{"id":3860,"date":"2022-04-21T12:12:35","date_gmt":"2022-04-21T12:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.twivietnam.vn\/?p=3860"},"modified":"2026-05-12T14:52:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T14:52:17","slug":"lean-tps-fundamental-stability-the-hidden-secret-of-toyota","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/twivietnam.vn\/en\/lean-tps-fundamental-stability-the-hidden-secret-of-toyota\/","title":{"rendered":"Lean TPS \u2013 Fundamental Stability: The Hidden Secret of Toyota"},"content":{"rendered":"

TPS – or the Toyota Production System – is often illustrated as a \u201chouse\u201d model as shown below.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

At the bottom of the house is the foundation called <\/span>\u201cStability.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n


\nBuilt upon it are elements such as <\/span>Heijunka<\/strong> (leveling), <\/span>Standardized Work<\/strong>, and <\/span>Kaizen<\/strong> (continuous improvement).<\/span><\/p>\n

The two main pillars are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Just-In-Time (process management)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Jidoka (quality at the source)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    At the top are the ultimate goals: <\/span>Safety, Quality, Productivity, Cost, and Lead Time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    If we want to build the Lean TPS house, we must start from a strong foundation.<\/span><\/div>\n
    The operating system needs to achieve a certain level of <\/span>stability<\/strong> before further improvement efforts can be effectively carried out.<\/span><\/div>\n

    It is clear that Toyota has developed this \u201chouse\u201d over many years – measured in decades – with contributions from many capable individuals. A frequently mentioned figure is Taiichi Ohno during the period from the 1950s to 1970s.<\/p>\n

    What is important to recognize is that TPS was not created by a single outstanding individual, nor within a short period of time.<\/p>\n

    This helps explain why many non-Toyota organizations, although convinced by the value of TPS, often struggle when trying to build it within their own operations. Simply put, TPS is not something that can be assembled piece by piece. Even terms like \u201cStability\u201d<\/strong> are abstract and difficult to fully understand without real practice.<\/p>\n

    Below is a talk by Art Smalley<\/a><\/span>, who previously worked for Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan. He was also involved in transferring TPS from Japan to the United States, and later spent many years working as a Lean consultant. For further reference, please explore the author and his body of work.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>