DuringToyota'shighlypublicizedrecallsof2009and2010,thelegendarycarmaker's60-year-oldreputationforoperationalexcellencewasputunderthemicroscope.BusinesspunditswonderedoutloudifToyota'squalitylevelshaddecreaseddramatically,whiletheharshestcriticspredictedtheendofthecompanyasweknowit.Forthemostpart,thegovernment'sfindingsabsolvedToyotaofseriousdefectsandaccidents,andToyotarecoveredrapidly—butmistakesweremade,whichshowedthatToyotaisnotperfect.Infact,thereisalwaysopportunityforimprovementineveryprocess.
InhisbestsellingbusinessmanagementclassicTheToyotaWay,JeffreyLikerintroducedtheworldtothefoundationalprinciplesthathavemadeToyotatheenvyofcompaniesaroundtheworld.Now,inTheToyotaWaytoContinuousImprovement,LikerteamsupwithformerToyotaproductionengineerJamesFranztoexplaintheunderlyingthinkingbehindcontinuousimprovementandwhyanycompanyneedsadisciplinedapproachtoprocessimprovementineverypartoftheorganization.
LikerandFranzoutlinethecommonmistakesinthinkingthatlimitresults,andtheyrevealhowToyotaachievesitsdualobjectivesofimprovingbusinessperformanceanddevelopingitspeoplethroughfollowingDr.W.EdwardsDeming'steachingsofPlan-Do-Check-Adjust(PDCA).Throughdetailedcaseexamplesinmanyindustries,you'lllearnhowto:
Determinewhyyourprocessesaren'tachievinganticipatedresults
Buildasustainableleanprocesswithawell-definedpurpose
Createasystemthatrevealsproblems
TeacheveryleaderandteammemberateveryleveltheartofPDCAforprocessimprovement
WithTheToyotaWaytoContinuousImprovement,youhavethefoundationyouneedtodevelopavisionofcontinuousimprovementspecifictoyourorganizationandplotapathtoturnyourvisionintoameasurablereality.