and cost, and to do so we need to improve (1) our jidoka – spotting a defect, stopping and fixing the problem right there and then, and (2) our just-in-time conditions – essentially getting closer and closer to takt time by leveling, pulling and producing in single piece flow, by (3) getting operators involved in redesigning their own workstations through standardized work and kaizen. Whereas many companies do “open-eye” kaizen (look around and if you see something that needs fixing, do so), or savings related kaizen (the essence of six-sigma with a clear business benefit per project), kaizen in lean is directed by the principles of TPS. One is the sum of Toyota’s actual shop floor practices and the other was originally defined as “a series of related activities aimed at the elimination of waste in order to reduce cost, improve quality, and improve productivity” (in Art Smalley’s translation of Taiichi Ohno’s introduction to the very first TPS leaflet). As John Shook pointed out one should not confuse Toyota’s system of production with the Toyota Production System. To a large extent, I see lean as a system to support individual kaizen. Many companies have continuous improvement programs in one shape or form, but few have developed it to Toyota’s extent – or had the results Toyota did from it. Of course, there is more to lean than kaizen, you are right. Thank you for asking this question and giving me the opportunity to clarify. Isn’t it simplistic? Is that all there is to it? What about TPS? “Standards should not be forced down from above but rather set by the production workers themselves.In the webinar, you’ve defined LEAN = KAIZEN + RESPECT. Only when the problem is resolved does the line begin to move again.” ~ Akio Toyoda “For much of Toyota’s history, we have ensured the quality and reliability of our vehicles by placing a device called an andon cord on every production line – and empowering any team members to halt production if there’s an assembly problem. “A bad system will beat a good person every time.” ~ W. Costs exist to be reduced.” ~ Taiichi Ohno, Father of the Toyota Production System
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