
55Lean and Change Management
In 1988, the Toyota suggestion rate was four suggestions per month per employee with a 96%
implementation rate, and a 95% participation rate resulting in 20 million ideas over a 40-year
period (Table 3.1). In comparison, the typical U.S. company averages about one-sixth of a sug-
gestion per month per employee.
21
Toyota’s is not a normal type of suggestion system. There is
no “suggestion box” that gets reviewed by management prior to implementation. Suggestion box
systems normally use up signicant amounts of time in the review, return on investment (ROI)
analysis, and approval cycles. The employee may or may not hea ...