Toyota Production System (TPS)

Some Basics Concepts of TPS

Smooth Flow and Produce to Takt Time Produce to Order Make system observable and correct problems as they occur Integrate Worker Skills Institutionalize change

Takt Time: demand time interval Takt Time = Available Time / Product Demand Calculate Takt Time per month, day, year etc. Available time includes all shifts, and excludes all nonproductive time (e.g. lunch, clean-up etc). Product demand includes over production for low yields etc.

Takt Time
Automobile Assembly Line; Available time = 7.5 hr X 3 shifts = 22.5 hrs or 1350 minutes per day. Demand = 1600 cars per day. Takt Time = 51 sec Aircraft Engine Assembly Line; 500 engines per year. 2 shifts X 7 hrs => 14 hrs/day X 250 day/year = 3500hrs. Takt time = 7 hrs.

Comparison between Push and Pull Systems

Push system characteristics: Central decision making, local optimization of equipment utilization leads to large batches, large inventories and a sluggish system. Pull system characteristics: Local decision making, emphasis on smooth flow, cooperative problem solving.

So what are the advantages of the pull systems? quick response low inventories observable problems (if stopped = problem) sensitive to state of the factory (if no part = problem) possible cooperative problem solving

 According to Spear and Bowens research, four basic rules capture the tacit knowledge that underlies the Toyota Production System: 1. All work shall be highly specified as to content, timing, and outcome. 2. Every customer-supplier connection must be direct, and there must be an unambiguous yes-or-no way to send requests and receive responses. 3. The pathway for every product and service must be simple and direct. 4. Any improvement must be made in accordance with the scientific method, under the guidance of a teacher, at the lowest possible level in the organization

The Toyota Production System (TPS) was developed to become competitive on world markets, particularly competing with Henry Ford, while addressing the particular circumstances Toyota faced in Japan. Through years of trial and error on the shopfloor Toyota discovered that they could simultaneously achieve high quality, low cost, and just-intime delivery by shortening the production flow by eliminating waste. This simple concept is at the heart of the TPS and what distinguishes it from the older mass production paradigm it supplants. The focus is always on shortening the production flow and waste is anything that gets in the way of a smooth flow. The theoretical ideal is continuous one-by-one piece flow. While this ideal is rarely realized, practitioners of TPS understand directionally that performance of the system will improve if the system is moving toward continuous flow by eliminating waste.