Shigeo Shingo, Chief of Industrial Engineering (who trained the company’s industrial engineers in the time that they built the Toyota Production System), explained that the key to the success of the production system was SMED – the Single Minute Exchange of Dies – which allowed them to run many different products on the same production line, and eliminated many kinds of waste.
Company executives ascribe their success to following the 14 principles of the Toyota Way (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Toyota_Way).
Why do you suppose that these might not be compelling answers for US Auto Industry Executives?
© Copyright 2006, Chauncey Bell and BABDI, LLC. All rights reserved worldwide.
Chauncey Bell Blog 
It is hard to figure out how to change a die in a minute.
“Hard, they’re doing brain surgery right down the road.”
Joe Sudderth
Engineering and Quality Manager
TF Global Gasket
A joint venture between Federal Mogul and Taiho Kogyo
Thanks for the comment, Joe. Cryptic, but to the point. How did you encounter the blog – obviously I am still just beginning to put it in place, and have been hijacked by my amazement at our auto industry. I have worked with them a good deal over the last two decades, and should not be surprised, but I still am.
I met you through Robert Wilson and Charles Follett at GMPTG several years ago. We listened to a presentation on the Master Dot Process together.
A couple of days ago I was preparing for a interview for a job in retail distribution, anything but automotive, and wanted to sharpen up on coordination, so I googled you.
As for the “brain surgery” comment, either you or Charles said that to me when I made a comment about how difficult was to develop a new powertrain.
I have used that quote a few times when a problem seemed too difficult to solve.
Thanks,
Joe
We had an interview with professor Monden who is the author of Toyota Production System. He lives in Tokyo where I live now. He currently is a professor of Mejiro University still working on Toyota Production System.
Please take a look at this interview.
http://www.lean-manufacturing-japan.com/interviews/toyota_production_system.html
I absolutely adore what you have done with this post. You make me want to read more and more. Definately coming back and definately telling people to check it out!
I have read so many articles on the topic of the
blogger lovers except this post is truly a good post, keep
it up.