Before Ohno's landmark work, the methods of the Toyota Production System were closely guarded secrets. Ohno was the primary architect in rebuilding Toyota in the 1960s and 1970s, and these CDs reveal the origins, daring innovations and ceaseless evolution of the Toyota system into a complete management system.
Ohno's revolutionary innovations at Toyota included:
- Reducing waste, finding and eliminating it at all levels
- Multimachine handling by a single worker
- "Autonomation" -- machines and workers that stop a line or process automatically when abnormalities occur
- Poka-Yoke mechanical-fail-safe devices to prevent mistakes
- Just-in-time and kanban -- reversing the flow of production information, training supplier companies to produce and deliver just-in-time
- Preventive maintenance to eliminate machine breakdowns
- Development of the "SMED" system -- reducing machine setup time to permit smaller lot sizes
This abridged version of Ohno's classic book runs for 180 minutes on three Compact Discs.
The original hardcover edition is also available from Productivity Press.
To order, call 1-800-394-6868 or visit www.productivityinc.com.
A manufacturing plant should, according to Ohno, function in the same manner. Rather than having large amounts of excess inventory, a just-in-time plant produces only the current amount needed. Ohno gives you useful insights into using Toyota's methodology in other plants. The text is an excellent place to start for any company interested in developing a waste-free manufacturing system.
