TPS – or the Toyota Production System – is often illustrated as a “house” model as shown below.
At the bottom of the house is the foundation called “Stability.”
Built upon it are elements such as Heijunka (leveling), Standardized Work, and Kaizen (continuous improvement).
The two main pillars are:
- Just-In-Time (process management)
- Jidoka (quality at the source)
At the top are the ultimate goals: Safety, Quality, Productivity, Cost, and Lead Time.
If we want to build the Lean TPS house, we must start from a strong foundation.
The operating system needs to achieve a certain level of stability before further improvement efforts can be effectively carried out.
It is clear that Toyota has developed this “house” over many years – measured in decades – with contributions from many capable individuals. A frequently mentioned figure is Taiichi Ohno during the period from the 1950s to 1970s.
What is important to recognize is that TPS was not created by a single outstanding individual, nor within a short period of time.
This helps explain why many non-Toyota organizations, although convinced by the value of TPS, often struggle when trying to build it within their own operations. Simply put, TPS is not something that can be assembled piece by piece. Even terms like “Stability” are abstract and difficult to fully understand without real practice.
Below is a talk by Art Smalley, who previously worked for Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan. He was also involved in transferring TPS from Japan to the United States, and later spent many years working as a Lean consultant. For further reference, please explore the author and his body of work.
The talk includes three main parts:
- From start → 24:00: Toyota’s development journey, key milestones, and the TPS model
- From 24:00 → 32:00: Training programs since 1951, including Training Within Industry (TWI) and the three “J” programs
- From 41:00 → 43:00: Internal training systems at Toyota, developing employees from operators to different management levels
- From 43:00 → 47:00: Conclusion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqbb1nJdvmQ
