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Posts Tagged ‘toyota production system


Ideas for Good program at Toyota (http://www.toyota.com/ideas-for-good/) Is Toyota Applying the Suggestion System to Society? First, we know that Toyota’s principles are oriented to the good of society.  In their own words: Toyota has sought harmony between people, society, and the global environment, as well as the sustainable development of society, through manufacturing. Since its foundation, Toyota has continuously worked to contribute to the sustainable development of society through provision of innovative and high-quality products and services that lead the times. http://www2.toyota.co.jp/en/vision/index.html ... 

Direct Observation | Stand Here The Power of Direct Observation - the Three Gs I am constantly reminded of the importance and power of using direct observation or what the KCOE System calls the Three Gs: Go and see, Get the facts and Grasp the situation. As a father of four, I often shoot from the hip and make decisions without a good grasp of the situation.  Let’s face it: it is a lot easier to say “no” than to deal with the effects and stress  of saying “yes”.  Still, if my mandate is to train my kids up in the way they should go, I often set aside my mandate for my personal gain... 

Assuming that all of us would answer that question differently and that we would most likely say that we are doing OK, but are not yet world class, we need next to consider the gap between our current condition and ideal and develop what I call the target condition. Let’s face it: we won’t become world class overnight.  It takes time and a lot of hard work.  We shouldn’t just shrug the shoulders and go back to business as usual, as comfortable as that may be. Rather, we need to develop a target condition, one that we develop while aiming at the ideal, world class. Before we do that, however,... 

One of the most common “push backs” I encounter as an Operational Excellence coach is when we first introduce simple, individual, “five why” problem solving.  I encourage my teams by telling them not to worry about solving problems; I tell them to just fill out problem solving sheets.  Lots of them. Shortly, a top leader will take me aside and tell me that I really didn’t mean that…did I? Of course I did!  Why would I want them to solve problems when the organization doesn’t have a simple, standard problem solving tool?  How will we ever make quantum... 

(This is the fourth installment from a speech given at SMC Business Councils a few weeks ago. You can see the previous installments by clicking this SMC Speech tag.  The result will give you all the posts.) Around the time when Womack was publishing the first version of Lean Thinking, the seminal Toyota plant in North America, the one they built in Georgetown, Kentucky was celebrating its tenth anniversary.  Some of its earliest leaders were moving on to different and new seasons and careers. Some of those early leaders went on to show organizations how to implement the Toyota Production System. ... 


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