The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer

In spite of the recent embarrassing product recalls, Toyota remains a highly respected global leader. Jeffrey Liker's 2004 book on "The Toyota Way" summarizes 20 years of insightful study. He argues that the 4-P model of Process, Philosophy, People/Partners and Problem Solving describes the four interdependent components required for long-term success. Scattered throughout the text are descriptions of how and why other firms have failed to succeed in adopting lean manufacturing or "The Toyota Way". They include: lack of senior management involvement or commitment, focus on tools/techniques without an emphasis on culture, overemphasis on cost reduction, lack of discipline to sustain flow improvements, emphasis on format/rules in ISO 9000, inappropriate outsourcing, supplier abuse, and an overly narrow focus in six sigma on statistical techniques applied by experts. The book's insights and stories are valuable, but not totally persuasive. The text provides good historical and contemporary background on Toyota's quality system and progress. It also describes and illustrates more than 30 of the quality tools and techniques in a non-technical manner. The book is well-written and well-organized, covering a massive amount of material effectively. In addition to the many "best practices" quality techniques adopted by most Japanese and leading western firms today, Toyota emphasizes a few other management techniques which combine to make its approach unique. Within the context of "14 management principles", the author explains the value of cultural support for tools, the role of standardization as the basis for cumulative learning, the centrality of engineering and production, the use of appropriate technology, the benefits of experiential learning, the rationale for unit of one production, the role of inventory and goals in creating challenges to solve, the short-term blending of push and pull techniques, the extent of fail-safe practices, the nature of an enabling bureaucracy and the need to maintain key internal capabilities. The author does not always explain "why" these choices are necessary or exactly how they add value. The author closes with an insightful list of "13 Tips for Transitioning Your Company to a Lean Enterprise". Dr. Liker is an unapologetic true believer in "The Toyota Way". His advice to those who do not share his commitment is the weakest part of a very highly valuable reference work on Toyota and Lean Production. "[Non-committed] top leaders should pick and choose from whatever tools are out there to improve processes for the short term, make a bundle of money, and go do something else. This is tantamount to admitting the company will never be a learning enterprise, or a great company, and it is only interested in cutting and slashing waste to look good for the short term."

OK, like anything else, you have to dig for the truth. Dr Liker provides lots of material (regardless of Toyota itself) that you can learn from to help your business! I had a 2007 Toyota Camry and I doubt I would ever buy another one. It never got the gas mileage I was promised (oh yeah that was by a car lot) plus it wore out way too quickly. However, my review is on Dr Liker's book and not Toyota itself. He clearly showed a passion for a company who on some level was committed to quality at some point. That is what you want to learn from, not from what Toyota may or may not have devolved too. One piece flow: You can and better implement that in any business. Reducing waste: You can and better implement that in any business. Employee involvement: You can and better implement that in any business. Leveling workflow: You can and better implement that in any business. Make Mistakes: You can and better implement that in any business (or you aren't trying hard enough). Continuous Improvement: You can and better implement that in any business (another reviewer said that its better to change lots of things, and the two are not mutually exclusive - the book says something like "queue where you have to, but otherwise get rid of queues" which would apply to changes also). Standardized processes: You can and better implement that in any business. (This is why you go to eat at mom and pop restaurants and they are great when chef mom is there, but suck when they are off for the day.) I have learned a lot from The Toyota Way and I have implemented some of the things and they have helped our business substantially. Great book, the criticisms of Toyota are more than warranted, but if you are imaginative, you can use the tools in this book to help your business. Maybe you won't use all of them, but if you use 1 or 2 you will have paid for the price of this book many times over. (If Toyota wants to improve their cars, they need to buy this book and start working at the tail which is the car dealership and bring the Toyota Way to the sales process there first, then move down the line to the factory.)

I've read this book a few times, and got our factory excited by it as well. We read it 2 chapters a week as a group, with a volunteer facilitator reviewing the content of the chapters in a weekly session. Suggest you start with this one and then read "Creating a Lean Culture" by David Mann and then "The Toyota Way Fieldbook" by Jeffrey Liker. A good read for those interested in excelling in Lean Manufacturing or Self-Directed Workteams. Pro: + Shows Toyota's commitment, i.e. the willingness to pursue perfection everyday forever (which is why I think so many fail... satisfied with good) + Provides building blocks upon which to build lean systems and apply lean tools + Philosophy is quite detailed while avoiding "tools" (they are a distraction from successful business transformation) Con: - Not a recipe for you to copy... no shortcuts or cutting corners here - Does not directly describe principles and concept behind hoshin kanri (strategic planning) - I really would have liked this - Does not include any "kata" - now viewed as a key element for cultural transformation - A bit lengthy Bottom line: Recommended for serious lean zealots only. I think that this book is true to the philosophies of Toyota as I've directly observed from the 4 or 5 different senseis (former Toyota executives turned consultants) I have had the chance to work with. Revised July, 19, 2012 due to recent advancements in the study of Toyota.

The Toyota Way is an outstanding publication. As Dr. Liker says, Cultural Change through the involvement of all people (from top leadership to floor operators)is a key factor in transforming an organization to Lean. The Iceberg Model of TPS on page 299 (figure 22-3) says it all. How do we take all of the concepts in the book and make them happen in our organization? One way to engage more people is to establish a Toyota Way Discussion Group or Book Club. Start with volunteer participants and meet for about an hour each week. Before the meeting, agree on the section of the book to be discussed, and ask each member to describe what it means to them and what they can do to implement the concept in their organization. They will also be able to ask for help and support from other organizations represented in the meeting. This promotes teamwork and understanding. If any of the concepts are difficult for them to understand, have other participants explain what it means in their terms. This really promotes hands-on learning. It helps to have an experienced lean advisor available to handle the tough questions. If there are some individuals who are struggling with the concepts, this is a great process to help them understand.

If you’re in leadership, this is a must. - a way to lead - for people who want to understand why If you don’t know why or where problems/issues come from, you’ve never worked that area of the business. If you can’t explain how to do the simplest job(s) in your business, how can you understand your team when they bring issues to you attention. Highly Recommend

The definitive text on the TPS - Toyota Production System. Toyota wrote the book on Lean and this is the one. Belongs in every successful business person's library. The text isn't a how-to on Lean, there are other books that are better on how to implement. This text is about how Toyota developed the system - their journey and the development of the Management Principles that support any pursuit of world class processes and world class quality. The management principles apply to any business and in any industry including Financial Services, distribution, software development, manufacturing, hospitals and healthcare, government, education, retail, anything and everything that involves processes will benefit from the principles and practices of Lean. Just be sure to write your name in it so that you get it back when you lend it to someone - it can get passed from person to person before you know it!

Although the content feels old and the writer perhaps a little too star-struck with the Toyota way, the book is excellent in describing the history, culture, and subsequent modus operandi of Toyota. It has many examples of how the principles were applied successfully (in Toyota), making the content feel practical (it still remains to be tested in RSA for me though). I would like to see more of the thinking and doing in comparison to other manufacturing systems (not just bashing other manufacturers for superficial application of the principles). But this book never pretended to be anything but the Toyota way, so no points lost there. Highly recommended!

The book is quite informative for someone not directly involved in the manufacturing industry. As someone in the services sector, I can see a few applications for these concepts (such as how to deal with contractors, or « suppliers » in the author’s word). The main drawback, in my opinion, is that the author is heavily biased towards Toyota and praises the company to the point of worship. To his credit, he does state his bias explicitly in the start of the book. However, there is an implicit view in the writing that seems to show American companies such as GM and Ford (Giants in the industry) as... « amateurs », for a lack of a better word, in comparison to Toyota, who always make mistakes as they try to imitate Toyota but never get it right. It also presents an implicit view of superiority of the Japanese as compared to Americans (e.g. one section presents how Toyota opened a new factory in the US to help improve the lives of that locals.. really?) (I am a national of neither countries, by the way) It is a good book, but perhaps I am weary of this sort of writing, which praises the presented concept to the point of worship.

Wer lernen will, wie ein Unternehmen langfristig erfolgreich entwickelt werden kann, wie Prozesse vernünftig zu gestalten sind und was wirksames Management jenseits all der narzisstischen Selbstbeweihräucherung tatsächlich bedeuten kann und bedeutet, kommt um dieses Buch m.E. nicht herum - und braucht nicht mehr sonderlich viele andere (Ich empfehle hier als m.E. optimale Ergänzung besonders noch das Buch "Führen, Leisten, Leben" von Fredmund Malik.) Darüber hinaus scheint mir noch wissenswert, dass Jeffrey K. Liker mit diesem Buch ein sehr praxisnaher Überblick über die Methoden der industriellen Produktion und deren Entwicklung in den letzten gut hundert Jahren gelungen ist. Man bekommt zudem quasi alle "Moden" der letzten Jahrzehnte sehr anschaulich vermittelt (u.a. Kaizen, Lean Production, Just-in-Time-Production) - und wundert sich dann wirklich, was aus diesen von Toyota in einem in sich konsistenten System entwickelten und integrierten, dort wirklich sinnvoll gelebten Ansätzen bei deren Übertragung nach Deutschland gemacht worden ist. Sehr aufschluss- und lehrreich!

日本人はとかく外来モノに弱いが、身近にいるトヨタという会社からも学ぶことは多いように思う。トヨタと言えばトヨタ生産方式が有名だが、本書は生産現場の技術的な話はあまりない。むしろ、その底流にある文化や哲学にフォーカスされている。そのため、自動車や製造業の枠を超えて多いに参考になると思う。本書を読んでいて強く思ったのは、「学習する組織」作りにこそトヨタの強みがあるということだ。カンバン方式で在庫を圧縮してコスト削減と聞くと、なんとなくそれらしく聞こえるが、カンバン方式での生産システムは、問題があれば、すぐにラインが止まってしまうことであり、リスクが非常に高い。しかし、敢えてそうすることで問題が顕在化され、問題を解決することの緊急性が高まる。そのため、初期にはトラブルが続出しても、長期的には頑健なシステムが出来上がるということである。また、そうした問題解決の舞台が設定され、かつそれを解決することが死活問題ともなれば、現場の問題解決への意識も変わり、組織が問題解決を日常とし、改善が確実に実施されるようになる。トヨタと言えば改善でも有名だ。改善が重要なことには誰も異論はないだろう。しかし、実際に改善活動が着実に実施されているケースは少ない。それは文化の違いと言ってしまえば、説明した気になっているが、どうしてそうした文化の違いが生まれるのかは説明されない。トヨタの行っていることは、カンバン方式や改善、終身雇用、5Whysなどが有名だが、個々に捉えていては意味がないことが本書を読めば理解出来る。トヨタの使っている各種の手法は、それらを有機的に使いこなすことで、「学習する組織」を作ることにこそ意味があるようだ。 本書を読んで、トヨタの強みに理解が深まったが、同時に容易には習得出来ないことも分かった。トヨタから学習したことを活かすためには相当な覚悟が必要なようだ。

Este libro es imprescindible para comprender la génesis de muchas aproximaciones "modernas" al management, y para entender también el rol definitivo de Valores y Cultura en el devenir de cualquier organización.

Ce livre est un très bon exposé des méthodes "japonaises" de production. Il a le mérite d'exposer l'historique des méthodes et des raisons qui ont poussé à les mettre en place. Il donne des exemples très concrets de mise en place de solutions pratiques et leur impact sur la réalité... Il promeut l'idéal de l'organisation apprenante sans tomber dans les superlatifs, en privilégiant les actes concrets et les raisonnements pragmatiques... L'auteur est très abordable, reste humble (ce qui change de beaucoup d'auteurs américains...) En cette période de frénésie Six Sigma, l'auteur est plus que circonspect et privilégie la méthode pragmatique plutôt que l'analyse statistique à tout crin, on retrouve ici les débats orient vs occident : les améliorations viennent-elles de l'accumulation de petits progrès ou au contraire de l'introduction de nouvelles technologies ?... La synthèse des méthodes Six Sigma et Lean permettra certainement de tirer le meilleur des deux mondes... Un énorme plus : sa géniale bibliographie ! Un livre à lire, à faire lire !

Excelente libro, muy buena compra.