[PROJECT] TOYOTA BUSINESS CONTACT

After some searching, my advisor, through the Linder College of Business at UC, was able to get me in touch with a business contact at the Toyota manufacturing plant in Georgetown.  The company representative is a member of the operations and management division of the Toyota Operations Center.  After some correspondence through the college we were able to establish a first meeting this Tuesday at the Georgetown plant.  I made the drive back down for a noon appointment and a closer look at the Toyota plant.  Before my meeting, I also took the time to read Taiichi Ohno’s book, Toyota Productions Systems.  This provided a good introductory look at the TPS in greater detail and through the eyes of its creator. 

Book by Taiichi Ohno

Taiichi Ohno

Upon arrival at the plant, I met with my contact and we had a short discussion about my background and the intent of the study abroad project to be completed.  After exchanging some ideas, she took me on a more detailed plant tour and described in greater detail the quality containment process valued at Toyota.  This concept of “Jidoka” is one of the two pillars which support the Toyota Production System.  As with many of Toyota’s processes and ideas, a Japanese term is used in its description.  I learned that these many Japanese terms are one way to keep all of Toyota’s plants connected to the Toyota DNA and the Japanese business model.

TPS "House"

While out on the plant floor, I was given a much closer look at how production lines ran, how teams were set up, and how quality was not just checked in the manufacturing process, but contained.  After a having a closer look at the final assembly lines and some other features of the plant layout, we had another discussion about possible project ideas.  After brainstorming on some of those ideas, we arrived at a couple of possible ideas surrounding an observation of quality containment processes at all auto manufacturers being studied in the project.

I found some of our discussion interesting when it surrounded cultural considerations in a plant model.  The Toyota manager informed me that early on, all presidents of the American division of Toyota were all Japanese until just recently.  She said that the current system now utilizes local presidents with Japanese advisors.  Now that the Japanese manufacturing system and philosophy has been properly established and taught in Kentucky, there is less of a need for direct and continuous Japanese involvement with ongoing operations.  She also described to me in another example that how a Japanese worker approaches his/her job is much different than how an American would.  While Americans are more concerned about worker safety and ergonomics in a line, a Japanese worker would literally be jumping in and out of a car when assembling.  The expectations of a worker in both countries would be different, and even the workers would view their jobs in different ways.  According to my Toyota contact, a Japanese worker feels success when benefiting the company for which he/she works.  In America, a worker feels success when benefiting his/her family through the job held in a plant.  With these conversations fresh in mind, I will certainly be vigilant in observing how these mindsets and expectations vary in Germany or the Czech Republic.