The Toyota Template : The Plan for Just-In-Time and Culture Change Beyond Lean Tools

Many current companies are in a similar position to Toyota prior to development of the Toyota Production System regarding efficiency and culture. Many are attempting to implement a Lean system, but the failure rate is very high. The primary reasons are lack of will, lack of skill, or some combination of the two. Toyota is the benchmark for any Lean implementation -- therefore, adopting and adapting the 'Toyota Template' is the only way to have a real and sustainable Lean implementation. In the development of the Toyota Production System, Taiichi Ohno left a 'template' of important and critical concepts/methods.

The Toyota Template explains and develops this template in an orderly and easy-to-understand fashion. The template orders the activities/concepts/methods for a successful implementation.

Fujio Cho, the first President at Toyota in Georgetown, said 'The key to the Toyota Way and what makes Toyota stand out is not any of the individual elements…But what is important is having all the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner, not in spurts.'… The tools individually aren’t a system that is consistently practiced.

Ohno’s primary goal was not to form a 'Lean culture' -- His objective was rise to the level of US auto makers in three years and to fulfill Kiichiro Toyota’s idea that parts should arrive 'just-in-time.' In so doing, the Lean, problem-solving culture became a byproduct. The template explains the cultural value and how it occurs. Implementation of The Toyota Template will develop an efficient, Lean culture in any organization.

• Focuses on the the Toyota Production System as a whole -- not just a collection of tools.
• Parallels the Toyota condition prior to Ohno’s work with the condition of current manufacturers.
• Examines the key elements Taiichi Ohno emphasized in his work on the Toyota Production System and explains the importance of each.
• Explains the contribution of each concept in the development of the Toyota Culture and how this is relevant to current Lean implementations.
• Establishes a logical, step-by-step sequence of implementation called The Toyota Template that will lead to Toyota-like results.
• Explains why the order of implementation is critical.
• Contains numerous quotes from Ohno’s writings throughout the book on these concepts that solidify the validity of the template.
• Includes actual examples from the shop floor at Toyota.
• Answers  the question companies are asking themselves -- "How can we achieve world class efficiency?"
• Explains why the very popular "go-to" Value Stream Mapping tool may not be not needed.

Preface

Chapter 1 : The Problem - Distance from the Toyota Template
Chapter 2 : The Predicament - Perplexing Failure
Chpater 3 : The Position - Plant First
Chapter 4 : The Purpose - Will and Skill
Chapter 5 : The Plan - Hoshin Kanri
Chapter 6 : The Property - Waste Elimination
Chapter 7 : The Practice - Standard Work
Chapter 8 : The Patois - 8-Step Problem Solving
Chapter 9 : The Pattern - Flow, Pull, and Heijunka
Chapter 10 : The Program - Jidoka, Quality at the Source
Chapter 11 : The Path - The Toyota Template
Chapter 12 : The Proof - TPS Results
Chapter 13 : The Perceptions - Mental Images
Chapter 14 : The Post Script - Personal Matters

Index