Toyota – Seite 2 – AllAboutLean.com

(EN) Monozukuri – Japanese Work Ethics

Oktober 11, 2025Dezember 12, 2017 von Christoph Roser

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Japanese word monozukuri (sometimes written as 物作り, but most often written as ものづくり). Literally translated, it means to make (zukuri) things (mono). Yet, there is so much meaning lost in translation. A better translation would be „manufacturing; craftsmanship; or making things by hand.“ However, this translation also does not give justice to the weight and influence this idea has in Japan. Let me take you on a tour of the Japanese culture of monozukuri.

(EN) Culture of Quality – A Comparison of Toyota and GM Recalls

Oktober 11, 2025Juni 1, 2014 von Christoph Roser

One of the main aspects of lean manufacturing is quality. This post discusses the differing attitudes regarding quality in different corporate cultures. In particular, the Toyota brake recalls and the GM ignition recalls are compared.

(EN) Toyota Employee Relationship Crisis and Countermeasures 1990’s

Oktober 11, 2025Mai 25, 2014 von Christoph Roser

Toyota has developed what is probably the finest production system in the world, the Toyota Production System. There is general consensus in the rest of the world that its methods and philosophies can significantly improve efficiency and quality, to the point that anything Toyota does is admired and copied. Some practitioners seem to wear rose-colored glasses when talking about Toyota. However, like any company, Toyota does have its fair share of problems and mishaps to deal with, from the 1950 near collapse, to the US gas pedal recalls during 2009–2011. This post will discuss the employee relationship crisis at Toyota around 1990 and Toyota’s countermeasures.

(EN) On the Lean Guru Shigeo Shingo

Oktober 11, 2025Februar 2, 2014 von Christoph Roser

Shigeo Shingo is a name that everyone in the United States lean community knows. He is sometimes considered „the world’s leading expert on manufacturing practices and the Toyota Production System,“ an „engineering genius,“ and the foremost guru of lean production. Some sources even claim he invented the Toyota Production System and taught Taiichi Ohno. Shingo greatly helped to popularize the idea of Lean in the USA. However, he invented much less than what is sometimes claimed, and there is also quite some disagreement in the lean community on this. Let’s have a look at his life and his achievements.

Die Entwicklung der Toyota-Fertigungsstraßen – ein Besuch im Motomachi-Werk

August 21, 2025Januar 26, 2014 von Christoph Roser

Current Layout of Toyota Motomachi Plant

Toyota ist ein Unternehmen, das sich ständig weiterentwickelt und bestrebt ist, die Verschwendung zu reduzieren. In den letzten Jahren habe ich von Änderungen an den Montagelinien von Toyota gehört, um die Effizienz zu verbessern. Während einer kürzlichen Reise nach Japan hatte ich die Möglichkeit, die Montagelinie im Werk Motomachi zu beobachten. In diesem Beitrag werde ich die Entwicklung der Fließbandgestaltung bei Toyota aufzeigen.

(EN) Lean is Zero Defects? – I don’t think so!

Oktober 11, 2025Januar 19, 2014 von Christoph Roser

If you work in manufacturing, sooner or later you will find someone who claims that lean manufacturing is all about Zero Defects. Or Zero Inventory. Or Zero Lead Time. Or Zero Whatever. This is bollocks! Zero Defects was a management fad from the 1960s that pops up regularly every now and then again. In this post we will look at what Zeros there really are in lean manufacturing – if any.

(EN) Consistency at Toyota – The Board of Directors of the Toyota Motor Company

Oktober 11, 2025Januar 12, 2014 von Christoph Roser

The Toyota Motor Company (TMC) is one of the most well-managed firms in the world. Among multinational corporations, it is probably the most famous one. Since its founding in 1937, TMC has continuously improved. The question is, how did Toyota do that? What does Toyota do differently from other companies, who stumble from one problem into the next? I believe the corporate culture and style start with the behavior at the top. Hence, in this post I will look at the board of directors of TMC in more detail.

(EN) Japanese Standard Pointing and Calling (Video)

Oktober 11, 2025Januar 5, 2014 von Christoph Roser

During my last trip to Japan, I finally took videos capturing the Japanese Pointing-and-Calling standard. Pointing and calling is a safety standard that started with Japanese train operators but now is widely used in industry. The idea is that whenever you confirm something, you not only look at it, but also point at it and call out your observation.