Toyota Production System

Toyota’s real secret sauce

FeaturesMay 5, 2023

FEATURE – The hardest part of a learning journey is learning to learn and figuring out what we need to learn - as opposed to we want to. The author wonders whether we are drawing the right lessons from TPS and highlights a few things we are underemphasizing.

Why is TPS so smart?

FeaturesJan 27, 2023

Michael Ballé and Alice Mathieu

FEATURE – A real understanding of Lean Thinking can only stem from an exploration of its tacit aspects, not just its most explicit, easy-to-grasp elements.

One-time customer, lifelong customer

FeaturesJan 10, 2023

Michael Ballé

FEATURE – We start the new year with a reminder to put customers first, always. It is they who make our business and keep our lean initiatives true, says the author.

Don’t try to copy Toyota, understand it instead

FeaturesSep 13, 2021

Kiyoshi "Nate" Furuta

FEATURE – Based on his direct decades-long experience at Toyota, the author explains what it takes to establish problem-finding and a kaizen culture in new environments.

Creating Toyota cultures around the world

FeaturesSep 6, 2021

John Shook

FEATURE – The Lean Global Network just published a new book by Kiyoshi “Nate” Furuta sharing compelling examples of how Toyota principles and culture can be effectively spread to new environments.

Deep dive in a lean digital company #6

FeaturesAug 30, 2021

Catherine Chabiron

FEATURE – In the final article of her series, the author spends a day with Theodo’s CEO and co-founder to learn how lean informs its strategy and vision.

Superior quality to beat the competition

FeaturesJul 15, 2021

Toshiko Narusawa

FEATURE – Today we repurpose a great article published in 2016 on Japanese industry magazine Kojo Kanri that focuses on radical quality improvement at Toyota Industries Corporation.

How Dantotsu helped us to radically improve our quality

InterviewsJul 8, 2021

Stefano Cortiglioni

INTERVIEW – The former executive of the Toyota Material Handling plant in Italy reflects on how Sadao Nomura’s “Dantotsu” method helped them to drastically improve quality.

People, invention, and radically great quality

FeaturesJul 1, 2021

John Shook and Toshiko Narusawa

FEATURE – The authors discuss radical quality improvement at Toyota and introduce a new book by Sadao Nomura that the Lean Global Network has just co-published.

What is a real lean transformation?

FeaturesJun 24, 2021

Michael Ballé & Alejandro Garcia-Mella

FEATURE – Looking at successful journeys, the authors explain why a true lean transformation requires a chain of mentoring in TPS to fulfil the promise of each person’s individual learning.

Two giants, two communities, one lasting thing

FeaturesFeb 1, 2021

John Shook

FEATURE – John Shook remembers the work of Ezra Vogel and Norman Bodek and discusses how, in their own way, each of their contributions help us to understand the Toyota Production System.

The role of “System 3” thinking

FeaturesNov 16, 2020

Michael Ballé

FEATURE – This compelling article explores how our brain constantly looks for emotional resonance with the environment around us. Is this System-3 type thinking the key to enabling joint problem solving?

Passing down TPS across generations

FeaturesJun 29, 2020

Joe Lee, Toshiko Narusawa and John Shook

FEATURE – This intimate account looks back at the time one of the authors spent working with Harada-san and how it shaped his career and encouraged him to spread TPS knowledge.

Harada-san and the steps to better Jidoka

FeaturesMar 23, 2020

Toshiko Narusawa, Joe Lee and John Shook

FEATURE – In the first piece of a series on Takehiko Harada’s contribution to TPS, the authors discuss the Nagara Switch and how it helps to achieve better Jidoka.

When startups visit Toyota

FeaturesDec 12, 2019

Sandrine Olivencia, Lucie Notaro & Régis Medina

FEATURE – Digital organizations are starting to recognize that Toyota’s unique approach can show them the way forward, just like it does “traditional” organizations. Here, we hear from a few startup CEOs following their trip to Japan.

What does learning look like at Toyota?

InterviewsSep 23, 2019

Martyn Hayward and Yian Baty

INTERVIEW – Toyota’s approach to developing capabilities and its focus on life-long learning are inspirational. But how do people at Toyota actually learn?

Introducing the Toyota Flow System

FeaturesJul 9, 2019

Nigel Thurlow, John R. Turner and Brian Rivera

FEATURE – In the age of complexity and disruption, flowing value to customers as quickly as possible is critical. The new Toyota Flow System strives to address this issue.

Leading a quality revolution

InterviewsMay 23, 2019

Sadao Nomura

INTERVIEW – A couple of weeks ago, our editor caught up with Toyota veteran Sadao Nomura. In this Q&A, he discusses quality improvement and leadership engagement.

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