Toyota's production and operation system
Toyota is the fourth largest automobile company in the world after the three major automobile companies such as General Motors in the United States. However, people in the automotive industry agree that Toyota established the automotive industry's standards for efficiency, labor productivity and quality. So what is the magic of Toyota's production and operation system? Let's learn about it together!
1. Maximize flow, eliminate waste, and respect people. ?
This is a slogan printed by Toyota on a 3*5-inch square card. It is actually Toyota’s corporate spirit. Employees working at Toyota believe that it contains three levels of content: technology, system and philosophy. It is not easy to truly fully understand it and integrate it in practice. Toyota people know that executing and coordinating this corporate spirit requires blood, sweat and tears. They designed some very innovative items during the production process, such as: "Subpoena Card", "Emergency Pull Rope" and "Quality Environment", in order to increase the speed of production operation, solve problems in a timely manner and ensure quality. The company has carefully designed every process in production, requiring it to be carried out in a balanced, stable and orderly manner, with no ups and downs, and the quantity given to customers is just right. Therefore, overproduction is considered the most serious wasteful behavior at Toyota. Fluctuations in the production process are not allowed. Therefore, the Toyota Production System requires extensive and detailed planning, strict discipline, hard work, and attention to detail. ?Those who have visited Toyota assembly plants say that the production process is like a designed dance, and the workers look like dancers: taking parts, installing them, checking quality, etc., all in a perfect environment. Every action has a clear purpose and there is no laziness. Toyota workers say, we believe in the four Ss: sweeping, sorting, sifting, and tidying (sweeping, sorting, siring, spick-and-span).
2. Integrated relationship between zero inventory and suppliers
In order to reduce costs, Toyota implements zero inventory management for all parts required for production. Therefore, the production process is carried out strictly according to the plan, which puts serious pressure on both suppliers and workers. If workers fail to complete the plan, they must work overtime; and if a certain part is not supplied, it may cause the entire production system to paralyze. Toyota currently relies on external suppliers for 70% of the parts needed to produce cars, while the proportion for General Motors is 35%. In order to achieve close cooperation with suppliers, Toyota conceptually regards suppliers as an important part of its production system, and often acquires controlling shares by purchasing stocks to improve this relationship. In addition, they also deepen and enrich relationships with suppliers by allowing them to fully participate in all aspects of their business activities, and consciously legalize Toyota's knowledge exchange practices with suppliers. In Japan, Toyota is cultivating suppliers in its own backyard. Currently, the average distance between Toyota's independent suppliers and the company's assembly plants is only 59 miles, with eight deliveries per day. Well below GM's average of 427 miles. In this aspect, Toyota can save $500 million per year relative to General Motors. Toyota's goal is to integrate the external supply process with its own production process. When it comes to dealing with supplier relationships, Toyota has a famous saying: How can I help you improve? In order to make a company that supplies exhaust systems become its supplier, Toyota specially sent two engineers to work in the other company's factory for 7 days. In the past few months, we have improved processes and management and improved quality, and eventually became a contract supplier to Toyota.
3. The production concept of continuous adjustment
The environment is always changing, so Toyota's production and operation system must constantly adapt to changes in the environment and cannot remain unchanged. Many people who come to Toyota to study feel that the most difficult thing to imitate is that Toyota is always constantly adjusting its production system. For example, in the early 1990s, in order to increase the degree of automation, we wanted to vigorously improve machinery and equipment. Later, we considered that the cost was too high, and we changed this decision. In view of the shortage of labor in Japan, Toyota has deliberately improved the process to make workers easier at work. Even zero inventory management has been adjusted recently. It now divides assembly lines into sections, allowing workers to save a small number of unfinished parts at the end of each section in case of production interruptions. Many experts who study Toyota believe that this ability to adjust is an important factor in Toyota's success. Toyota's ability to adjust comes from the learning ability of its employees. Only by constantly learning from the outside world and grasping various changes can we adjust ourselves in a timely manner. A Harvard Business graduate who has studied Toyota said: "Toyota's real power lies in its ability to learn." Its employees think about problems and consider customers, which are the source of Toyota's vitality. Toyota's approach continues to change, but its basic principles remain the same. ?Toyota's learning ability is not only reflected in learning from the outside world, but also in its ability to learn from mistakes. They always warn themselves not to make the same mistakes.
4. Innovative design and manufacturing process
Toyota can now launch a new car in 18 months or less. This is because Toyota also has many innovations in designing manufacturing processes. In the early 1990s, the Toyota system was smart and capable, launching more models and providing more choices, but at prices higher than the market could bear. This was reformed in the mid to late 1990s. The company divides its engineering and technical personnel into three groups: front-wheel drive vehicle group, rear-wheel drive vehicle group and truck group to carry out product development work. This actually separates the design power from the hands of the chief engineer in the past. The advantage of this is that it strengthens competition and stimulates innovation awareness; it makes it easier for different projects within each group to use unified parts, thereby helping to reduce costs; although several similar models are developed at the same time, some engineering work overlaps Yes, but this helps them discuss their failures and successes with each other. Toyota believes that product development, like the operation of the workshop, also requires leadership, collaboration and communication. Effective product development requires not only freedom of creativity and innovative design, but also constraints and controls on planning, resource utilization, and product quality. Toyota treats the design blueprints placed on the desks of technicians waiting for signature, approval or modification just like unprocessed parts. They believe that as long as they are placed there, they will hinder the completion of the work. Only by eliminating them or pushing them forward can they be used. The process is improved. Under the guidance of this series of design concepts, Toyota has achieved remarkable results in the development of new products and new technologies: Toyota became the first company in Japan to mass produce and sell hybrid (electric motor plus gasoline engine) cars; in 1998 The 2017 Corolla's 120-horsepower engine uses 25 percent fewer parts than before, is 10 percent lighter, is 10 percent more fuel efficient, and costs $1,500 less than the 1997 model; it announced in study 21 It was a leader in engines that replaced gasoline-powered internal combustion engines at the beginning of the century.
5. Vigorously cultivate managers
The reason why Toyota can establish such a magical production and operation system is mainly due to its strong team of cadres. Toyota fully realizes that continuous development of human resources and training of talents are the source of strength for the company to maintain its long-term prosperity. An American engineer who inspected Toyota said that Toyota's success depends on the tireless work of its 200 middle managers. Managers at Toyota's domestic factories in Japan generally have 20 years of experience in Toyota's production operations system. Toyota selects and trains managers from an extremely rich and long-term practical management process, making them the backbone of Toyota's production operation system. Relatively speaking, Toyota's foreign factories lack such managers with rich management experience. Therefore, Toyota's president Shuo Okuda said: "We must train managers, no matter where they come from." However, an in-depth study of Toyota's experience will reveal that these managers have a striking characteristic. They all come from the same culture and speak the same language. In other words, Toyota's management experience is rooted in the traditional culture of the Japanese nation, and it is difficult for outsiders to learn this. Okuda Shuo himself said that the interpersonal relationships required by the Toyota Production System may be unique to Japan and difficult for foreigners to understand. ?General Motors of the United States established a joint venture with Toyota as early as 1984 to specialize in Toyota's production technology; the book "The Machine That Changed the World" published in 1990 stated that Toyota is the world leader in labor productivity. who. Although it is difficult to fully learn Toyota's production and operation system, it is still necessary for Chinese entrepreneurs after joining the WTO to learn from Toyota's experience. Toyota's factory doors are open to foreign countries, and it is not worried that opening up to the outside world will reveal important secrets. Many people from various countries visit and study, and everyone will gain something of their own. The three major automobile giants in the United States, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, have all learned things that are beneficial to them from Toyota. Therefore, the author believes that Chinese companies can also learn useful experiences from Toyota's magical production and operation system.
;