Abstract

Toyota’s production system has been one of the most studied systems in the field of production and operations management. The core elements of the system, like JIT, Kaizen and Kanban were emulated by several other organizations around the world, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Taiichi Ohno was the architect of the TPS and was generally acknowledged as the father of ‘lean manufacturing’, which was the western adaptation of the TPS. The case discusses the various elements of TPS and the role played by Ohno in the design and implementation of the system. Concepts like JIT, Kaizen, Kanban, and Jidoka are discussed in detail. The case also studies the benefits Toyota obtained from the TPS, as well as the main challenges in implementing the system. It concludes with a study of the applications of the TPS in other companies and the role that it is likely to play in the future of manufacturing.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Application of tools like JIT, Kanban, Kaizen, and Jidoka and their role in production management, Importance of human element in the design and operation of production systems.

Keywords

Toyota Motor Corporation, Taiichi Ohno, Just-in-Time (JIT), Kaizen, Competitive Advantage, Toyota Production System (TPS), Kanban, General Motors, Gemba, Toyota Supplier Support Center, Jidoka, Toshiaki Taguchi, Jidoka System, Operations management and Production system