Analysis of the Toyota Production System: A Detailed Report

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the Toyota Production System (TPS), examining its core principles and impact on manufacturing efficiency. The report highlights the role of Ohno in developing the TPS to address production inefficiencies and waste, particularly emphasizing waste elimination and the establishment of the seven waste model. It discusses the importance of human resource flexibility, teamwork, and the 'Toyota Way' in achieving organizational goals. The report outlines the advantages of the TPS, such as waste reduction and increased worker satisfaction through lean principles. It also addresses the challenges, like potential employee frustration. Finally, it compares the management and competitive policies of Japanese and European firms. The report provides a comprehensive understanding of the TPS and its implications for modern manufacturing practices.

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Toyota Production System
1.
Ohno has played a significant role in the Toyota Production System by addressing production
inefficiencies and waste as the main challenges Toyota was experiencing. He took part in waste
elimination and reduce production inefficiencies in the company's production bay. These efforts
led to the establishment of the Toyota Production System. his principles significantly impacted
various employees in the firm, including those working outside the manufacturing area, which
included the service area (Taylor III and Solo 1993). Ohno also contributed through waste
identification through the establishment of seven waste model.
In his progressive leadership ideas, Ohno posited that Toyota's progress could not be possible if
the company becomes comfortable and happy with the current conditions in the firm. He
assumed inefficiency elimination in the company as his objective. He proactively participated in
defects and unusable stock in the firm. This was mainly made possible by the implementation of
the seven categories of wastes model.
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Toyota Production System emphasized on human resource flexibility and teamwork in the firm.
The management philosophy enabled the company to adopt a high-profile culture in the HR
policies and practices. Overall arrangement and human resource organization of the HR function
ensured employee satisfaction and satisfactory experience (Becker 1998). In addition to this
philosophy, the firm maintained a 'Toyota Way' that is based on the company's business
processes, mission, and values.
These two management strategies focus on unremitting improvement strategy ensures
undisputable respect amongst employees, customers, and other stakeholders in the organization.
The human resource philosophy and employee management framework is aligned in a way to
ensure optimum development of its objectives to meet the growing global demand for vehicles
and automobile accessories. As a result, the company has continued to grow steadily and become
a role model for other manufacturing firms. Proper human resources philosophy and
management framework has ensured the company's workforce obligation, integration,
adaptability, and flexibility in its attempt to attain the organizational goals.
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Advantages of TPS
Toyota Production System focuses on waste elimination in the workplace. The wastes include
product defects and unused material in the workers' ergonomics. Many waste sources are easily
identifiable and corrected; for instance, a machine produces a high number of defective items,
which may be due to the machine being out of adjustment (Chappell 2002). TPS has also ensured
a high level of worker satisfaction. The implementation of lean principles in the firm requires

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employee participation and input. This is because the employees in the firm are in the best place
to identify where inefficiencies and wastes occur.
TPS challenges
However, despite the high positives the company gained through the implementation of TPS, the
system led to employee frustration. When a certain level of satisfaction and refinement is met,
using TPS to extract a little more economic advantage from workers may discourage them,
which may lead to undermining of the leadership and reverse of positive improvements made
(John 2001).
Main difference between Japanese firms and European firms
Japanese firms and European firms differed significantly in many ways. Concerning
management competitive policies focus of the firms, Japanese firms majorly focused on the long-
run competitiveness strategy as compared to European firms.

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Citation
Alex Taylor III and Sally Solo, How Toyota Copes with Hard Times, Fortune, January 25, 1993
Ronald M. Becker, Laen Manufacturing and the Toyota Production System, Encyclopedia of
World Biography Second Edition, 1998.
Lindsay Chappell, Toyota’s triuph, Automotive News, August 5, 2002.
John Teresko, Toyota’s New Challenge, Industry Week, January15, 2001