Lean Transformation

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Is Toyota Still Relevant?

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Is Toyota Still Relevant?

Is Toyota Still Relevant?

A few weeks ago, I decided to participate in the Virtual Lean Mini Conference organized and hosted by Bob Emiliani. The concept is fairly straightforward: participants register, Bob poses a couple of questions, and divides the participants into two groups to argue a position on each question. After preparing one’s analysis of their positions, the entire group meets for a facilitated discussion to present both sides of the arguments. The second question was very straightforward, “Is Toyota Still Relevant?”

This blog post is based on my reflections before and after the conference. So, let’s dig in… Is Toyota still relevant?

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Tales from the Trenches: Too Much Change Can Be a Bad Thing (Really!)

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Tales from the Trenches: Too Much Change Can Be a Bad Thing (Really!)

A Walk Down Memory Lane…

Many years back, my husband worked at Ford Motor Company. The years were 1999 through 2001, while I was studying to complete my MBA at The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Anyone familiar with Ford’s history, will recall that those are the exact years that Jacques Nasser was at the helm of the auto giant as its President and CEO, and more than likely, those years are not remembered kindly.

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Tales from the Trenches: Making the Case for Change

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Getting Started

During my 30-plus years in Managing Plants and Business Units, I have been confronted with the challenge of using Toyota Production System (TPS) Concepts to make radical change in the trajectory of many organizations. I learned early on that getting acceptance for the need for change by the most important constituency… the people on the floor that were actually making the company’s products and/ or delivering its services, is the most critical first step in getting started.

Putting leaders with colorful slide decks and compelling speeches in front of workers at your next ‘Town Hall Meeting’ doesn’t work: simply telling folks from the floor that the company wants the operation to embrace the ‘new manufacturing paradigm’ as a way of becoming more competitive and improving profitability is a DOA approach.