Perspectives from Toyota's Plant Floor

... Insights on Toyota defects from shop floor work teams.

Toyota Problem Tracking

Problem tracking processes enable insights into unanticipated use cases, errors, and flaws. ...

... "If you put a lot of parts together to form a complex electromechanical machine and make it talk to itself via software, it can behave, sometimes, in ways you cannot anticipate. " ...

Via washingtonpost: Toyota

Toyota Product Quality Changes includes Chief Quality Officers by Region

Toyota discusses corrective actions and approach to their recent quality-related experience. ...

... "Measures for improving product quality: TMC will appoint a person to the post of chief quality officer for each principal geographical region to make the company more alert to customer sentiment. Such officers will serve on the company’s newly established Special Committee for Global Quality. That committee, to be headed by TMC’s president, is for steering the company’s quality-improvement activities onto a new and higher plane. The Special Committee for Global Quality will hold its first meeting on March 30. " ...

Via Toyota: Quality-Related Matters

Lean Kaizen Contrast

#lean A look at cultural implications of lean and living the enterprise mission ...

Comparison of Toyota and J&J culture by BatesHook: "They were so focused on grabbing the title of world’s largest automaker that they completely forget about their principles that made them such a respected brand ... "

Kaizen DNA

Toyota deals with its quality problems by initiating another recall. The company's president apologizes for the situation and acknowledges that the automaker is not perfect. ...

... "Whenever we find flaws or mistakes we make sure to correct them ... That's part of our kaizen (continuous improvement) DNA, he added. " ...

Via Wall Street Journal: Toyota Recall, Prius Hybrids

Kaizen Time during Toyota Downtime

With the production line stopped, Toyota workers can implement their continuous improvement ideas from their kaizen events. ...

... "They will be offered the opportunity to do training exercises or discuss ways they can improve their processes, the kaizen concept for which Toyota is famed. " ...

Via Kentucky dot com: KY Toyota workers

The Human Side of Lean

Toyota president shows the human side of leadership. Will any of his peers emulate this? ...

... "It was agonizing to decide to cease production at a California plant this year, after General Motors, its partner in the venture, decided to pull out. " ...

Via New York Times: The Apologetic Toyota Chief

Toyota Kaizen Challenge Winner

Toyota North American Parts Organization recognizes YRC Worldwide with its Kaizen Challenge Award for continuous improvement. Toyota leverages kaizen practices among its suppliers as part of the company's production system, TPS.

... "The 2008 Kaizen Challenge award recognizes YRC Worldwide for developing a plan to improve delivery efficiency for oversized and heavy parts such as truck beds, truck frames, drive trains, transmissions and engines from parts distribution centers and vendors to Toyota dealers throughout the country. Plan elements included nationwide implementation of a standard process for equipment placement and material handling and a customer service process to coordinate delivery service with dealers. As a result of this process, damage claims and injuries were virtually eliminated. " ...

Via YRC Worldwide: Honor from Toyota NAPO

Toyota Quality in Manufacturing

Kaizen Muda Intro

Lean Principles Implementation

To confront global competition, Strasser Woodenworks implements lean principles and has seen benefits from lower inventory requirements and higher quality. ...

... "Hedreen had visited Japan in 2000, on a tour of a lean Toyota plant, and had already started to implement lean principles even before Welke visited China. Now, Welke said, they’re continuing to push the company to further improve. " ...

Via Puget Sound Business Journal: Strasser Woodenworks

Kaizen Success Approach

Toyota's relentless drive for continuous improvement through kaizen is discussed. ...

... "The answer has a lot to do with another distinctive element of Toyota's approach: defining innovation as an incremental process, in which the goal is not to make huge, sudden leaps but, rather, to make things better on a daily basis. " ...

Via The New Yorker: Secret of Success

Toyota Kaizen Way Improves Customer Service

Toyota exec shares insights on Toyota and its kaizen principles. ...

... "Our customer service philosophy is fix it right the first time and to have lifelong customers. The term kaizen is one of the pillars of the Toyota way. " ...

Via The Augusta Chronicle: Toyota exec

Toyota Kaizen Carries Through to Motorsports

Toyota uses kaizen techniques to coordinate continuous improvement across its motorsports teams. The teams have confronted major challenges with this mindset. The knowledge of new race teams is leveraged across the organization. ...

... "Kaizen, a Japanese term commonly translated as continuous improvement, has been the ethos for Toyota's Motorsports operation. The way kaizen is achieved by the various teams in all three levels of NASCAR racing is by working together as one as much as possible. " ...

Via FOX Sports: NASCAR

Toyota Kaizen Works in Vietnam

Kaizen principles can be successfully deployed anywhere in the world. Toyota replicates its success in Vietnam. ...

... "Regular kaizen (innovation) and optimization of all resources, especially supplying networks, have helped TMV provide customers with good products and services at reasonable prices. " ...

Via Saigon Times: Toyota Vietnam

Toyota Recognizes Kaizen Suppliers

J.B. Hunt is recognized by Toyota as its Large Carrier of the Year for 2006. ...

... "In addition, Toyota scores each carrier on its ability to embrace and culturally implement Kaizen, Toyota's methodology for continuous improvement. J.B. Hunt has taken significant steps to eliminate waste from its own operations and further improve Toyota's supply chain processes by ensuring the production facilities receive the right amount of product at the right time. This is accomplished by utilizing a unique blend of intermodal and traditional truckload movements that provide Toyota with an on-time percentage greater than 99%. " ...

Via Toyota: Toyota Recognizes J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. with the Prestigious 2006 Large Carrier of the Year Award

Toyota Kaizen Poised to Eclipse GM

Toyota, built on a foundation of kaizen, is set to eclipse GM based on its business plan forecast for 2007. ...

... "Toyota's rise also would prove a victory of sorts for its unique corporate culture, the so-called Toyota Way, which is rooted in an obsession with craftsmanship and constant improvement, or kaizen. " ...

Via St Louis Today: Business

Toyota Kaizen Culture: Texas Style

Toyota Texas plant builds new Tundra truck with kaizen culture ...

... "Reminders of the automaker's culture of kaizen -- or continuous improvement -- are everywhere as workers with Team Texas badges run slow-speed test production of the Tundra ... " ...

Via Reuters UK: Link

Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce info on Toyota Texas Plant ...

Kaizen Toyota Corolla Dependabiity ...

Toyota Corolla's dependability is a result of relentless focus on continuous improvement through kaizen. ...

... "Every process -- from assembly operations to the paint shop, from bringing in parts to loading finished cars on trucks or trains -- has been refined. Toyota calls it kaizen, or continuous improvement. " ...

Via SanJose Mercury: The bestselling car ever

Kaizen System: Perform to the Next Level ...

The lean kaizen approach to continuous improvement is just what the doctor ordered to enable an organization to achieve the next level of performance. Article discusses the successful formula applied by Toyota and other manufacturing companies, that can translate to organizations in other industries. ...

... "Based on Kaizen, which means continuous improvement, it is a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste. " ...

Via American Venture Magazine: When you are on the Plateau ...

Kaizen Delivery Improvement Recognized by Toyota ...

Toyota recognizes the Hub Group for reducing its variability in on-time delivery. Hub's achievement in delivery improvement is celebrated by Toyota with its Kaizen Challenge Award. The two companies worked collaboratively to enable this accomplishment. ...

... "Hub Group, Inc. has been awarded Toyota's prestigious North American Parts Operations (NAPO) 2006 Kaizen Challenge Award. Kaizen is a critical component of the Toyota Production System (TPS) management practice, and this award recognizes Hub Group not only for its ability to work in partnership with Toyota management, but for significant performance and efficiency improvements achieved in product deliveries to Toyota's U.S. Parts Delivery Centers (PDCs) across the country.

The kaizen team, comprised of both Hub Group and Toyota professionals, was able to significantly reduce bunching (the tendency for inbound container volumes arriving at PDCs to fluctuate unevenly throughout the week), improve on-time performance (from not-late to not-late and not-early), and to reduce costs by eliminating rail detention and storage for the Toyota PDCs. As a result of the success of this initiative, additional Toyota PDCs have been added to the program. Since Kaizen is a continuing process, further improvements will be explored and documented throughout Toyota’s PDC system. " ...

Via Hub Group: Hub Group Earns Toyota 2006 Kaizen Challenge Award

Hub Group, Inc. is a leading asset-light freight transportation management company providing comprehensive intermodal, truckload brokerage and logistics services.

Kaizen: Sony Toyota Quality Problems

Revered for their kaizen quality programs, Toyota and Sony suffer from quality problems ...

... "For a time, American and European executives flocked here to learn Japanese quality-control concepts like kaizen, or improvement. " ...

Via International Herald Tribune: Recalls by Toyota and Sony shock Japan's pride ...

Toyota Kaizen Cultural Strength ...

Toyota's culture enables its kaizen success ...

... "Some of its strengths are cultural ones shared by the best Japanese companies. These include a respect for lifelong learning that aids kaizen, or continuous improvement. In addition, a consensus management style, combined with a Confucian respect for hierarchy, allows the rapid implementation of decisions. " ...

Toyota Kaizen Cultural Strength: Via Autoweek: The Roots of Toyota's Strength ...

Toyota Kaizen Obeya Room ...

Delphi Corporation and The Furukawa Electric Company collaborate to support Toyota's R&D and manufacturing divisions with a new facility, local staff, and a kaizen strategy for success. ...

... "The facility allows for greater flexibility in creating a tailored product for Toyota, which is strengthened by close contact and coordination. The facility also has an Obeya room where a cross-functional team can come together to solve problems quickly as part of Toyota's Kaizen approach to project management. " ...

Toyota Kaizen Obeya Room: Via Delphi: Delphi Furukawa Opens Customer Service Center in Ann Arbor ...

Definition of Obeya room ...

Via Lean Product Development from TBM Consulting Group - The Process: "Obeya: Big room – bringing all the people into one room to make critical decisions. "

The Toyota Way: Via Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "They are no more obvious than in the project room, or obeya where concise charts show the state of the project."

Lean 5S Tool Upgraded ...

Lean Toolkit upgraded ...

... "Kaizen Products LLC released its 5S ActionPack product upgrade. Designed to serve those getting started in Toyota Production System methods, the $349.00 multi-media training kit is now available. The 5S principles are a fundamental tool of the Toyota Production System, recognized world wide as a model of operational excellence. The 5S practice of Sort, Straighten, Sweep, Standardize and Self-Discipline are essential to establishing and maintain safety, quality, on-time delivery and productivity in any workplace. " ...

Lean 5S Tool Upgraded: Kaizen Products Releases 5S ActionPack Upgrade – Designed for the Lean Manufacturing DIY Market, New Version Contains Quick Reference Guides, Wallet Cards and Red Tags ...

Toyota Kaizen Improvement Leads in Stamping Labor Productivity ...

Toyota kaizen process allows its to maintain leadership in productivity measures, according to recent Harbour Consulting report North American automaker performance. ...

... "Toyota again led in stamping labor productivity, although its 1.42 stamping hours per vehicle degraded 3.6% from 2004. Toyota regained the lead in press productivity with a record 792 average parts per hour. Harbour uses a stamping index that weighs each of several measures in a process that creates a composite score of stamping productivity. On that basis, Toyota's Cambridge stamping shop ranked first, followed by Toyota Georgetown, Honda East Liberty, Honda Marysville and Toyota Princeton. Of the 10 best stamping plants, Toyota had three; Honda, two; DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Nissan and NUMMI, one each. In total stamping labor productivity Nissan ranked third, behind CAMI, with 2.11 HPV. Chrysler Group was fifth (behind NUMMI), improving 6.7% to 2.64 HPV. As in assembly, Toyota is among the best in the industry, said Harbour. It is not a matter of spending more than competitors. It reflects regular kaizen improvement activities and the flexibility that comes with well coordinated engineering and manufacturing. Ford has also shown a renewed commitment to upgrade its stamping technology after several years of limited investment, and its performance is showing a steady climb despite aging equipment. " ...

Via Harbour Consulting: PRODUCTIVITY GAP AMONG NORTH AMERICAN AUTOMAKERS NARROWS IN HARBOUR REPORT 2006 (PDF) ...

Toyota Kaizen Supplier Awards ...

CHD Meridian is recognized for kaizen supplier performance by Toyota. ...

... "A supplier for nearly seven years, CHD Meridian was honored by TMMK with the Supplier Kaizen Award for continuous improvement. Meridian provides TMMK team members with on-site health care, occupational health, acute and emergency care and oversees the operation of our pharmacy. Meridian recently participated in a practical kaizen activity in which they completed a standardized work assessment for all health centers at TMMK. " ...

Toyota Kaizen Supplier Awards: Via TMMK Toyota Georgetown: Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky Honors Ten Suppliers: Seven Suppliers from Kentucky ...

Kaizen Improvement: Toyota Prius Project ...

Toyota kaizen at the heart of the Prius project ...

... "In many ways, the Prius project appears to be a textbook example of Toyota's much-vaunted, much-imitated internal management system and its mantra of kaizen, or continuous improvement, in which top executives steadily ratchet up performance standards for their employees, while also listening closely to suggestions and emphasizing consensus. " ...

Kaizen Improvement: Toyota Prius Project: Via Scripps Howard: Successful gamble with Prius fuels Toyota's trendsetter image ...

Kaizen Energy Efficiency Plan ...

Kaizen enables energy efficiency plan ...

... "This not only saves time, it also gives the energy plan instant credibility. As examples, Toyota uses its Kaizen-based continuous improvement process. " ...

Kaizen Energy Efficiency Plan: Energy Expert: A sound energy business plan: Via Plant Services ...

Kaizen Pursuit Continuous Improvement ...

Toyota's foundation is kaizen, the pursuit of continuous improvement ...

... "Toyota's principles are reflected in the production methods it made famous, such as kaizen, or continuous pursuit of improvement, which means workers on the ground are entrusted and empowered to figure out better ways of making cars and fixing problems on the line. " ...

Kaizen Pursuit Continuous Improvement: Toyota workers learn knack of auto production in new global push: Via MSN-Mainichi Daily News ...

Kaizen: Toyota Idea Bank ...

Toyota leverages kaizen process to fill its idea bank for implementation of continuous improvement opportunities. ...

... "Toyota also brought to the wider business world the concept of kaizen or continuous improvement, which puts a duty on every employee to contribute ideas on how the production process can be made better. " ...

Kaizen: Toyota Idea Bank: Via Times Online: Toyota powers to the front ...

Kaizen Worker Lean Manufacturing System ...

Workers adopt kaizen principles and leverage in the lean manufacturing system. ...

... "San Pedro helped eliminate that tough weld by bringing in a robot to do the job. His focus on safety is part of the Toyota Production System at the Fremont plant. The so-called lean manufacturing system uses Japanese terms and culture to emphasize worker protection and efficiency in building cars.
San Pedro calls himself a kaizen worker ... " ...

Kaizen Worker Lean Manufacturing System: Via Alameda Times-Star: NUMMI always a step ahead when it comes to workers' health ...

Kaizen Improves Safety Performance ...

Great article on the application of kaizen to the improvement of safety performance. Christopher D. Chapman educates us on kaizen. ...

... "Kaizen, a systematic approach and problem-solving tool adopted from the Toyota Production System (TPS), is aimed at quickly implementing low-cost improvements that result in measurable impact. It can be used to enhance your safety program effectiveness exponentially. While kaizen traditionally and primarily has focused on production and efficiency numbers, it can effectively be shifted to improving safety and ergonomics.
" ...

Kaizen Improves Safety Performance: Via Occupational Hazards: Using Kaizen to Improve Safety and Ergonomics ...

Kaizen Right Even in Good Times per Toyota ...

Toyota emphasizes kaizen even in good times ...

... "There is no end to kaizen (improvement) even if the business performance is very favorable, said a Toyota executive. " ...

Kaizen Right Even in Good Times per Toyota: Cost cuts Toyota's top priority

Kaizen Improvement Theme ...

... "The center will have facilities that feature Toyota's management theme kaizen, which means improvement, Chigara told reporters at the company's annual media conference yesterday ... " ...

Kaizen Improvement Theme: Via The Korea Herald: Toyota aims to sell 6,500 Lexus cars ...

Toyota Kaizen Techniques at Production Center ...

Kaizen techniques are the cornerstone of Toyota production center ...

... "The North American Production Support Center is aimed at fostering skilled factory workers, who are capable of adequately supervising and managing the process of production with its techniques on production efficiency, such as kaizen. " ...

Toyota Kaizen Techniques at Production Center: Toyota Opens Kentucky Ouput Center: Via Motor Trend News

SixSigma Efficiency Model in the British Automotive Industry ...

Terry Murden explores the methods of Stuart Ross, a veteran of Six Sigma and Kaizen ...

... "Toyota claims to have developed the principles after the war and Nissan adopted them, introducing the concept of minimum waste and maximum efficiency to its new plant in Sunderland in the 1980s at a time when the British car industry was plagued with over-manning and underperformance. Kaizen and lean manufacturing are similar in concept, while Six Sigma, another efficiency model is driven more by technical improvements. " ...

SixSigma Efficiency Model in the British Automotive Industry: Via Scotsman Business: The man who would save Scottish industry ...

Kaizen Continuous Progress: Sakichi Toyoda ...

Formula 1 racing rules constrain innovation on new models. Toyota announces its Formula 1 model and utilizes the continuous improvement process of kaizen to produce new Formula 1 cars. Lessons are learned and incorporated into the design of subsequent models. Article explores the challenges of Formula 1 car design and the convergence on the kaizen method of improvement to innovate. ...

... "The Japanese say that this is part of the Toyota philosophy of continuous progress - known as kaizen - which has been part of the company's traditions since Sakichi Toyoda watched his mother and grandmother weaving cloth by hand and invented a series of weaving machines which not only speeded up the process enormously but eventually stopped automatically if the threads broke. " ...

Kaizen Continuous Progress: Sakichi Toyoda: Via GrandPrix: The shape of things to come?

Kaizen: Lean Staffing Techniques

In a competitive market, kaizen and lean staffing techniques can be a competitive edge. Marla Dickerson explores the techniques of cola maker Ajegroup who know how to compete in the marketplace. ...

... "Lean staffing is another cost-cutting tool. Spokesman Paredes said the company's modern equipment, coupled with so-called kaizen, or continuous improvement, techniques, have helped it reduce the number of workers on each of the Huejotzingo plant's seven production lines to eight, which he says is fewer than half that of a typical bottling facility. " ...

Kaizen: Lean Staffing Techniques: In Mexico, Taking Fizz Out of the Cola Giants - Via Los Angeles Times

Additional resources on lean staffing techniques:

Kaizen Rapid Process | Lean Thinking | Lean and the Environment | Via EPA: "Kaizen, or rapid improvement processes, often is considered to be the building block of all lean production methods. Kaizen focuses on eliminating waste, improving productivity, and achieving sustained continual improvement in targeted activities and processes of an organization. Lean production is founded on the idea of kaizen or continual improvement. This philosophy implies that small, incremental changes routinely applied and sustained over a long period result in significant improvements. "

Feature Article - Building Better Powertrains Through Lean Approaches at Toyota: "The addition of three machinists known as the 'kaizen team' swells the ranks to a grand total of 17. And this kind of lean staffing exists throughout TMMWV. Toyota can operate in this mode because of a single-minded pursuit of the lean practices of the Toyota Production System (TPS). "

Via OnDemandJournal: "There is no greater roadblock to continuous improvement than a person who is fighting to keep a job that's not needed, especially if he's in a management role. Since small businesses already have lean staffing, that's less likely to be a problem. "

Kaizen Mindset: Higher Targets ...

Seizo Okamoto, Toyota Motor Corp exec, provides his perspective on the Toyota Production System, TPS, and the challenge of creating the kaizen mindset through higher targets. ...

Kaizen Mindset: Higher Targets: Via American International Automobile Dealers: Indiana plant president passes on lessons ...

... "What's the most difficult aspect of the Toyota Production System to grasp? A. Kaizen -- it's not easy to maintain continuous improvement. You have to motivate [people] to have the kaizen mind-set. Then management has to give them higher targets, and then higher targets. " ...

Toyota Kaizen: Enterprise DNA ...

The Panasonic Toyota Racing team embraces the kaizen method, which is part of the Toyota enteprise DNA. ...

Toyota Kaizen: Enterprise DNA: Via Auto Racing Daily: Panasonic Toyota Racing - Panasonic Toyota Racing set to test TF106 in Barcelona ...

... "Toyota in More Ways The TF106 is a natural evolution of its predecessor and an embodiment of Kaizen (continuous improvement), which forms an integral part of the global Toyota DNA. " ...

Kaizen: Heart of the Toyota Production System ...

Toyota Motor Corp. continues its push in automotive leadership, leveraging kaizen methods. ...

Kaizen: Heart of the Toyota Production System: Via Detroit News: Relentless-Toyota is poised to overtake GM, but here's the scariest part: Now it's stepping on the gas.

... "At the heart of the renowned Toyota Production System are two principles: kaizen, or continuous improvement, and respect for people. U.S. automakers first saw the system in action after Toyota formed a manufacturing venture in California with GM in 1984. " ...

Kaizen Team Wins Competition ...

Kaizen Team Wins Competition: Via Surface Mount Technology (SMT): Toyota Philosophy Being Adapted to Electronics Industry

... "Armed with spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations - and with the war whoop kaizen! - they claimed victory. And they took home a $10,000 grand prize. " ...

Kaizen Necessary But Not Sufficient at Delphi ...

Delphi's kaizen and lean manufacturing implementation was necessary, but not sufficient to keep it out of bankruptcy. Kevin Farley explores the Delphi bankruptcy situation and the strides made by the company in its lean enterprise transformation. ...

Kaizen Necessary But Not Sufficient at Delphi: Via Bangkok Post: Even Lean wasn't enough at Delphi

... "Delphi retained the very best ex-Toyota sensei, pursued kaizen with a vengeance, and took out billions of dollars of operating costs. " ...

Kaizen Events: Positive Impact on Internal Process ...

Through the use of kaizen events, TG Fluid Systems was able to improve visibility, organize its workspace, reduce excess inventory, better utilize its workspace, and better fulfill customer orders. ...

Kaizen Events: Positive Impact on Internal Process: Via NIST: TG Fluid Systems USA: MEP Providing Hands-On Help to TG Fluid Systems ...

... "MMTC Lean specialists assisted TG Fluid in implementing the Toyota Production System values throughout the company. Lean Business Solutions allowed TG Fluid to align management personnel with the Lean ideology, and individual kaizen events and champion training allowed designated employees to see first hand the positive impact Lean methods have on internal processes. MMTC staff worked with TG Fluid material handlers to identify improvement targets. Results were immediate. " ...

Kaizen in Public Service: New Mesa Manager ...

Justin Juozapavicius provides update on Mesa's city manager, Christopher J. Brady, who values the kaizen philosohpy of continuous improvement. ...

Kaizen in Public Service: New Mesa Manager : Via Arizona Republic: Mesa names new city manager

... "Brady, who is credited with landing a Toyota Manufacturing plant in San Antonio, and 2,000 jobs with it, said he adheres to the Japanese company's philosophy of Kaizen, which means continuous improvement. " ...

Kaizen: Toyota Ethos Constant Improvement ...

Doron Levin explores Toyota Motor Corporation's ethos of constant improvement: Kaizen, which is making business challenging for Detroit automakers. ...

Kaizen: Toyota Ethos Constant Improvement: Via Shanghai Daily: How to get more than 100 percent - ask Toyota

... "Breakthroughs in factory efficiency at Toyota are rarely big. Gain comes from countless little tweaks, encouraged by the automaker's ethos of constant improvement, known as kaizen in Japanese. " ...

Customer Value Leadership: Kaizen Jidoka

Leadership is required to drive major transformation. John Baldoni explores the leadership competencies associated with the Toyota production system, based on driving customer value through kaizen and jidoka.

Customer Value Leadership: Kaizen Jidoka: Via CIO: Leading from Within ...

... "Toyota managers and employees operate on principles of just in time delivery, jidoka (quality) and kaizen (continuous improvement). All of these endeavors are focused to do one thing: Deliver value to the customer-value that the customer desires, wants and will pay for. " ...

Lean Six Sigma Methodology: Kaizen Competition

Lean Six Sigma Methodology: Kaizen Competition: Via Solectron: Solectron Drives Lean Six Sigma Manufacturing to its Suppliers: First Annual Award Judges Include Lean author, Jim Womack and Toyota Production System Expert Chichiro Nakao-San ...

Solectron drives operational efficiency through kaizen competition using its own flavor of the Lean Six Sigma Methodology ...

... "Solectron announced the Penang, Malaysia, facility as the winner of Solectron's first annual Global SPS Kaizen Competition. SPS is the company's industry-leading Lean Six Sigma methodology for continuous manufacturing improvement in quality and efficiency. Solectron employees have completed more than 5,000 Kaizens, a Japanese term that means continuous improvement, this year throughout its global operations. ... Entries for the contest were submitted from over 50 Solectron sites around the world. From those entries, 11 finalists from Europe, Asia and the Americas gathered in San Jose, Calif., to recognize the winner. Judges included Jim Womack, founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute and co-author of Lean Thinking and Chichiro Nakao-San, who spent over 30 years at Toyota Corporation refining its ground-breaking manufacturing methodology. ... Solectron's 2005 Supplier Day formally launched Solectron's Lean supplier program, which forms the foundation of Solectron's vision to deliver competitive supply chain solutions to its customers. The one-day event included breakout sessions on Lean 101, an introduction to the Solectron Production System; Solectron's Lean supply chain program; an overview of increasing customer value through design and engineering for Lean production; and Lean deployment from a supplier perspective. " ...

Solectron provides a full range of global manufacturing and supply-chain management services to the world's premier high-tech companies. Solectron's offerings include new-product design and introduction services, materials management, product manufacturing, and product warranty and end-of-life support. The company is based in Milpitas, Calif., and had sales from continuing operations of $11.64 billion in fiscal 2004.

Toyota TPS Kaizen Concepts ...

U.S.-Japan Investment Initiative ...

... "Toyota Motor Corporation has expanded local production in the U.S. since starting production in 1986 at New UnitedMotor Manufacturing (NUMMI) in California, a Toyota/General Motors joint venture. As a result of the expansion, localproduction reached 990,000 units, and North America-made vehicles accounted for 59.2% of their U.S. sales in 2002. Itcontributed to the U.S. economy and employment, as well as to improvement of production efficiency in the U.S.automobile industry through introduction of the Toyota production system, such as the concept of Kaizen. Theircumulative U.S. investment has reached $12 billion and they directly employ 30,000 workers. Moreover, in February 2003 they announced a plan to construct a fourth U.S. vehicle assembly plant (for pickup trucks)in San Antonio, Texas by 2006. After beginning operation of the plant in 2006, their production capacity in the U.S. willreach 1.35 million units, their cumulative U.S. investment will become $13 billion, and they will employ 32,000 workers.In addition to the fact that Texas is the top U.S. truck market, an enthusiastic welcome from state and local governmentscontributed to the decision to construct of theplant in Texas. The state and local governments coordinated the initiativeto assemble a package of state and local financial incentives to attract the plant." ...

Fujio Cho Kaizen Principles ...

Fujio Cho Kaizen Principles: Toyota CEO Fujio Cho is Named FORTUNE's Asia Businessman of the ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... The dilemma, says Chandler, is how to maintain the pace without diluting what Toyota executives call their corporate DNA--a principle called kaizen, the notion ...

... FORTUNE announced today that Fujio Cho, CEO of Toyota, is the Asia Businessman of the Year. Cho leads a company whose model lineup features some of the U.S. market's most popular vehicles. Smart products and a sterling reputation for quality have lifted Toyota's share of the U.S. market to 12%, and many industry analysts predict it will soon pass DaimlerChrysler to join the ranks of the U.S. Big Three. Cho earns FORTUNE's nomination for his near flawless execution of Toyota's plan for global expansion. The story, "Full Speed Ahead," appears in the February 7 issue of FORTUNE, on newsstands January 24 and at www.fortune.com. ...

Additional resources on Fujio Cho's kaizen principles ...

Psychology of Change: File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat ... You only learn it by taking the principles into your ... Assuming you can do a week-long kaizen each month ... change comes from an analogy by Fujio Cho, former head of ...

The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way: An Executive Summary: File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat ... Fujio Cho, President Toyota (from the Toyota Way document ... use a continuous improvement process (kaizen) to eliminate ... select few of the Toyota Way principles. ...

Human Resources Development: the following five key principles sum up ... employee conduct guidelines: Challenge, Kaizen (improvement), Genchi ... TMC President Fujio Cho is the Toyota Institute's ...

Lean Kaizen Training: Lean Manufacturing Workshops Help Southern Industry Compete

From Yahoo News (press release) ... Value-Stream Mapping (Nov. 30): Learn a fundamental initial step that creates the blueprint for applying other lean tools and running kaizen events. NEW! ...

Training workshops from LEI focus on how to implement key lean manufacturing tools, which will enable industry to drive operational efficiency success ...

... Regional lean manufacturing training from the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), will help industry and suppliers cut costs, improve profits, and defend jobs by eliminating waste. ...

The Lean Enterprise Institute is a nonprofit training, publishing, and research organization founded by James Womack, PhD, in August 1997. It has developed simple but powerful tools for implementing a set of ideas known as lean production and lean thinking, based initially on the Toyota Production System and now extended to an entire Lean Business System.

The Kaizen Approach: Taking Toyota to a New Place on the Web, PlanetKaizen

From Yahoo News (press release) ... to the public.". The name PlanetKaizen was inspired by Toyota's dedication to continuous improvement, or kaizen. While Toyota is ...

... Toyota is peeling back the metal on its cars and trucks to divulge the inner workings and engineering advances on its vehicles to auto enthusiasts via a new website, PlanetKaizen (www.toyota.com/planetkaizen). PlanetKaizen is an entirely new interactive direction for Toyota to share its rich heritage and product innovations to enthusiasts who pore over car magazines, spend hours surfing the Internet for automotive information each week and serve as "car gurus" to their friends and relatives. ...

... Learn about the Kaizen approach on Toyota's new website, PlanetKaizen. There are many interesting reference materials on the Toyota production system and kaizen techniques.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion in the United States, marketing products and services through a network of 1415 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers in 49 states. Established in 1957, TMS and its subsidiaries also are involved in distribution logistics, motorsports, R&D and general aviation.

Six Sigma Kaizen: Toyota Maker Hidehiko "TJ" Tajima

From San Antonio Express, TX ... and corporate culture to a new work force not used to concepts such as compulsory overtime and shared responsibility for implementing kaizen — a Japanese ...

Kaizen Software: Toyota Australia names Vignette as exclusive supplier of web ...

From Computerworld Australia, Australia ... Toyota's kaizen (continuous improvement) philosophy means that we are always striving to find new ways to enhance interactions with customers and partners. ...

" ... Toyota Australia has named Vignette as a Trusted Partner in a deal that positions Vignette as the exclusive supplier of web content management software solutions to Toyota Australia for the next four years ... "

Toyota Motor Corporation Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan. In Australia, the company sells approximately 186,000 vehicles annually, and employs more than 4,000 people. Toyota manufactures and markets vehicles in Australia for the domestic and the export markets. Its head office and manufacturing operations are in Melbourne, and its marketing operations are in Sydney. In addition to its locally built models, Toyota imports a variety of vehicles from the Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan. Vignette (Nasdaq: VIGN) is the expert in business efficiency. Vignette's software and services help companies harness the power of information and the Web to increase productivity, reduce cost, increase the quality of user experiences and manage risk. Vignette's solutions incorporate enterprise content management, portal, collaboration and integration software that can rapidly deliver unique advantages through an open, scalable, adaptable architecture. Vignette is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with local operations worldwide. Visit www.vignette.com to see how Vignette customers achieve documented efficiencies and find out why the world's leading companies prefer Vignette.

Kaizen Event Training: Lean Manufacturing Training Helps Area Companies Compete

From PR Newswire (press release) ... 24): Learn a fundamental initial step that creates the blueprint for applying other lean tools and running kaizen events. -- NEW! Change Agent Skills (Aug. ...

" ... Lean manufacturing training from the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) will help industry and suppliers in the Rochester area cut costs, improve profits, and defend jobs by eliminating waste through lean production. The workshops, including a new one on how to build support for a lean transformation, are part of a series of six workshops that LEI will run August 24 to 26 at the Hyatt Regency Rochester. LEI runs monthly workshops in different parts of the country to train industry in how to implement lean production.

Lean production cuts costs and inventories rapidly to free cash and resources, which is critical in a competitive world economy. Lean supports growth by improving productivity and quality, reducing lead times, and freeing resources. For example, lean production frees office and plant space and increases capacity so companies can add product lines, in-source component production, and increase output of existing products. Companies implementing lean will be able to take advantage of renewed economic growth by increasing sales without increasing costs ... "

Based in Brookline, Mass., USA, the Lean Enterprise Institute is a nonprofit training, publishing, and research organization founded by James Womack, PhD, in August 1997. It has developed simple but powerful tools for implementing a set of ideas known as lean production and lean thinking, based initially on the Toyota Production System and now extended to an entire Lean Business System.

New Lean Manufacturing Book: Kaikaku The Power and Magic of Lean - A new book on Toyota's ...

From Emediawire (press release) ... "Norman Bodek is the secret weapon of lean manufacturing. In his 59 trips to Japan, Norman met Shigeo Shingo, Taiichi Ohno and other ...

PCS Press is a publishing, consulting and training company focusing on improving customer service, quality, and human value. Offices are at 809 SE 73rd Ave., Vancouver, WA 98664, 360-737-1883

NORMAN BODEK, bodek@pcspress.com, Norman Bodek is president of PCS Press, a Vancouver, Washington, publishing, training, and consulting company. He discovered and published the works of the truly great Japanese manufacturing geniuses: Dr. Shigeo Shingo and Taiichi Ohno, the inventors of the Toyota Production System now called JIT and Lean manufacturing and many others. From his numerous trips to Japan he introduced to the western world the Kaizen Blitz, SMED, TPM, QFD, Hoshin Kanri, Poka-Yoke, Visual Factory and other new manufacturing methodologies that have helped companies improve their quality, and productivity. In 1988 he initiated the Shingo Prize for Manufacturing Excellence with Professor Vern Buehler at Utah State University. Most recently he co-authored a book with Bunji Tozawa titled The Idea Generator - Quick and Easy Kaizen. The Quick and Easy Kaizen system recognizes that every worker has hidden creative talent locked inside. This system becomes a powerful tool for management to bring forth lots and lots of small but significant improvement ideas from all their employees. The employee becomes empowered to make changes to improve customer service, to make their worker easier and more fun, to improve quality, to reduce costs, and to improve safety. And it works!

Kaizen Events: Two New Lean Production Workshops Help Local Companies Compete

From PR Newswire (press release) ... are: * Value-Stream Mapping (July 13): learn a fundamental initial step that creates the blueprint for applying other lean tools and running kaizen events. ...

Based in Brookline, Mass., USA, the Lean Enterprise Institute is a nonprofit training, publishing, and research organization founded by James Womack, PhD, in August 1997. It has developed simple but powerful tools for implementing a set of ideas known as lean production and lean thinking, based
initially on the Toyota Production System and now extended to an entire Lean Business System. For more information, visit the LEI News page at http://www.lean.org/WhoWeAre/LEINews.cfm.

Kaizen System: Family isn't necessary for profits

From Joongang Ilbo, South Korea ... Toyota is known not only for its quality products but also for its efficient management system, known as Kaizen, now a common term in business management. ...

Healthcare Lean Thinking: AH Team Visits Toyota To Learn About "Lean Thinking" ...

... Following Acting Minister for Health Khaw Boon Wan's call for Singapore to strive to be the Toyota in healthcare, the AH team went on a visit to Toyota BodyExpress Centre on 19 March 2004 to learn how the car manufacturer kept up with high standards consistently ...

At Alexandra Hospital, we believe that great lessons in innovation, quality initiatives, service and care can be learnt from organizations from a wide array of industries. As part of this learning journey, we have taken road trips to organizations such as the Ritz Carlton and the National Library Board of Singapore to learn their best practices. For our efforts, we have received a string of awards namely, the ISO 9002, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18000. We also use the Six Sigma methodology to improve processes such as improving the turnaround time of patients at our specialist outpatient clinics. In addition, we encourage a culture of learning and innovation - so that our staff can come up with fresh ideas to make the lives of our patients better.

Practice Kaizen & Kaikaku: Kaizen is about making continuous gradual, incremental improvement towards perfection. It is the opposite of kaikaku, which is about making a big leap or radical change to the way business is being conducted. To become a lean enterprise, kaikaku, or radical improvement, is needed to be the source of breakthroughs in performance and accelerated growth. Kaizen, or gradual improvement, follows after kaikaku to provide the powerful drive to perfect the processes and to allow the organisation to continue to adapt and stay relevant.

Toyota Kaizen: Toyota's philosophy the secret behind its strength

From Daily Yomiuri, Japan ... to became the world's second-largest automaker in terms of units sold in 2003, is famed for its on-going cost-cutting efforts, known as kaizen within the ...

... Toyota Kaizen Highlights: The Toyota Production System is at the heart of everything... Based on the concept of continuous improvement, or kaizen, every Toyota team member is empowered with the ability to improve their work environment. This includes everything from quality and safety to the environment and productivity. Improvements and suggestions by team members are the cornerstone of Toyota's success... Kaizen, or continuous improvement, is at the heart of how Toyota operates ... some of our environmental progress in North America, we created a report that reflects Toyota's holistic approach to environmental stewardship and commitment to continuous improvement at every stage of the life cycle of its products, from design to dismantling ...

Kaizen Event: Domtar Announces Q1 2004 Results and Provides Details on ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... Resource Planning (ERP) system, the implementation of a new paper shipment logistics and transportation management system and Kaizen continuous improvement ...

Domtar uses a Japanese methodology to improve fibre recovery: Kaizen is a Japanese method of improving quality that Domtar has adopted. The results have been extremely positive.

Kaizen is the Japanese term for 'improvement'. The Kaizen methodology was pioneered by the Toyota Institute. It consists of mapping the various steps in a production process and eliminating those that add no value. Kaizen is also a way of thinking. It encourages one to constantly improve and not to seek the perfect solution.

In May of 1998, swayed by positive feedback from other major companies, Domtar adopted the Kaizen methodology in order to ensure quality improvements in all its mills. Says Bernard Poirier, director of Domtar's management-worker organization: "The important point for us was the fact that the Kaizen methodology implicated all levels of personnel and management in the running of the company: everyone became involved. And when all levels of a company work with one goal in mind, productivity increases and quality improves."

Since Kaizen specifically means continuous improvement, a mini-Kaizen on how a Kaizen actually works seems a logical step. Thus, in early January, 2001, Kaizen coordinators from across Domtar met in Montreal to share ideas. It was a meeting of minds - all of them dedicated to quality and productivity improvement.

During the week-long meeting, Claude Doré, Director of Quality and Productivity Improvement, asked coordinators to brainstorm the best practices on implementing Kaizen modules. The modules are used by participants to uncover the fundamental cause of a problem and then implement an informed solution based on research. "It's about all of us doing a better teaching job when we host a Kaizen," said Doré. "Continuous improvement is about sharing information and implementing best practices. With the Kaizen methodology being a strategic tool in our efforts to reach and surpass the competition, a meeting of those who coordinate the sessions is a great opportunity to do just that."

Kaizen Event: Domtar Announces Q1 2004 Results and Provides Details on ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... Resource Planning (ERP) system, the implementation of a new paper shipment logistics and transportation management system and Kaizen continuous improvement ...

Domtar uses a Japanese methodology to improve fibre recovery. Kaizen is a Japanese method of improving quality that Domtar has adopted. The results have been extremely positive.

Kaizen is the Japanese term for 'improvement'. The Kaizen methodology was pioneered by the Toyota Institute. It consists of mapping the various steps in a production process and eliminating those that add no value. Kaizen is also a way of thinking. It encourages one to constantly improve and not to seek the perfect solution.

In May of 1998, swayed by positive feedback from other major companies, Domtar adopted the Kaizen methodology in order to ensure quality improvements in all its mills. Says Bernard Poirier, director of Domtar's management-worker organization: "The important point for us was the fact that the Kaizen methodology implicated all levels of personnel and management in the running of the company: everyone became involved. And when all levels of a company work with one goal in mind, productivity increases and quality improves."

Recent Accomplishments:

Launch of program to upgrade enterprise resource planning system; 70% of employees participated in management by commitment program;
Organization of 100 Kaizen continuous improvement workshops involving more than 3,000 employees; Signing of long-term labor agreements;

The FOCUS Project is, in effect, the last link in Domtar’s push to implement an integrated enterprise system. The use of Kaizen methodology, the standardization of mill processes through certification and sawmill investments are other significant elements of the effort to evolve with the market.

Domtar has installed an integrated management system, called SAP, that serves as a computer backbone to Domtar’s entire Forest Resources and Wood Product groups. SAP facilitates real-time availability to crucial information coming from all functions of the supply chain, and enables Domtar to plan production accordingly and efficiently. This new system means that Domtar can sell production time rather than selling inventories of finished product. Surplus becomes unnecessary, and the cost of meeting customer demands drops significantly.

Domtar is the third largest producer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America. It is also a leading manufacturer of business papers, commercial printing and publication papers, and technical and specialty papers. Domtar manages according to internationally recognized standards, 22 million acres of forestland in Canada and the United States, and produces lumber and other wood products. Domtar has 12,000 employees across North America. The Company also has a 50% investment interest in Norampac Inc., the largest Canadian producer of containerboard.

Lean Manufacturing: Trade, Terrorism discussed at candidates forum

From San Jose Mercury News, CA ... So anyone who is promising to bring back manufacturing jobs doesn't understand lean manufacturing continues quality improvement.". ...

...2004 Recipients of the 2004 Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing. Dubbed the "Nobel prize of Manufacturing" by Business Week, the Shingo Prize is increasingly being recognized as the premier manufacturing award and recognition program in North America. Nine state-level awards and a public-sector category, primarily for Military Depots doing re-manufacturing, have been implemented in recent months.

Three notable achievements of the 2004 recipients include: one, 7 of the 12 achieved product quality of less than 10 "returned parts per million opportunities" from the customer; two, 7 of the 12 have inventory turns of more than 25 per year (compared to a U.S. average of 8); and three, premium freight as a percent of production costs averaged 0.12 percent. These data cover the full-year of 2003 and are all clear indicators of world-class manufacturing achievements.

"Once again the recipients of the Shingo Prize demonstrate that they are prepared to weather economic uncertainty by not wasting precious manufacturing and business resources, "said Ross Robson, Shingo Prize executive director. "Shingo Prize recipients and lean manufacturers clearly stand out among the manufacturers of North America in terms of quality, cost, delivery and business results."

This year's Shingo Prize Recipients are:

ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Systems Gladstone plant, Columbus, Ind. -- This facility proudly manufactures complete exhaust systems and components for today's leading car manufacturers. Through an engaged workforce of more than 700 people who are trained in lean principles, team building and employee involvement practices, substantial quality and productivity improvements have been made. Most notably, those improvements have included a decrease in customer PPMs of 72 percent since 2000, a decrease in supplier PPMs of 99 percent since 2000, a 54-percent decrease in the cost of non-quality since 2000, and an on-time delivery average of 99.9 percent since 1999.

Delphi Corporation, Delphi Electronics and Safety, Delnosa 5 & 6 Operations, Reynosa, Mexico -- Delnosa 5 & 6 manufactures over 24,000 vehicle electronics products daily for 72 customer locations in 11 countries for Delphi Corporation (NYSE: DPH - News). Delnosa's product line includes Audio, Mobile Multimedia, Telematics (interactive satellite technology), Navigation Radios, and Antenna Electronics. Delnosa also produces over 16 million molded and decorated plastic parts and assemblies each month that are used in Delphi facilities globally. In the last three years, Delnosa has increased productivity by 41%, increased inventory turns by 70%, improved first time quality by 76%, and increased asset utilization by 40%. Delnosa's 2,500 employees reached 200% participation in the employee suggestion program in 2003 and have currently worked over 22 million hours without a lost workday accident.

Delphi Electronics & Safety, Kokomo Operations, Plants 7 & 9, Kokomo, Indiana -- Kokomo Operations, Plants 7 & 9 is a vehicle electronics manufacturing facility employing over 1,100 people. These employees, represented by UAW Local 292, produce approximately 12 million units annually across four major product lines: audio components, power train controllers, inflatable restraint system electronics and electronic climate controllers. Applying the lean manufacturing concepts in the Delphi Manufacturing System, the facility has been able to achieve a third straight year of double-digit manufacturing performance, a 24% reduction in inventory, a 51% improvement in first time quality and has reached an annual shipping compliance rate approaching 100%.

Delphi Corporation, Energy & Chassis Systems, Empresas Ca-Le de Tlaxcala, Mexico -- Ca-Le is a battery manufacturing plant of 1,291,669 square feet, founded in February 1990 and located in Tetla, Tlaxcala, Mexico. Operating in a world-wide market, CALE produces two different automotive battery technologies: Hybrid (Antimony -- Calcium) and Maintenance-Free (Calcium-Calcium). Our productive headcount of 575 persons -- through the implementation of lean concepts and techniques -- work daily on EXCEEDING OUR CUSTOMERS' EXPECTATIONS. Our business results, customer satisfaction and quality of our products reflect our commitment with our employees, society and stakeholders.

Delphi Sistemas de Energia S.A. de C.V., Plt. 57; Chihuahua, Chihuahua Mexico -- Located in Chihuahua, Chihuahua Mexico since 1986 and serving 55 customers in 12 countries, Delphi Sistemas de Energia is a top of the line manufacturing organization. Here the combination of people who love their jobs, together with strong leadership, applying continuous learning and lean concepts, along with variation reduction, and defect prevention methods, have all contributed to superior satisfaction levels for customers, stakeholders and employees, creating a positive impact to the community and to the global environment.

Delphi Corporation, Packard Electric Systems. Plant 50, Del Parral Chihuahua, Mexico

Delphi's Packard Electric facility opened in February of 1998 in Hidalgo del Parral (more commonly referred to as Parral) in the southern part of Chihuahua, Mexico. The plant has 141,575 square feet of manufacturing floor space and 2,200 employees. These dedicated employees manufacture 13 families of products in 18 production lines, for 10 different General Motors assembly plants. The Parral plant produces power and signal distribution systems for the automotive industry, more commonly known as wiring harnesses. The motto at this facility is "Our people make the difference." Managers and supervisors say empowering employees and giving them opportunities make things happen. The success of this Delphi facility is attributed to its people.

Delphi Corporation, Packard Electric Systems. Plant 58, Meoqui, Chih. Mexico

The Meoqui Plant is located in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico and has been a part of Delphi Packard Electric's manufacturing footprint since 1987. The 1,800 employees at the 151,000-square-foot facility produce more than three million of wiring systems annually for several General Motors assembly plants in the United States and Canada. Employee commitment and a comprehensive implementation of the Lean-driven concepts within the Delphi Manufacturing System (DMS) have been able to drive operational improvements in cost, quality, delivery and productivity. Some of those improvements include: 20% reduction in customer complaints in 2003; 17% improvement in total cost compared to 2002; scrap reduction of 50% since 2000; first-time quality improvement 72% since 2001; and productivity increase of 35% compared to 2000.

Delphi Packard, Plant 98

Delphi Corporation, Packard Electric Systems, Centro Tecnico Herramental S.A de C.V, Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila.

With a wide variety of products and processes, CENTEC employees are flexible and skillful in successfully delivering parts to nearly 40 customers around the world. The majority of customers are in the US and Mexico, but several are also located in Europe, South America and Asia. The Delphi Manufacturing system drives the 470 CENTEC employees to continuous lean improvements. Elimination of waste, a 75-percent reduction in scrap and the Industria Limpia certification from the Mexican government for being environmentally sound are all part of the accomplishments of which CENTEC employees are very proud. Employees assemble wiring harnesses and their components and electric and electronic connectors. CENTEC now has a 0 IPM (incidents per million) on-time shipping record and have seen FTQ improve 87 percent since 1999. Continuous training of employees at all levels in daily skills and in lean implementation has led to the high quality at CENTEC.

Delphi Packard, Plant 51, Nuevo Casas Grandes Chihuahua, Mexico

Located in the PAQUIME area in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, Nuevo Casas Grandes began operations in March 1985. With strong customer-focused strategies and lean-driven concepts, this 165,000-square-foot plant builds and ships approximately 10,000,000 wiring systems annually to several General Motors vehicle assembly plants in the United States and Canada. The Casas Grandes Plant, which carries the slogan "The Best Plant by its People," has utilized the lean principles within the Delphi Manufacturing System to become one of the most successful plants in Delphi Packard's Mexico West Operations, with zero lost work days, over 80% reduction in RPPM (Rejected Parts Per Million), more than 50% reduction in Customer Complains, and 20% reduction in cost per shipped hour.

Maytag Jackson Dishwashing Products, Jackson, Tenn. -- Maytag Corporation's dishwasher plant is the first appliance manufacturer to earn the Shingo Prize. Associates belong to empowered High Performance Work Teams producing more than 100 dishwasher models daily, with brands including Maytag®, Jenn-Air® and Amana®. The Maytag LeanSigma® philosophy, which combines lean manufacturing methods with Six Sigma tools, was the path for transformation that began in 1999 and achieved significant improvements in Safety, Quality, Cost and Delivery, including a 64% reduction in OSHA recordable injury rate and 84% improvement in first pass quality yield. A very flexible single assembly line with capability to produce "any model/any day" was transformed into 8 single-piece-flow assembly cells with ability to produce "any model/any hour."

Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson Operations, Tucson, Ariz. -- The employees at Raytheon Missile Systems proudly equip U.S. and allied warfighters with the latest technology to protect world freedom, including the Tomahawk Cruise Missile and Paveway(TM) laser guided bomb. Many of the company's products saw extensive use in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Raytheon's lean efforts have resulted in significant value improvements in product performance, stronger relationships and robust solutions for customers. Raytheon is committed to continue this journey to become a lean enterprise -- with speed, reliability and affordability -- and receiving the Shingo Prize has validated the firm's progress along the path to improvement.

TI Automotive, Cartersville, GA -- The plant produces more than 7.4 million brake and fuel bundles for Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes-Benz plants in both the United States and Canada. Cartersville team members operate by TI Automotive's own lean system of Common Sense Manufacturing, which is a passionate belief that there is always a simpler, better way. The plant has achieved single-digit ppm, 100 percent on time delivery and a 30 percent reduction in inventory levels. As the world's leading supplier of fluid storage, transfer and delivery systems, TI Automotive's more than 20,000 employees at 130 facilities worldwide are all dedicated to continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.

Finalists

In addition to the Recipients listed, other finalists included Aspect Medical Systems, Newton, MA.; Delphi Lansing Cockpit Plant, Lansing, Mich.; Delphi Energy & Chassis, Saginaw, MI; Delphi Steering Plant 7, Saginaw, Mich.; GDX Automotive, Vehicle Sealing Products, Batesville, AR; GDX Automotive, New Haven, MO; Maytag-Searcy Laundry Products, Searcy, AR; Nemak Corporation of Canada-Windsor Aluminum Plant, Windsor, Ontario, Canada; TI Automotive, Brake Tube Assemblies, Greenville, TN. "Each of these plants are also outstanding in their manufacturing processes," according to Robson.

The Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing, for manufacturers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, is administered by the College of Business, Utah State University. Awards for the Recipients and Finalists will be presented at the 16th Annual Shingo Prize Conference and Awards Ceremony to be held May 20, 2004, at the Lexington Convention Center, Lexington, KY. Speakers will include Gary Convis, President, Toyota Motor, Georgetown, KY and Masaaki Imai, Founder and Chairman, Kaizen, Institute, Tokyo, Japan, among others. For more information, go to www.shingoprize.org.

Lean Kaizen: New LEI Workbook Tackles Lean Production Control and System ...

From PRNewswire (press release) ... This is a new step towards 'system kaizen' that is not yet well ... Or they focus on "flow kaizen" that improves the entire value stream for one product family. ...

... Creating Level Pull, the new workbook from the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), shows readers how to advance a lean transformation from a focus on isolated improvements to improving the entire plantwide production system by implementing a lean production control system.

"The workbook is unique because it is a step-by-step case study on how to implement a level, pull-based production control system," said author Art Smalley. "This is a new step towards 'system kaizen' that is not yet well understood outside of Toyota."

The lean efforts at most companies focus on "point kaizen" (e.g., reducing setup times, implementing 5S, etc.) that improves a small portion of the value stream running from raw materials to finished products. Or they focus on "flow kaizen" that improves the entire value stream for one product family.

Creating Level Pull shows how companies can make the leap to "system kaizen" by introducing a lean production control system that ties together the flows of information and materials supporting every product family in a facility.

With this system implemented, each production activity requests precisely the materials it needs from the previous activity and demand from the customer is leveled to smooth production activities throughout the plant...

Kaizen: Toyota still a standout on US turf

From The Tennessean, TN - Mar 27, 2004 ... the fundamental pillars of the Toyota production system are simple and low-tech: strict adherence to procedures, constant improvement, or kaizen, getting to ...