AutonomationĪutomated looms can work without weavers present because the looms can detect when something is wrong and shut themselves down automatically. Ohno was able tosucceed because he had the support of Eiji Toyoda, who was in a position of management at the time after his cousin Kiichiro left the company in 1950. He’s also noted saying that the TPS was “a system for the absolute elimination of waste”. Ohno explains in his book, “Toyota Production System,” that the system rested on two pillars: automation and Just-in-Time flow. As Ohno was given more responsibility, he began spreading his ideas throughout the company.
TOYOTA PRODUCTION SYSTEM TRIAL
The development of the Toyota Production System was a long and arduous process that took years of experimentation and trial and error. Adding his expertise of spinning and weaving to what he learned from Ford, he began to slowly develop a new process.
Taiichi realized that there was much to be learned from American auto manufacturers and began studying Ford’s production system and gained an understanding of American inventory processes. A machine shop manager, Taiichi utilized his ingenuity and genius to eventually develop the TPS. Taiichi Ohno was one of the first people to step up when Kiichrio Toyoda issued his challenge to catch up to America.
In 1962, Toyota implemented the Toyota Production System, but Kiichiro Toyoda died a decade before he could see his dream become a reality. That way, the potential for the generation of waste would be greatly reduced. The parts would be made when they were needed. Kiichiro knew that such a system would never work by stockpiling these parts at a warehouse. After all, there were no extra parts to spare at the time. Kiichiro Toyoda began to envision a system in which all essential parts for assembly at the warehouse would arrive “Just-in-Time” for when they were needed. In Japan, duplicating a similar business model was simply not possible because the public was interested in variety, materials were a rare sight and orders were never reliable. America specialized in the mass production model in which thousands of identical pieces and parts were manufactured to gain economies of scale. However, post-war Japan was low on resources while America was not. Kiichiro Toyoda issued a challenge to his company to “catch up to America”. Ultimately, there are eight types of waste that the TPS addresses:ģ) Waste of overproduction (considered to be the largest waste)
The small improvements in waste reduction are benefits to any corporation. The process must have enough flexibility that it does not overburden anyone to generate waste. This is done by eliminating inconsistency, which is also known as“design out” inconsistency. The most vital effects on process value delivery are accomplished by devising a process capable of fulfilling the required results in a smooth manner. TPS has always had primary objectives that it strived to meet such as designing out overburden and inconsistency while eliminating waste. It was Kiichiro who came up with techniques and methodologies that led to waste elimination between operations. Kiichiro Toyoda also set out to breathe life into the idea of eliminating waste within the workplace. Through the automatic loom, Sakichi improved both work efficiency and productivity. It could also form judgments on its own, making the invention revolutionary.
The automatic loom automated completed processes that previously could only be performed manually. TPS can trace its roots back to the automatic loom created by Sakichi Toyoda. As the waste builds over time, it can even affect the management of a corporation. Furthermore, it’s believed that all elements of waste can combine with one another to create more waste. In other words, all excess is considered wasteful. In many cases, waste can show up in the workplace in the form of excess inventory, defective products, and unnecessary processing steps. The TPS system was modeled after the “Just-in-Time” concept that was developed by the founder of Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyoda. Over the years, the TPS has morphed and improved through the fires of trial and error in a bid to make the workplace a hyper-efficient environment. The TPS follows the philosophy of “the complete elimination of waste.” This philosophy is demonstrated in Toyota’s highly efficient production process. The Toyota Production System (TPS) is the epitome of efficiency in the workplace. Image Source: Pixabay History of the Toyota Production System