The Toyota Way

The Toyota Way

by Jeffrey Liker
Released December 2003
Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill
ISBN: 9780071435635

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Book description

How to speed up business processes, improve quality, and cut costs in any industry

In factories around the world, Toyota consistently makes the highest-quality cars with the fewest defects of any competing manufacturer, while using fewer man-hours, less on-hand inventory, and half the floor space of its competitors. The Toyota Way is the first book for a general audience that explains the management principles and business philosophy behind Toyota's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability.

Complete with profiles of organizations that have successfully adopted Toyota's principles, this book shows managers in every industry how to improve business processes by:

  • Eliminating wasted time and resources
  • Building quality into workplace systems
  • Finding low-cost but reliable alternatives to expensive new technology
  • Producing in small quantities
  • Turning every employee into a qualitycontrol inspector

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. The Toyota Way
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents
  5. Dedication
  6. Foreword
  7. Preface
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. Part One The World-Class Power of the Toyota Way
    1. Chapter 1 The Toyota Way: Using Operational Excellence as a Strategic Weapon
    2. Chapter 2 How Toyota Became the World's Best Manufacturer: The Story of the Toyoda Family and the Toyota Production System
    3. Chapter 3 The Heart of the Toyota Production System: Eliminating Waste
    4. Chapter 4 The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way: An Executive Summary of the Culture Behind TPS
    5. Chapter 5 The Toyota Way in Action: The "No Compromises" Development of Lexus
    6. Chapter 6 The Toyota Way in Action: New Century, New Fuel, New Design Process—Prius
  10. Section I Long-Term Philosophy
    1. Chapter 7 Principle 1: Base Your Management Decisions on a Long-Term Philosophy, Even at the Expense of Short-Term Financial Goals
  11. Section II The Right Process Will Produce the Right Results
    1. Chapter 8 Principle 2: Create Continuous Process Flow to Bring Problems to the Surface
    2. Chapter 9 Principle 3: Use "Pull" Systems to Avoid Overproduction
    3. Chapter 10 Principle 4: Level Out the Workload (Heijunka)
    4. Chapter 11 Principle 5: Build a Culture of Stopping to Fix Problems, to Get Quality Right the First Time
    5. Chapter 12 Principle 6: Standardized Tasks Are the Foundation for Continuous Improvement and Employee Empowerment
    6. Chapter 13 Principle 7: Use Visual Control So No Problems Are Hidden
    7. Chapter 14 Principle 8: Use Only Reliable, Thoroughly Tested Technology That Serves Your People and Processes
  12. Section III Add Value to the Organization by Developing Your People and Partners
    1. Chapter 15 Principle 9: Grow Leaders Who Thoroughly Understand the Work, Live the Philosophy, and Teach It to Others
    2. Chapter 16 Principle 10: Develop Exceptional People and Teams Who Follow Your Company's Philosophy
    3. Chapter 17 Principle 11: Respect Your Extended Network of Partners and Suppliers by Challenging Them and Helping Them Improve
  13. Section IV Continuously Solving Root Problems Drives Organizational Learning
    1. Chapter 18 Principle 12: Go and See for Yourself to Thoroughly Understand the Situation (Genchi Genbutsu)
    2. Chapter 19 Principle 13: Make Decisions Slowly by Consensus, Thoroughly Considering All Options; Implement Rapidly
    3. Chapter 20 Principle 14: Become a Learning Organization Through Relentless Reflection (Hansei) and Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)
  14. Part Three Applying the Toyota Way in Your Organization
    1. Chapter 21 Using the Toyota Way to Transform Technical and Service Organizations
    2. Chapter 22 Build Your Own Lean Learning Enterprise, Borrowing from the Toyota Way
  15. Bibliography/Chapter References
  16. Recommended for Further Reading
  17. Index

Product information

  • Title: The Toyota Way
  • Author(s): Jeffrey Liker
  • Release date: December 2003
  • Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill
  • ISBN: 9780071435635