Reference no: EM132274076

The Toyota brand name has earned an international reputation for quality. The roots ofToyota Motor Corporation, founded in 1937, stem from the Toyoda Automatic LoomWorks. Sakichi Toyoda invented a loom with an automatic stopping function; whenever a thread broke or the machine ran out of thread, it stopped automatically.This approach was built into automotive assembly lines to improve quality andproductivity and led to the development of the “Toyota Production System,” whichwas commonly known as lean production. A significant feature of lean production isthe practice of continuous improvement by every worker, demanding the questioningof every process and testing of all assumptions. Errors and defects are viewed aslearning opportunities to remove waste and improve efficiency. In 1951, Eiji Toyodainstituted a system of creative suggestions based on the motto “Good Thinking, GoodProducts,” which is prominently displayed in every production facility. One exampleis the Rakuraku seat, a comfortable work chair mounted on the tip of an arm thatallows a line worker to easily get into and out of cramped car-body interiors. In 2000,more than 65,000 suggestions were submitted—almost 12 per employee—and 99percent were adopted. What are the method used by Toyota?