In business, excess information must be suppressed.

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I think a business should have reflexes that can respond instantly and smoothly to small changes in the plan without having to go to the brain. [...] The larger the business, the better reflexes it needs.

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After the oil crisis, people started paying attention to the Toyota production system. I would like to make clear that the reasons lie in the system's unsurpassed flexibility in adapting to changing conditions. This capacity is the source of its strength even in a low-growth period when quantity does not increase.

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The first rule of kanban is that the later process goes to the earlier process to pick up products. This rule was derived from need and from looking at things updside-down, or from the opposite standpoint.

To practice this first rule, a superficial understanding is not enough. Top management must change its way of thinking and make a commitment to reverse the conventional flow of productions, transfer, and delivery. This will meet with lots of resistance and requires courage. The greater the commitment, , however, the more successful will be the implementation of the Toyota production system.

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Present capacity = work + waste

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Repeating Why Five Times

When confronted with a problem, have you ever stopped and asked why five times? It is difficult to do even though it sounds easy. For example, suppose a machine stopped functionning :

1. Why did the machine stop? There was an overload and the fuse blew.

2. Why was there an overload? The bearing was not sufficiently lubricated.

3. Why was it not lubricated sufficiently? The lubrication pump was not pumping sufficiently.

4. Why was it not pumping sufficiently? The shaft of the pump was worn and rattling.

5. Why was the shaft worn out? There was no strainer attached and metal scrap got in.

Repeating why five times, like this, can help uncover the root problem and correct it. [...] By asking why five times and answering it each time, we can get to the real cause of the problem, which is often hidden behind more obvious symptoms.

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This type of hoarding, however, is no longer parctical. Industrial society must develop the courage, or rather the common sense, to procure only what is needed when it is needed and in the amount needed.

This requires what I call a revolution in consciousness, a change of attitude and viewpoint by business people. In a period of slow growth, holding a large inventory causes the waste of overproduction. It also leads to an inventory of defectives, which is a serious business loss.

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