In 1991, the Toyota OMDD people published an article in the IE Review: Official Publication of the Japan Institute of Industrial...

When we say “understand the current condition,” what do you do? I know there are many thoughts on this. But the answer is the following....

In Japan, an activity is associated with the 5S activity. They call it “O Tei” management. I put it as “O” because there is a number...

What is the by-product of Kanban that we use in daily life today? Answer: QR code. The QR code, or “Quick Response code,” was invented in...

Genba-ism. “Genba-Shugi 【現場主義】.” It is translated as an on-site principle, on-the-ground approach, or hands-on approach. There are many...

“Visual Management” Perhaps the most misunderstood concept. “We are putting a bunch of KPI boards. We are doing visual management.” One...

“Story.” In Japanese, it is written as 【物語】. The first symbol represents a material. 【物】 The second symbol represents talk. 【話】 Story is...

This word is used at least twice in the Toyota Production System. 1️⃣ Production “Instruction” Kanban 2️⃣ Job (or Work) “Instruction”...

“Flow.” This is not just a word but a fundamental concept that underpins business. Material flows, information flows, money flows, and...

Why “seven” types of Muda?   Toyota published seven types of Muda in the engineering and office. Those seven are; 1️⃣ Meeting 2️⃣...

The Hidden Threat of Kaizen Thieves in Companies The concept of Kaizen is becoming well-known in today's corporate world. However, not...

Inspired by a conversation that happened at the corner of #Globalleanconference… Why do we have a negative image of “Problem”? In...

Ohno’s Waka about Kaizen spirit. How to translate? This is probably the most complicated Japanese. There are many ways to interpret the...

“Visual management” seems to be a popular theme. It somehow gets a lot of attention and a lot of budget. There is a joke in Japan. That...

When training on standardized work is introduced, takt time is introduced. When we introduce takt time, we introduce the equation. Takt...

Jidou-ka 【自働化】is a mysterious word. Taiichi Ohno made it by changing automation 【自動化】 to autonomation 【自働化】. The meaning is to add human...

Standardized Work. The most crucial foundation of the Toyota Production System. The Japanese for this word is Hyoujyun Sagyou 【標準作業】....

A simple motion inside manufacturing. We need to pick up some material from a box to assemble. How do we describe such motion in...

When a problem arises, it's the worker's responsibility to pull the Andon. The team leader, a crucial part of our team, provides support....

When we implemented the standardized work, we were told, "The movement forms the circle.” This 'circle' or En (Yen) is not just a...