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Its size does not refect its depth. I've read it several times and refer to it often. A book by the man who developed the system. This book is for the "doer". It has become my learning companion This and Workplace Management are a must have, for the person who wants to learn TPS. You won't find a recipe for TPS in this book.
Even for people already familiar with many of the techniques developed for the Toyota prodution system and borrowed by others, such as just-in-time, it will give you a better understanding of their use and limitations. As others have mentioned, it gives the impression of having been written over many years during the author's spare time, and thus comes out a bit fragmented. Obviously, the author is no Kawabata, but this does not detract from its value; in fact, I found the writing style to require more reflection from the reader, which for a book on a subject so alien to most western minds is a good thing.The book is fairly short, but you should take your sweet time reading it. "Consider the waste of overproduction, for example. And it is definitely not, by any means, showing signs of aging: the ideas developed by Ohno and those people he worked with represent the perfect foundation for some of the most intensely studied business ideas of today, such as mass customization and new interpretations of corporate social responsability.A must read for entrepreneurs, definitely. Eliminating waste must be a business's first objective."These words may well have been written yesterday.As a young engineer still in school, I always thought most quality control systems, especially the more popular ones like 6 Sigma and lean manufacturing were incoherent mish-mashes of techniques obviously borrowed from more insightful people, sold without the philosophical foundation necessary for their correct interpretation and optimal application. It is not an exaggeration to say that in a low-growth period such waste is a crime against society more than a business loss. Something akin to applying the letter of the law without understanding its spirit or, to use a more "japanese" metaphor, McDojos.Today, still a young engineer but now also a fairly experienced entrepreneur, I find this book to be a revelation.
(And still evolving)There are many books struggling to articulate what the end point is all about, so go to the start to gain profound understanding.The history of Toyota goes to show how doing simple things consistently by EVERYONE can create a great company. This is a must read for any serious Lean Thinker. A great insight into the formation of the Toyota production system with historical and social context.Ohno expresses the simple ideas which became the starting point for the formation of the Toyota Production system, this book is not about Toyota today, which is the end point.
But if you are looking for a book that gets into advanced TPS processes then I would not suggest it. If your looking for a book on thought process that inspired Taiichi Ohno to develope the Toyota Production System then this is the book for you. This was a good read with a lot of interesting history on the Toyota Production System but its just that. The majority of the book is written about the evolution of TPS and what economic factors drove its creation.
Most importantly, you learn that TPS originates from Ford's writings in the 1920s. The purity of the original message is there, the evidences that Toyota Production System (TPS) is the way forward can be learned from it, directly from the written word of Ohno-San, without any buffers or later interpretations. What has happened to USA that such sound lessons were forgotten for so many years. Written in 1978, this book is starting to show its age in small details. On the other hand, it is the first book even written on what we now call Lean Management.
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