“Better cars for more people” has been the mantra as Toyota continued to focus on the customer. This focus is derived through the understanding of producing a mass amount of cars to a specific custom build and undisputable quality. In this same spirit, Toyota established their developed principles and practices in their Georgetown factory in Kentucky, USA.
The 1992 case study published by Harvard Business School, Toyota Motor manufacturing USA, Inc. focuses on the addressal of the issues dealing with car seat defects and their impact on the basic principles of the company. The case study is written from the shared perspective of the author and Doug Friesen, who was the Assembly Manager at the time. Although the case study identifies the manufacturing problem with the drop in production from 95% to 85% believed to be caused by the errors with the seat kits/assemblies. However upon further examination, the seats were just a symptom of the larger problem in the production line. Upon closer review, the larger issue was more rooted in the basic culture and practices within the assembly line. There are fourteen management principles (FMP) taught as part of the Toyota Way Philosophy to help guide the growth of the plant to better address and adapt to the new culture of “Good thinking, Good Products” (pg 3). This paper will identify some of the management principles that were not adhered to or properly practiced which contributed to the basic issues within the shop. The lack of practicing the principles slowly began to modify the overall culture of the production line enough where Doug Friesen did not notice the slow evolving culture until he returned to the plant after his production training in Japan. Ironically the training Doug was doing further clarified the fourteen management principles and establish the Toyota Production System (TPS).
The number one