LexFather

For those that don't know Porsche was in dire straights in the late 1980s and early 1990s, losing hundreds of millions. When they re-hired Wendelin Wiedeking, one of his moves was to make Porsche more efficient. Its well known they studied the Toyota Production method.

Today Porsche is one of the most profitable automotive companies in the world. Hey Ford, GM, Chrysler, pick up the phone!!!! Toyota has stated many times in the past, they DO NOT want to see the auto companies fail. They have even raised their prices in the past to help them.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/porsch...er-history.htm

Wiedeking took charge as work was starting on the Boxster, designated Type 986, and a related new 911, the eventual 996-series. Though he endorsed the heavy parts sharing involved, he knew Porsche could never build a $40,000 car. As AutoWeek later observed, "Porsche never suffered from a lack of great cars. It was the process of building those cars that nearly killed [them]."

Accordingly, Wiedeking called in a group of retired Toyota executives to teach Porsche about "lean" manufacturing, "constant improvement" and other strategies that had made Toyota a world automotive superpower. It was a brave act in a tradition-bound company ruled by proud engineers, but Wiedeking knew Porsche must modernize or else.

The Germans were shocked and humbled when the Japanese faulted most everything from initial planning to final assembly. When the dust settled, payroll was cut from nearly 9,000 to 6,800, parts inventory slashed by 82 percent, and the Zuffenhausen plant completely reorganized. Another outcome was Porsche's first tear-down shop, where competitive cars could be taken apart and analyzed.


As you can see it was a humbling move but Porsche needed production help. THey clearly had the image and engineering capabilities.

pingu

There have been many companies who have studied Toyota's use of Kaizen and their other management characteristics. Not all of them are able to duplicate Toyota's success.

I doubt that GM/FORD/CHRYSLER will be able to do the same.

2002GGPIS3

Totally agree that toyota should be called in to help. There are always certain companies/people that can turn around any situation, no matter how bad it is. Using a sports example, bill parcells is turning the miami dolphins from a hopeless cause, to a competive team in one short year, this follows a history of turning around the giants, partriots, jets and cowboys, he is just a master at turning around football teams. The same goes for toyota, way back after world war II, toyota was given a tour of all the detroit manufacturers, and they were taking notes, putting down all the things they did wrong- this is the mindset of the company, as mentioned toyota helped turn around Porsche and has been bought in as a consultant on many companies and how they do business, with toyota showing them how they can do better. Toyota just does everything right, except for having a new exciting sports car- just bring back the Supra already!

UDel

The GM plant in Wilmington Delaware is now heavily based off of the Toyota way of business,automation, and manufacturing and I believe other GM plants have since been modeled after it. GM also brought in a very high up from Toyota to teach them Toyota methods in manufacturing, business, and auto assembly and it has been more successful for them then the past way of doing things but not enough. Of course they did not totally model themselves after Toyota since they did not have the money, resources, and have a powerful union but there has been copied and shared from Toyota over the past few years. I was told this by people in management at that plant as well as several friends who work there who were told the same thing as several things were changed like weekly meetings, team leaders, number of people in teams, communication between workers and management, etc that are the same or very similar to Toyota plants. I believe GM has also studied and implemented many Honda principles.

I8ABMR

The morons from the big three can only be saved by a miracle. To late for even toyota to help. T

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

Union won't even take a pay cut. It's too much pride for them to pick up the phone and call

hapaboy

i thought a major player of toyotas success moved to GM or chrysler...?? fill me in guys.

iKenn

iTrader: (1)

Haha i like the last option.
Except its "Hannah Montana" and not "hanna Montana"

LexFather

nabbun

lol that's epic

JHStrange

Even with Toyota's help and an executable plan it would still take 5 years to remake the company, it's not going to happen in a Quarter. We expect instant solutions that I refer to as the "Bruce Willis Syndrome". Maybe that's why I love his movies. :-)

SH212

they need to sacrafice a lot of goats to get out of the shiz there in right now

pingu

Are you referring to Deming and his contributions to Kaizen?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Edwards_Deming