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The Toyota Production System places a lot of value on the avoidance of mistakes in an attempt to reduce the need for costly rework and repairs, as well as the expensive inspections that precede and follow the repair and rework. This process of “mistake proofing” is called “Poka Yoke” (ポカヨケ). In the video below, we show an example of this poka yoke principle that Toyota used in the past in their manufacturing process. It should be noted that today’s technology obviously allows

In practice, we see a great deal of misconceptions about the 7 Tools of Quality, also known as the 7 Basic Tools. These are: scatter plots, Pareto charts, tallies, control charts, Ishikawa diagrams, histograms and flowcharts. Let’s review some of the most common mistakes. Mistake 1: The tools must be all used for each issue. Nothing is further from the truth. Sometimes, you need all seven to spot an issue, solve it and sustain the gains. Sometimes, three tools will suffice. T

It was a rainy evening in Maastricht, a not particularly big city in the South of Holland. It had been raining non stop for 3 weeks and if you wouldn't know better, you would wonder why the heavens do not run out of water! Maastricht is a city that seems to have been stuck with one leg in the early 20th century and it is exactly that which gives it its charm. For me, a trip to Maastricht is not just a trip in space. It is also a trip in time! Anyways, enough with the city mar

Taiichi Ohno was one of the key individuals who shaped the Toyota Production System that later became known as Lean. A key technique in Lean is the "5 why analysis" that is also known as the "Why why why analysis." Although templates have been created to support it, in our experience they are unnecessary. You do not need a template, you need a certain mindset, a critical, curious mindset. The 5 Why Analysis just is a technique that prompts you to go beyond the superficial ro

Waste is Lean is not the same as "waste" according to the dictionary. In Japanese we refer to the waste in Lean as "muda" (無駄). Muda or waste is just another way of referring to a non-value adding activity or NVAA. Its opposite is a value adding activity or VAA. A value adding activity meets 3 conditions: There is transformation of some kind (in form, function, value etc.) Customer is willing to pay for that transformation. The transformation is done right the first time. No