In this Toyota Way summary, you’ll learn the critical lessons from engineering professor Jeffrey K. Liker’s book.
The book shows how a business can improve its processes by adopting Toyota’s philosophies.
Since the company started in the 1930s, Toyota has committed itself to always improving its products and processes.
Toyota even invented a production system named the’ lean method’ or, commonly known as the Toyota Production System (TPS). TPS has supported countless businesses to eliminate excess, or Muda, in their production process.
Fourteen principles make up the Toyota Way, which enables the company to make products that meet customer wants as well as market demand.
Toyota also encourages wellbeing.
They are famous for avoiding layoffs. Instead, they’ll reassign workers to different processes or departments.
By emulating Toyota principles, you can build a successful and cost-effective business without forfeiting quality or exhausting staff.
The three key lessons from The Toyota Way are:
- Audible Audiobook
- Jeffrey Liker (Author) – Jim Meskimen (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 11/18/2011 (Publication Date) – Audible Studios (Publisher)
- Almost every job has tasks that can be patterned and arranged into a one-piece flow
- Try using a diagram of the production process
- To keep your sense of flow, you have to be okay with briefly halting production
Download The Book On Audible For Free
Lesson One: Almost every job has tasks that can be patterned and arranged into a one-piece flow
Flow systems systematize your workers’ actions and eliminate unnecessary tasks.
This system will make sure that your product or service is finished and delivered through a continuous process.
Usually, like in Toyota’s case, you can do this by moving all relevant stations closer together. You can also try using an assembly line to streamline the process.
While an ‘assembly line’ concept sounds like it solely created for creating physical products, you can relate the skills to any business.
If you’re in an office, you should consider which tasks you do every day and create a process for efficiently completing that task.
For example, if you work with online VAs, you can send updates and requests in a similar format each time. This template will make it easier for workers to find relevant information.
Note, this isn’t always free.
Sometimes, when a business begins to standardize operations, they will find startup costs.
These costs may be new equipment, employee handbooks, training time, or printing posters that show the methods.
Don’t worry. It is totally normal.
There may also be some teething problems as employees get used to doing some tasks a new way.
However, if you’re patient, you’ll see more productivity and cost-savings.
This increase in productivity and efficiency will result in higher revenue, greater profits, and the ability to scale your processes.
Lesson Two: Try using a diagram of the production process
When you start to bring in Toyota’s principles, create a flowchart of the existing process.
By showing everything in order, you’ll see what steps are most relevant and what you’ll need to keep.
From there, add in any extra that is 100% vital but not included in the process.
After, you can start to trim the fat.
This doesn’t have to be done on the macro level either.
Every employee can learn from mapping out their daily routines. If Hell, you can even find apps and chrome extensions that’ll track time spend doing particular things online!
Lesson Three: To keep your sense of flow, you have to be okay with briefly halting production
In manufacturing plants, employees will do anything to avoid stopping stop the assembly line.
They’ll even want to keep going if they notice a critical problem.
The problem stems from the leaders’ pay being based on how many parts they produce.
If work stops, the leaders can even be punished.
However, the Toyota Way does not look down on stopping the line to fix a problem.
The different attitude stems from the knowledge that it will cost more money down the track to repair or replace faulty products.
At the end of the day, it is better to send the right product out and briefly stop production.
You need to be willing to slow down or stop if you want to prevent slowing production.
My Personal Takeaway
The Toyota Way just makes sense. Plain and simple.
I definitely need to visualize parts of the process of what I do and start to create a more efficient production line.
There’s a series of different books on the fourteen principles that you can look through to get more information.
Put It Into Action
Rather than re-shape a company, start with your daily processes.
Choose a task that you do regularly and create a flowchart showing all the steps.
What can you change to make sure it fits the Toyota Way?
You’ll see that you can find ways to save even a little bit of time throughout your day.
