ToyotaProductionSystem (TPS) is a BusinessProcessImprovement mechanism. Also known as Lean Manufacturing, it addresses problems and opportunities that are too big for KaiZen, or too tedious using SixSigma.

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Although rooted in the engineering and manufacturing fields, the practices have been extended to improving work processes at the offices. TheHeartOfChange of TPS is "eliminating waste"; it is also very much about LeaderShip, and CulturalChange.

There are starting to be reports about companies going about "transplanting" TPS and running into obstacles. Time will tell whether it will fare much better than the BusinessProcessReengineering efforts of the 1990s.

A recent landmark write-up on TPS is a 2004 book, TheToyotaWay.

TheToyotaWay is not always palatable for workers in the western societies. See an interview at http://www.gembapantarei.com/2006/05/interview_with_darius_mehri_author_of_notes_from_toyotaland.html for story from the other side.

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A summary of the fourteen principles from TheToyotaWay author Jeffrey Liker
WikiPedia has additional references in the TPS page worth checking out. 

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Just beware of "high voltage power transmission lines", then you might be OK in a modern Toyota, but then again, maybe not...  It seems such an obvious thing to me, so why isn't the system shielded or protected from outside rogue voltages?  The problem was to big for KaiZen, apparently, just as with employee benefits and reasonable wages are...  Bottom line, "Get dat dolla!!!" (dollars = AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs! (Japan & China)).
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CategoryManagement