Page 332 - The Toyota Way Fieldbook

Chapter 13

Problem Solving

the Toyota Way

More Than Solving Problems

The Toyota Way seeks to identify and remove obstacles on the path to perfec-
tion. This philosophy is rooted in the Japanese cultural desire to seek perfection in
every activity. As we discussed earlier in the book, the Toyota Way is a cyclical
process of achieving stability, standardizing practices, and then continually squeez-
ing the process in order to expose the obstacles (seen as system weakness).
Human beings tend to seek comfort and avoid discomfort. The Toyota Way is
not a natural behavior. The Toyota philosophy relies on the “system,” and adher-
ing to its concepts will force people supporting the system into uncomfortable
situations. The choices presented then are to either remove the obstacles or to
fail. For this reason, possessing the skills of solving problems and the ability to
continuously improve are crucial to survival.
This process serves as the framework for most other aspects of the Toyota
Production System (TPS) and its product development system, and is largely
responsible for Toyota’s tremendous success. Toyota can generate greater results,
with less effort, in a shorter period of time, more consistently than any of its com-
petitors. This process provides a structure to align resources effectively, to
ensure mutual understanding of the significance of the issue, to clearly outline
the necessity and benefit of resolving the issue, and, with a high degree of accu-
racy, to predict the actual result.

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