Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production by Taiichi Ohno

Taiichi Ohno is a Japanese industrial engineer and the father of the Toyota Production System (TPS). His ideas and insights into production systems and process improvement were revolutionary and have been widely recognized as groundbreaking. In his book, “Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production”, Ohno presents a thorough and engaging overview of the TPS, offering important insight into how to manage production, workflow, and quality control, and how to effectively use visual aid to track and measure improvements.

Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production is divided into ten chapters. The first chapter dives into the history of the Toyota company, chronologically outlining the development of its production system. In this chapter, Ohno highlights the importance of employee satisfaction, quick decision-making and leveraging waste to generate efficiency. The second chapter discusses the TPS’s advantages, which include scalability and the ability to make use of readily available technologies, such as computers and robotics. The third chapter looks at how the TPS implements “Total Quality Control”, designed to ensure high-quality production while also reducing costs.

The fourth chapter discusses how process improvement should be managed to ensure a high quality of products at the lowest cost. In chapter five, Ohno delves into a number of important topics such as zero-defects, targeting the customer’s needs and mass customization. Chapter six looks at the ‘just-in-time’ system used by the Toyota Production System, aiming to reduce costs and inventory by producing items only when needed. Chapter seven describes the visual control used to identify problems and instigate improvements, while chapters eight and nine go into process automation and team management. The final chapter describes how to measure success and offers advice on how to maintain the TPS going forward.

The book draws on decades of experience from Toyota and its sister company, Lexus, and offers invaluable insights to anyone looking to implement the TPS or use its concepts for process improvement. Ohno’s manual shows how the TPS can be used to manage workflow, prove quality control and achieve efficient production, making it a must-read for any business professional or production specialist.

Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production has been praised as an exploration of how to effectively manage a business process while also effectively reducing costs. Writing in the New York Times, critic Peter Lindom stated that the book “offers practitioners of manufacturing-process improvement an extensive range of successful, practical examples.” In Forbes, Rich Karlgaard called the book “Timeless Insights,” arguing that “No executive-level guide to production has ever been as comprehensive as this.”

Taiichi Ohno’s Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production is a must-read for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of how to effectively manage business processes. Its combination of engaging explanations, successful case studies and practical tips make it essential reading for production specialists and anyone interested in the TPS.