Toyota interviews
Toyota interviewsFactory teams on process change, ergonomics and precision
Change the work, then measure the result
“Only by changing how people work can we say that the transformation has been a success.”
Yohei HishinumaAssistant manager, Battery Factory Group, Body Manufacturing Division
Keep the remaining work visible
Apply this plant lesson to the service case: after routine work is automated, what human exceptions and checks still take time?
ExampleMeasure tasks before changing the line
“we improved the areas with lower scores, then built a line that older staff could easily operate.”
Tomihisa SaitoPlant general manager, Kamigo
Choose the measure before the change
Saito describes ergonomic task assessment. In the capacity case, measure each station’s cycle time before deciding where an extra worker can help.
ExampleKeep precision in the output measure
“Without sufficient skill, you could reassemble them countless times and still not achieve the desired precision.”
Kenji TsuchiyaChief project leader, Global Battery Engineering Division
Test good output after a speed change
Tsuchiya describes micron-level assembly precision. In our fictional line, what happens to shipments and losses when raw output rises but good output does not?
ExampleLast reviewed