Toyota Supplier Performance Award

Toyota recognizes its suppliers to keep quality moving forward constantly. ...

... "Autoliv was awarded with the Superior Performance Award for its continuous efforts in reengineering of existing products and shifting of production to low cost countries. This distinction, the highest of its kind, which Toyota awards to its suppliers, was received by Benoit Marsaud, COO and President of Autoliv Europe, during Toyota Motor Europe's annual supplier conference in Brussels. " ...

Via Autoliv Inc: Superior Performance Award from Toyota

Chief Lean Officer Focuses on World-Class Efficiency

Intermet Corporation names Bob Flaherty into a newly created position of Chief Lean Officer to lead and mentor the company to world-class levels of efficiency. The new position reports the the CEO, Jeff Mihalic. ...

... "In his new role, Flaherty will work collaboratively with Intermet group presidents and the company's 10 plants to achieve world-class efficiencies while building upon the excellent lean foundation already in place throughout Intermet.

Previously, Flaherty spent nearly eight years at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown, Ky., where he held various positions and responsibilities including start up preparation, training of associates on the Toyota Production System, various Production Engineering kaizen initiatives, and management of the stamping plant expansion. " ...

Via Intermet: Bob Flaherty Joins Intermet to Head Lean Initiatives

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

Kaizen Innovative Methods

Toyota uses innovative methods to empower its workforce and improve the performance of the enterprise. ...

... "Toyota, whose $1.3 billion plant near Blue Springs will be the company's eighth North American assembly plant, is often associated kaizen, or continuous improvement, which is associated with its Toyota Production System. " ...

Via Trading Markets: Methods of Innovation

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

Kaizen Change Empowers Shopfloor

TriMas Corp embraces kaizen principles as it shifts accountability for continuous improvement to shopfloor workforce. ...

... "In 2006 it was the inaugural winner of the Toyota Kaizen Blitz Marathon for reducing waste levels. The changes generally happen in a short order of time, Mr Saunders said. And from the perspective of management it empowers people doing the job to make a change. Kaizen change is driven by shop floor or office employees. " ...

Via Star News: TriMas Corp Goes Lean

Reinvent Automotive Production Through Lean Manufacturing

Does the Chrysler sale offer opportunity to challenge Toyota for lean leadership? Will private capital have the patience for long-term methodologies, like kaizen and lean? We shall see. ...

... "And it is the chance of a lifetime for a car company to reinvent itself, to out-Toyota Toyota in lean manufacturing and vehicle quality. " ...

Via USATODAY: Chrysler Sale

Toyota Lean Manufacturing Applied in Education

Lean principles are used in education ...

... "Although Scott County Schools doesn't produce motor vehicles, it applies the human side of lean manufacturing principles espoused in The Toyota Way. " ...

Via Lexington Herald-Leader: Visual Controls in Education

Lean Training Goes On Tour

Lean culture differentiates Japanese from US companies.

... "Instead of paying people to retire, a likely Japanese alternative would be to put people on kaizen (continuous improvement) teams, capitalizing on their experience and problem solving potential instead of paying them to stay at home. ... World Class Manufacturing is not a short-term concept. Justifying the hard work and application of resources to the improvement process is difficult if the focus is on quarterly reports. A fundamentally change in the way success is measured must be adopted if our economy is to remain viable and sustainable. " ...

Toyota Continues their March Past US Automakers: Lean Enterprise Training Announces Six City Tour Kicks off in Oregon ...

Lean Automotive Is Relevant Today As 17 Years Ago

Lean manufacturing principles are as relevant today, as when introduced years ago. Ford, GM, Chrysler need a refresher course. ...

... " ... it seems fitting that The Machine That Changed the World, the seminal 1990 book on lean manufacturing as practiced by Toyota Motor Corp., is now being reissued. " ...

Via Detroit Free Press: Automotive Challenge

Lean Supply Chain Leadership: Herman Miller

AMR Research analyst, Kevin O'Marah discusses leading companies that exhibit potential to make the Top25 Supply Chain list. Herman Miller was identified for its lean supply chain practices. Herman Miller, Inc., is a global provider of office furniture and services that create great places to work. The company's lead-time schedules are delivery promises, built on the reliability of its production and distribution systems. Its lead-time schedules range from quick-ship (10 days or less) to customer-requirements-specific lead times. ...

... "Herman Miller - A close relationship with Toyota Supplier Support Center created world-class, lean manufacturing processes, cutting lead times from eight to four or even two weeks. Its flexible business model includes real-time electronic collaboration with suppliers. " ...

Via AMR Research: Candidates for Supply Chain Top 25

Toyota Lean Product Development System

Toyota's TPS is important, but it is the lean product development system that is a competitive differentiator. ...

... "The experts say that lean product development as Toyota practices it can surpass even the potential performance and cost-reduction advantages of TPS. " ...

Via IndustryWeek: Toyota Product Development

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 Quality: Kakushin Continuous Innovation Is Next Wave Per CEO

Toyota CEO, Katsuaki Watanabe, is not satisfied with the status quo and sets his sights on breakthrough performance in design using kakushin. Kakushin is the foundation for continuous innovation. ...

... "He frets that quality, the foundation of its U.S. success, is slipping. He grouses that Toyota's factories and engineering practices aren't efficient enough. " ...

Via Wall Street Journal: What Keeps Toyota CEO Awake at Night ...

For reference, Mitsubishi Chemicals has an active kakushin program (PDF) through the next few years.

Hirotaka Takeuchi Profile at Forbes: "Takeuchi's publications include Kigyo no Jiko Kakushin ( Self-innovation of Firms)"

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

Manufacturing Excellence Keynote at Engineering Conference ...

Lean manufacturing expert will keynote upcoming engineering conference. ...

... "Izzy Galicia, Vice President of Client Services for The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (Manex) will keynote Collaborate 2006 being held October 10th – 12th in Huntsville, Alabama. The conference is hosted by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) in partnership with the Alabama Aerospace Industry Association and the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association. Mr. Galicia and Manex are well known for their work helping enterprises transform their organizations through Lean Manufacturing. As part of a panel of industry leaders, Mr. Galicia and executives from Toyota, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman will kick off the event by sharing an industry perspective on innovative technology applications and processes, including Lean Manufacturing, supply chain integration, and workforce development. " ...

Via Manex: Shingo Award-Winning Lean Expert, Izzy Galicia, to Keynote SME Collaborate 2006 Conference ...

Project Lean: Toyota Magic ...

The lean transformation project unleashes the Toyota magic ...

... "Lean manufacturing can be considered among the more magical initiatives that has played a significant role in the success of Japanese companies worldwide; in particular, the domination of Toyota. " ...

Via The Chronicle-Herald: Being lean not about being mean ...

Toyota Lean: Empower Safe Employees ...

Toyota lean manufacturing principles empower their employees to work safe and create an inter-dependent safety culture. ...

... "In line with Toyota's principles of lean manufacturing, its employees are engaged in methods that encourage them to recognize and react to safety and health issues. " ...

Via The Manufacturer: OSHA: enforcer or facilitator? ...

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 ...

Manufacturing Software: Lean Integration ...

Factory Logic collaborates with the Automation and Drives Group of Siemens AG to integrate the Factory Logic Lean software into the Siemens SIPLACE manufacturing optimization solution. ...

... "Siemens will integrate the Factory Logic Lean Operations Suite (Factory Logic) into SIPLACE manufacturing optimization solutions for the global electronic assembly market. SIPLACE is the Siemens product family name for integrated hardware, software and services solutions to support the entire SMT (Surface Mount Technology) production facility. Factory Logic is a software solution designed from the ground up to support demand-driven production scheduling and pull-based supply synchronization using proven lean methods originally pioneered in the Toyota Production System (TPS). As part of SIPLACE lean manufacturing solutions, Factory Logic will enable electronics manufacturers to perform advanced production leveling and kanban/supermarket management functions in conjunction with SIPLACE SMT machines and other Siemens solution components. Factory Logic supports an integrated approach that directly links production to actual customer demand, while maintaining the stability required for consistent, reliable, waste-free factory and supply chain operations. Siemens will sell and support the Factory Logic software as an embedded component of SIPLACE solutions globally. " ...

Via Factory Logic: Siemens to Integrate Factory Logic Lean Manufacturing Software Into SIPLACE Electronics Assembly Solutions ...

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 ...

The Lean Metal Shop ...

Metal working business strategy includes lean manufacturing techniques ...

... "The best shops have and maintain business strategies that are designed to make them better. The management tools they use—whether they involve lean manufacturing, continuous improvement programs or Toyota management systems - are put into place to support those basic strategies, and those strategies are focused on one thing: cutting metal. " ...

Via American Machinist: How Do You Measure Up?

Lean ShipBuilding: Toyota Techniques Translate ...

Shipbuilder transforms workforce through lean techniques from Toyota ...

... "Former Toyota engineers have been brought in to introduce lean manufacturing processes and to drive down the time taken to fit the 23,000 pipes per boat. " ...

Via Financial Times: Britain's submarines resurface ...

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 ...

Lean Efficiency Improvement ...

Company leverages lean logistics principles to drive efficiency improvements ...

... "Citing the original model of Toyota - the pioneer in lean manufacturing - and a survey by the trade publication Industry Week, Goldsby said the idea is to separate activities that create value from those that don't. " ...

Lean Efficiency Improvement: Via The Enquirer: LeanCor helps with efficiency

Lean Army Management Initiative ...

Army increases its efficiency with Lean Six Sigma ...

... "The new Army management initiative is Lean Six Sigma, said Holzinger and other Baumholder officials. Under Lean Six Sigma — two programs borrowed from corporate giants such as Motorola and Toyota – all employees are charged with thinking of ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. " ...

Lean Army Management Initiative: Via Stars & Stripes: Baumholder seeks ways to trim costs, increase efficiency ...

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."

Kreisler Lean Manufacturing Success Story ...

Kreisler sees success from its lean manufacturing program. ...

... "To help them compete, Kreisler has adopted a lean manufacturing process pioneered by Toyota as a way to improve efficiencies and reduce waste. " ...

Kreisler Lean Manufacturing Success Story: Via North Jersey: Fortune smiling on Kreisler ...

Kreisler Manufacturing Corporation is a manufacturer of precision metal components and assemblies for use in military and commercial aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines. These products primarily include tube and manifold assemblies. The Company has two wholly owned subsidiaries: Kreisler Industrial Corporation located in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, and Kreisler Polska Sp. z o.o located in Krakow, Poland.

Hospital Six Sigma Process: Specimen Management ...

Medical centers are collaborating to redesign processes for defect-free specimen management, which translates into much higher quality diagnoses. ...

... "The collective is finding success with quality-control methods -- such as checklists and automated specimen processing -- that were adapted from Toyota's production system and General Electric's Six Sigma principles for reducing manufacturing defects. " ...

Hospital Six Sigma Process: Specimen Management: Via Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Hospitals move to cut dangerous lab errors ...

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 ...

Lean Software: Visteon SAIC China JV ...

QAD software enables the lean manufacturing success of the Visteon SAIC joint venture in China. ...

... "QAD Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software solutions for global manufacturers, announced that Yanfeng Visteon Automotive Trim Systems LTD has deployed enterprise software applications from QAD to enable lean manufacturing operations and achieve exceptional inventory and manpower efficiencies. The implementation of QAD's Global Enterprise Edition. QAD GXE has enabled Yanfeng Visteon to gain dramatic reductions in material inventory, substantial reductions in stock space and enhanced data for logistical support and personnel savings. Yanfeng Visteon, a joint venture between SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, one of China's largest automotive manufacturers, and Visteon International Holdings Corporation, one of the world's preeminent automotive component manufacturers, is the leading supplier of spare parts for cars and trucks within China.

Like North American auto and truck manufacturers, the joint-venture company has been faced with the need to change its business processes to reduce inventory costs, enable higher productivity, and meet the requirements associated with sequencing assembly projects. The company's streamlining of operations using QAD provides cost as well as competitive benefits. QAD's software and expertise in lean systems has allowed Yanfeng Visteon to gain a critical advantage over other Chinese companies. Using QAD GXE, Yanfeng Visteon has cut materials inventory, reduced stock area, and cut logistics staff, enabling the company to achieve efficiencies that are unmatched by other enterprise solutions available today, as noted by company executives. Based on Toyota standards for lean manufacturing that are widely accepted by the automotive industry, QAD's Lean Manufacturing solution helps manufacturers effectively use Kanban systems to align inventory with demand for pull-based replenishment. It integrates electronic representation of Kanban processes with core ERP functions to provide comprehensive level loading, tracking and visibility of production, and supports electronic Kanban as well as physical card-based visual systems. " ...

Lean Software: Visteon SAIC China JV: Via QAD: Visteon-Shanghai Joint Venture Turns to QAD to Enable Lean Manufacturing ...

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) ...

Lean TPS: Toyota Production System: Fountain Powerboat Implementation ...

Fountain Powerboats sets course for lean manufacturing through the application of the Toyota Production System (TPS). Fountain will leverage the strengths of Lean consultant, Samuel McPherson, to accomplish its lean journey.

... "Fountain Powerboat Industries, Inc., a leading manufacturer of high performance sport boats, fish boats and express cruisers, announced that it has engaged Samuel R. McPherson, a senior enterprise consultant, to implement the Toyota Production System (TPS) in its manufacturing facilities. McPherson is a proven Lean Manufacturing and public sector leader with over 24 years of experience in driving organizational cultural change and world class lean manufacturing.

The Toyota Production System is the framework and philosophy organizing manufacturing facilities and the interaction of these facilities with the suppliers and customers. The main goal of the TPS is to eliminate seven types of waste: defects, overproduction, transportation, waiting, inventory, motion and over processing. Toyota was able to greatly reduce costs using the TPS, enabling it to become one of the three largest companies in the world. Due to the stellar success of the production philosophy, many of these methods have been copied by other manufacturing companies. Mr. McPherson is a senior Lean-Six Sigma Enterprise and Public Sector Consultant responsible for providing operations, enterprise, extended enterprise level Lean and Lean-Six Sigma, Shingo Manufacturing consulting, training and product development for key commercial, state and government clients within the state of North Carolina. " ...

Lean TPS: Toyota Production System: Fountain Powerboat Implementation: Via Fountain Mercury: FOUNTAIN POWERBOATS TO IMPLEMENT TOYOTA PRODUCTION SYSTEM IN MANUFACTURING FACILITIES ...