While I’m in Japan this week (read about the trip), I’m going to keep my blogging light – my aim is to share one picture or thought each day. I’ll blog more about the trip after Thanksgiving and I’m thinking of putting together an eBook about the trip.
The tour starts on Monday with a visit to a Toyota assembly plant. On Sunday, I went to the Toyota Museum. There was quite a large exhibit about the Toyota Production System. There were a few signs that had slightly different definitions of TPS. One, in particular, said:
Other signs talked about the dual pillars of “jidoka” (automation with a human touch, for quality) and “just in time” production.
But I like how this sign focused on kaizen and continual improvements.
“There are no bounds to improvement.”
“Full participation of all employees.”
“…refusing to ever be complacent.”
That’s powerful. That spirit is much harder to copy than isolated Lean tools. That’s what makes TPS so meaningful.
The exhibit had many examples of employee Kaizen efforts from the factories.
An early Toyota motto, emphasized on the tour was “Always be studious and creative, striving to stay ahead of the times.”
About LeanBlog.org: Mark Graban is a consultant, author, and speaker in the “lean healthcare” methodology. Mark is author of the Shingo Award-winning book Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen. Learn more about Mark’s on-site and public workshops. He is also the Chief Improvement Officer for KaiNexus.
