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The Real Secret Behind the World's Most Successful Manufacturing

Article:

There is no doubt that Toyota is one of the most successful

manufacturing companies in the world. In fact lean manufacturing

is derived from the management and manufacturing practices of

the Toyota Corporation.

The manufacturing techniques and way of thinking at Toyota have

been well documented. In essence the focus at this carmaker is

the absolute elimination of waste. The result is a constant

improvement in the flow of material from raw material to

finished product. With every tiny improvement, costs of

manufacturing are reduced and efficiency improved. The result is

higher profits all the time. The Toyota way is all about

attention to detail right from the ordering of raw materials,

which is done according to the needs of the day. This virtually

eliminates the need to keep large stocks of raw material which

end up reducing costs.

Still, there is one element in the whole lean manufacturing

process that is usually not given enough prominence and at times

is ignored altogether by corporate concerns seeking to implement

lean manufacturing. This is the element that is the real secret

behind the amazing success of Toyota as an automobile

manufacturer.

The element I am referring to here is of course people. In fact

people are the most valuable resource in any company. The

constant improvements and lean-manufacturing principals that are

the foundation of Toyota are heavily dependant on the staff. It

is the workers' flow of information and ideas that ensures

constant and consistent improvement. Bluntly put, without the

human resource element, a lean enterprise will just not happen.

In a lean organization it is absolutely critical that people

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grow with the system so as to be able to take extra

responsibilities and become more productive. Workers usually

grow and improve on their productivity much more quickly where

they are highly motivated and in a position where they can

regularly suggest and implement ideas for improvements and

elimination of waste in the manufacturing process.

Copyright © 2005 Chuck Yorke - All Rights Reserved

About the author:

Chuck Yorke is an organizational development and performance

improvement specialist, trainer, consultant and speaker. He is

co-author of "All You Gotta Do Is Ask," a book which explains

how to promote large numbers of ideas from employees. Chuck may

be reached at chuck@peoplekaizen.com

http://www.peoplekaizen.com/