TABLE OF CONTENTS The Toyota Way can be summarized through the two pillars that support it: continuous improvement and learning (and) respect for people.
Gary Convis
The concept of lean manufacturing first came to be more widely known with the book The Machine That Changed the World.1 It was an excellent review of the history of the development of Lean Manufacturing, primarily at Toyota, but it was scant on the details of the methods for achieving it. More recently, two books Running Today's Factory by Charles Standard and Dale Davis2 and The Toyota Way by Jeffrey Liker3 have provided a more clear description of Lean Manufacturing principles and how to apply them. Key points of emphasis from the Standard and Davis book appear to be reducing process variability, reducing system cycle times, and, above all, eliminating waste in the manufacturing process and supply chain, from receipt of order to delivery of product and payment. Liker's book uses a pyramid model to outline Toyota's approach. The foundation of the pyramid is management basing its decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals. The next layer in the pyramid relates to having the right processes such that production flow is level, is "pulled," is visual to easily highlight problems, and is standardized. The next step relates to treating people and partners with respect, while challenging and growing them. The final step, or apex, of the pyramid in Liker's model is problem solving...
