Procurement Magazine December 2023 | Page 47

What is the Toyota Production System ?
The production line of the 4th-generation of the Toyota Yaris
CREDIT : TOYOTA

What is the Toyota Production System ?

A world-famous example of a lean process is the Toyota Production System . It is a strategy based on the philosophy of achieving the complete elimination of all waste in pursuit of the most efficient methods .
Toyota Motor Corporation ’ s vehicle production system is a way of making things that is sometimes referred to as a “ lean manufacturing system ,” or a “ Just-in-Time ( JIT ) system .”
This production control system was established based on many years of continuous improvements , with the objective of making the vehicles ordered by customers in the quickest and most efficient way , in order to deliver the vehicles as swiftly as possible . The Toyota Production System ( TPS ) was established based on two concepts : “ jidoka ” ( which can be loosely translated as “ automation with a human touch ”), as when a problem occurs , the equipment stops immediately , preventing defective products from being produced ; and the “ Just-in-Time ” concept , in which each process produces only what is needed for the next process in a continuous flow .
The Toyota spirit of monozukuri ( making things ) is today referred to as the “ Toyota Way .” It has been adopted not only by companies in Japan and within the automotive industry , but in production activities worldwide , and continues to evolve globally .
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