Increasing productivity efficiency through waste reduction
What is the Toyota Production System?
Toyota’s Lean Production System has transformed the manufacturing industry. David Landes, a Harvard economic historian, describes it as “the most important technical innovation since Ford’s successful implementation of the moving assembly line.”
The Toyota Production System (TPS) is the company’s commitment to continuous improvement. It is therefore the culture of employees and management. In the Toyota Production System, every person follows the same set of principles. These aim to improve production processes based on customer needs and product quality. In addition, the principles also include safety, whether in the factory or on the road.
Advantages of the Toyota Production System
The Toyota Production System provides many advantages for those who implement it as a means of improving their current production system. Specifically, the system uses continuous improvement to empower businesses. By creating a culture of trust among employees at every stage of production, employees seek to solve their problems.
Initially, TPS improves quality in products and processes. It uses various lean methods to reduce errors and improve quality. In particular, such methods are the Kaizen method, 5S, 5 Whys and Poka-Yoke. These tools help employees find inefficiencies, mistakes or potential defects so that the final product is free of defects.
In addition, TPS reduces waste, increasing efficiency and reducing costs. Indeed, we can link Toyota’s ability to reduce waste throughout the production process to the high-quality and cost-competitive products the company produces. It uses Just-In-Time (JIT) , Kanban , Takt-Time and Kaizen methods to identify waste. In other words, it identifies and improves areas of overproduction, underproduction, inadequate transportation, unnecessary inventory and defects. This is done until waste is eliminated.
The principle behind Kaizen is continuous improvement. It does not necessarily involve large capital improvements, but small incremental improvements. The word “Kaizen” literally means continuous improvement. By using a system that uses customer demand to stimulate production, inventory can be reduced to a minimum. The name of the system is “just-in-time” and Kanban is the tool that provides an effective just-in-time system.
TPS also improves customer satisfaction by providing defect-free products. Similarly, it succeeds because it puts the customer first. The zero-defect policy and the constant effort to reduce costs allow the company to offer quality at a price that customers can afford.
Finally, TPS improves all aspects of safety for employees and customers. TPS is a safety-focused system that works to reduce hazards in the workplace as well as those found on the road. 5S helps employees identify and eliminate hazards. At the same time, Kaizen allows employees to stop the production line and eliminate errors that may increase risks while driving.
What does the Toyota Production System achieve?
Toyota’s official website states that the goals for its Production System are:
To provide the customer with the highest quality vehicles, at the lowest possible cost, with the shortest possible delivery times. To provide its people with job satisfaction, workplace safety and fair treatment. This production system gives the company the flexibility to respond to the market, achieve profit through cost-cutting activities and long-term prosperity.
The goal is to eliminate waste to the greatest extent possible. Then, the standardization of processes, practices, plans and methods that led to the minimum amount of waste.
The fundamental and common factor of all lean tools is standardization. Its purpose is to ensure the usability of changes through the use of lean tools. In addition, standardization contributes to ensuring safe work practices and quality products.
There are systems and tools that support the implementation of the Toyota Production System. It is a fact that the effort and training of these is necessary. The participation of everyone is also necessary for the success of the system, as is the management of continuous change and improvement. If through the participation of all employees and work groups we maintain reliable equipment, provide excellent internal and external quality and operate with the Just-in-Time philosophy, we will provide ourselves with a safe and rewarding place to work and excellent quality and cost for our customers. The result will be fair returns for investors and secure employment with fair wages for employees.
