The Toyota Way is one of the most influential books on systemising businesses. Toyota was able to successfully reduce/remove inefficiencies from their processes.
There are 14 management principles outlined in the book, with examples of how they can be develped and implemented. Following the concenpt of Kai Zen, there is always room for improvement.
Principle #1 – “Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals.”
Principle #2 – “Create a continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface.”
Principle #3 – “Use ‘pull’ systems to avoid overproduction.”
Principle #4 – “Level out the workload (work like the tortoise, not the hare).”
Principle #5 – “Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time.”
Principle #6 – “Standardized tasks and processes are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment.”
Principle #7 – “Use visual controls so no problems are hidden.”
Principle #8 – “Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and process.”
Principle #9 – “Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach it to others.”
Principle #10 – “Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company’s philosophy.”
Principle #11 – “Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve.”
Principle #12 – “Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situation.”
Principle #13 – “Make decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all options; implement decisions rapidly.”
Principle #14 – “Become a learning organisation through relentless reflection and continuous improvement.”
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