Cambridge Business Association
The Toyota Way Fieldbook
Book

The Toyota Way Fieldbook

A Practical Guide for Implementing Toyota’s 4Ps

David Meier and Jeffrey K. Liker
McGraw-Hill, 2005
First Edition: 2005
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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Comprehensive
  • Applicable
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Jeffrey Liker and David Meier first explored lean methodology in The Toyota Way (2003). This companion book goes further, providing the wisdom, practical tools and examples you need to smooth your organization’s transition to lean operations. Toyota’s success as one of the world’s most profitable automakers springs from decades of building partners and networks, a continuous drive to improve and a long-term philosophy that benefits society at large. This Fieldbook may intimidate readers with its flowcharts and checklists, but true lean transformation resides in the details. Process is important and so are the people who live and breathe it.

Summary

The Toyota Way’s 14 principles guide firms in implementing lean practices.

The Toyota Way is an improvement method that groups its 14 Principles under the overarching, hierarchical “Four Ps” – “philosophy, process, people and partners, and problem solving.” The Four Ps provide your organization with a framework and reinforce one another. With this guiding philosophy, your company can streamline processes, work effectively with associates and suppliers, and solve problems more easily.

You cannot switch to lean production simply by focusing only one part of your company or adding-on tools or strategies – the processes and principles of lean must become deeply embedded in your organization’s culture.

Companies worldwide have adopted the technical processes and philosophy of lean, to great success. They encompass: waste elimination; identifying areas of instability; “value stream mapping”; the “pull” system using kanban; leveling production; building a culture that halts processes to fix problems; using technology to augment human work; and creating great leaders from within the organization...

About the Authors

Dr. Jeffrey K. Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan, wrote the international bestseller, The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer. Founder and president of Lean Associates, Inc. David Meier co-authored – with Liker – The Toyota Way Fieldbook and Toyota Talent: Developing Your People the Toyota Way.

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