Page 242 - Toyota Under Fire

LESSONS

and bring them to Engineering. But now, Engineering is looking
directly at the data itself, the raw data, and tracking and finding
the issues quicker.” Uchiyamada also vastly expanded the bud-
get for engineers to get into the field and “go and see” customers,
how they use their vehicles, and the problems they encounter.
Reinforcing kaizen mind is also the focus of the investment in
the new “customer first” training centers that are being deployed
around the world. These centers are not just lecture halls where a
“customer first” mantra can be repeated over and over again. They
are centers where team members practice problem solving from
the customer perspective. It is very hands-on work to improve
the kaizen mind of those who are going through the training.

Teamwork
Everyone preaches teamwork, but unfortunately, it is often
poorly practiced. We believe that teamwork was practiced quite
effectively within departments in Toyota and within sections of
the company. Teamwork was evident in the Toyota Motor Sales
(TMS) call center during the flood of calls related to the sticky
pedal recall. It was evident in the plants as they adjusted to re-
duced hours and plant shutdowns during the recession, and then
adjusted again to self-sufficiency. It was evident in the way vari-
ous parts of the organization came together to find a solution to
the sticky pedals and get parts and training out to dealers.
The communication problems were issues that cut across
these divisions, and this was shown to be a weak point. This too
violated a core principle of the Toyota Way, perhaps best ex-
pressed by former president and chairman Eiji Toyoda: “I want
you to think for the entire company rather than yourself alone.
Coordinate with other divisions, and lead on, no matter what, to
concrete results.”

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