Given the tanking world economy, Toyota kicks kaizen up another notch...
01-22-09, 09:41 PM
#16
Lexus Champion
However, what i'm saying is that let's say there is a piece of engine that's held in by 4 latches and they say, oh you only need 2 latches to hold it. Sure that's kaizen, but I'd rather have the 4 latches which is overkill and could still hold the piece in if 2 broke than 2 which is just right.
Maybe i conveyed the wrong message by saying cheaper materials. The cost of having 2 latches is cheaper than 4. That's what i meant.
I hope that made sense.
Maybe i conveyed the wrong message by saying cheaper materials. The cost of having 2 latches is cheaper than 4. That's what i meant.
I hope that made sense.
01-22-09, 09:49 PM
#17
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^^^^ I agree, Kaizen would be 2 latches are better than 4 and cheaper than 4. Its not just less than 4 means cheaper thus better.
An example is the Lexus 8 speed is lighter, stronger and offers better gearing for better performance/MPG than the 6 speed.
Kaizen is not beancounters
oh and jracerlmn has his point too.
Whats funny is that Western is being blamed for maybe Japan getting "lazy" yet its the WEST that taught Japan what it knows about business.
An example is the Lexus 8 speed is lighter, stronger and offers better gearing for better performance/MPG than the 6 speed.
Kaizen is not beancounters
oh and jracerlmn has his point too.
Whats funny is that Western is being blamed for maybe Japan getting "lazy" yet its the WEST that taught Japan what it knows about business.
01-22-09, 10:26 PM
#18
Lexus Champion
01-22-09, 10:37 PM
#19
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If by WEST you mean W.E. Demings, I would certainly agree with you, and acknowledge the hypocrisy. But considering that the US essentially turned their back on him and his teachings, I would contend that if by WEST you mean America then the maybe there is some merit to the blame.
01-22-09, 11:44 PM
#20
Lexus Champion
Well I would study up a little more if I were you, b/c you certainly are still not showing that you have a good grasp on Japanese business practises and meaning of "kaizen".(no offense intended) Doing business with the Japanese will give just a tiny bit of understanding on how some things work here. I too thought I new about Japanese business when I moved here and just let me tell you I have been here for over 15 years and in business for close to 15 years now and all I can say is that in reality I knew nothing back then. The longer I am here the more I realise I don't know.
However, what i'm saying is that let's say there is a piece of engine that's held in by 4 latches and they say, oh you only need 2 latches to hold it. Sure that's kaizen, but I'd rather have the 4 latches which is overkill and could still hold the piece in if 2 broke than 2 which is just right.
Maybe i conveyed the wrong message by saying cheaper materials. The cost of having 2 latches is cheaper than 4. That's what i meant.
I hope that made sense.
Maybe i conveyed the wrong message by saying cheaper materials. The cost of having 2 latches is cheaper than 4. That's what i meant.
I hope that made sense.
Even still , with your two latch example, the two latches would have to perform better than four for it to be considered an improvement, I thought that was straight forward? When a method does not improve upon the previous one you can't consider that being under the banner of "Kaizen".
I think it is a case of "practise what you preach". But the sad reality is that the younger generation has changed quite a bit compared to the baby boomers and the change is not for the better.
01-26-09, 07:15 AM
#21
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Thanks, Dave, for explaining the difference between kaizen and kaikaku. These changes sound like bean-counting, plain and simple.
And the subway example is pretty ridiculous. I've been through Nagoya station, and exiting on one end instead of the other can easily be a 15-minute detour. Let's say some mid-level manager is pulling in $100K a year. For a standard 2,000 hour workyear, that works out to $50 an hour. So that extra 15 minutes he's walking to the other side of the station and not working is "costing" Toyota $12.50. So that they can save $3.
This is why I hate simpleminded people who look only at easily-broken-down "metrics" but who don't have the capacity to consider more amorphous data in their calculations.
And the subway example is pretty ridiculous. I've been through Nagoya station, and exiting on one end instead of the other can easily be a 15-minute detour. Let's say some mid-level manager is pulling in $100K a year. For a standard 2,000 hour workyear, that works out to $50 an hour. So that extra 15 minutes he's walking to the other side of the station and not working is "costing" Toyota $12.50. So that they can save $3.
This is why I hate simpleminded people who look only at easily-broken-down "metrics" but who don't have the capacity to consider more amorphous data in their calculations.
01-26-09, 08:03 AM
#22
Lexus Champion
The bullet train would save time. Time is money.
The bullet train would allow for better working conditions on the laptop. Better working conditions = better productivity = money.
The bullet train would reduce stress and fatigue which in the end = money.
If the true dollar cost difference was only $33 and it made that much of a difference in productivity, time available, and fatigue, I think the actual cost of the car trip was higher.
It's great that their mentality is to save dollars, but sometimes being cheap, even with good intentions, can actually cost you more in the end.
The bullet train would allow for better working conditions on the laptop. Better working conditions = better productivity = money.
The bullet train would reduce stress and fatigue which in the end = money.
If the true dollar cost difference was only $33 and it made that much of a difference in productivity, time available, and fatigue, I think the actual cost of the car trip was higher.
It's great that their mentality is to save dollars, but sometimes being cheap, even with good intentions, can actually cost you more in the end.
01-26-09, 08:11 AM
#23
Oh i know the japanese just fine. I do 95% of my business over there and most of the stuff i import comes from there so don't say i don't know them.
However, what i'm saying is that let's say there is a piece of engine that's held in by 4 latches and they say, oh you only need 2 latches to hold it. Sure that's kaizen, but I'd rather have the 4 latches which is overkill and could still hold the piece in if 2 broke than 2 which is just right.
Maybe i conveyed the wrong message by saying cheaper materials. The cost of having 2 latches is cheaper than 4. That's what i meant.
I hope that made sense.
However, what i'm saying is that let's say there is a piece of engine that's held in by 4 latches and they say, oh you only need 2 latches to hold it. Sure that's kaizen, but I'd rather have the 4 latches which is overkill and could still hold the piece in if 2 broke than 2 which is just right.
Maybe i conveyed the wrong message by saying cheaper materials. The cost of having 2 latches is cheaper than 4. That's what i meant.
I hope that made sense.
but most savings come from ideas that are natural - like using same ecu's in different vehicles that do same things (right now they are all different), and million other things like that.
trick is to manage to save costs while having same or better quality than before... if you dont, warranty costs will actually end up eating your cost savings on materials.
01-26-09, 08:15 AM
#24
The bullet train would save time. Time is money.
The bullet train would allow for better working conditions on the laptop. Better working conditions = better productivity = money.
The bullet train would reduce stress and fatigue which in the end = money.
If the true dollar cost difference was only $33 and it made that much of a difference in productivity, time available, and fatigue, I think the actual cost of the car trip was higher.
It's great that their mentality is to save dollars, but sometimes being cheap, even with good intentions, can actually cost you more in the end.
The bullet train would allow for better working conditions on the laptop. Better working conditions = better productivity = money.
The bullet train would reduce stress and fatigue which in the end = money.
If the true dollar cost difference was only $33 and it made that much of a difference in productivity, time available, and fatigue, I think the actual cost of the car trip was higher.
It's great that their mentality is to save dollars, but sometimes being cheap, even with good intentions, can actually cost you more in the end.
01-26-09, 08:40 AM
#25
Lexus Champion
01-26-09, 03:41 PM
#26
Lexus Champion
And the subway example is pretty ridiculous. I've been through Nagoya station, and exiting on one end instead of the other can easily be a 15-minute detour. Let's say some mid-level manager is pulling in $100K a year. For a standard 2,000 hour workyear, that works out to $50 an hour. So that extra 15 minutes he's walking to the other side of the station and not working is "costing" Toyota $12.50. So that they can save $3.
This is why I hate simpleminded people who look only at easily-broken-down "metrics" but who don't have the capacity to consider more amorphous data in their calculations.
This is why I hate simpleminded people who look only at easily-broken-down "metrics" but who don't have the capacity to consider more amorphous data in their calculations.
I know of a company here that saved over $ 1milion in a year just by telling the workers to turn the lights and heating off when they leave their office even if it is only for 15 mins, unplugging all electrcal appliances when going home from work(fax excluded) , making a habit of only flushing once on the toilet and reducing the air conditioner to 68F C in winter and 82F c in summer.
The point is that every little thing counts, so that little $3 saving can amount to a huge number when looked at in a year, so when that is combined with the efforts of other cost saving pratices it can be a make or break situation.
And that is the problem with the attitude of the average worker in the west, "It only $3, so why bother!", I will leave it at that b/c I am not trying to say everything is better here b/c we have our own problems that could be fixed by taking taking example of the west.
Believe me this would have been taken into cosideration, every good and bad point would have been analysed before making the change. Remember this article is only the opinion of on journalist, it is not gospel.
01-26-09, 05:18 PM
#27
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my dad worked as a production engineer supervisor for over 5 years for a japanese-owned company in illinois that practiced kaizen.
while he praised their efficiency and the profitability of the company, he admitted that working for them was mentally and physically draining because of the expectations that the company put on their workers.
now he works for an american construction company and he hates dealing with the unions and the lack of productivity!
two extremes...
while he praised their efficiency and the profitability of the company, he admitted that working for them was mentally and physically draining because of the expectations that the company put on their workers.
now he works for an american construction company and he hates dealing with the unions and the lack of productivity!
two extremes...
Last edited by GQD_GS4; 01-26-09 at 05:21 PM.
01-26-09, 06:17 PM
#28
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Reading Deming he preached sample inspection of parts. Japan does 100% inspection at the supplier. All Deming theories causes is floor failures etc. due to defective parts getting through.
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