Employee Empowerment: Average Annual Results
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More than 700,000 improvement
suggestions
were submitted by Toyota's employees.
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That is an average of over 10
improvement suggestions per employee per year.
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Over 99% of suggestions were
implemented.
The Toyota Way: 14
Principles
The
Toyota Way is not the Toyota Production System
(TPS).
The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way
is a management philosophy used by the Toyota
corporation that includes TPS, also known as lean
manufacturing. TPS is the most systematic and highly
developed example of what the principles of the Toyota
Way can accomplish. The Toyota Way consists of the
foundational principles of the Toyota
culture,
which allows the TPS to function so effectively...
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Corporate Culture
The fundamental reason for
Toyota's success in the global marketplace lies in its corporate
philosophy – the set of rules and attitudes that govern the use of
its resources.
Toyota have successfully penetrated global markets
and established a world-wide presence by virtue of its
productivity. The company's approach to both product development
and distribution is very consumer-friendly and market-driven.
Toyota's philosophy
of
empowering its workers
is the centrepiece of a human resources management system that
fosters creativity,
continuous improvement, and
innovation
by encouraging employee participation, and that likewise engenders
high levels of employee loyalty. Knowing that a workplace
with high morale and job satisfaction is more likely to produce
reliable, high-quality products at affordable prices,
Toyota have institutionalized many successful workforce practices.
Toyota has done so not only in its own plants but also in supplier
plants that were experiencing problems.1
Although many car
manufacturers have earned a reputation for building high-quality
cars, they have been unable to overcome Toyota's advantages in human
resource management, supplier networks and distribution systems in
the highly competitive car market. Much of Toyota's success in the
world markets is attributed directly to the
synergistic
performance of its policies in human resources management and
supply-chain networks.
Five Ss
The Five Ss
refer to the five dimensions of of workplace optimization:
Seiri (Sort),
Seiton (Set in order), Seiso (Shine), Seiketsu (Standardize), and
Shitsuke (Sustain)...
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The Focus of Toyota
Production System
Real TPS is not just about “flow” or
“pull production” or “cellular manufacturing” or "load leveling".
TPS in Toyota is primarily concerned with making a profit, and
satisfying the customer with the highest possible quality at the
lowest cost in the shortest lead-time, while developing the talents
and skills of its workforce through rigorous improvement routines
and problem solving disciplines. This stated aim is mixed in with
the twin production principles of Just in Time (make and deliver the
right part, in the right amount, at the right time), and Jidoka
(build in quality at the process), as well as the notion of
continuous
improvement by standardization and elimination of waste in all
operations to improve quality, cost, productivity, lead-time,
safety, morale and other metrics as needed.2
