Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Taiichi Ohno (Japanese Manufacturing Engineer)

Taiichi Ōno (1912–90) was a Japanese manufacturing engineer who the architect of the Toyota Production System, the exemplar of world-class quality manufacturing. His groundbreaking quality management system makes Toyota Motor Company one of the most reputable automobile companies in the world. His methods have been copied by manufacturers in many industries worldwide.

Born in Dalian, Manchuria (now in China,) Ohno graduated from the mechanical engineering department of Nagoya Technical High School. He spent his entire career with Toyota advancing through its executive ranks as his manufacturing expertise drew increasing recognition. He retired in 1978 as its executive vice president but continued as a consultant until 1982.

Ohno is best known for inventing the just-in-time delivery system of manufacturing, which emphasizes keeping low inventories of parts to reduce costs. He also introduced many pioneering innovations in manufacturing quality inspection, continuous improvement, waste elimination, and defect reduction.

Ohno’s manufacturing methods were progressively introduced in Toyota plants since the mid-1950s. They helped transform Toyota from a small carmaker into the world’s leading largest automaker.

Ohno authored three works: Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-scale Production (1988,) Taiichi Ohno’s Workplace Management (1988,) and Just-in-time for Today and Tomorrow (1988) with Japanese business journalist Setsuo Mito.

More: Wikipedia READ: Works by Taiichi Ohno

Having no problems is the biggest problem of all.
Taiichi Ohno

My first move as the manager of the machine shop was to introduce standardized work.
Taiichi Ohno

The key to the Toyota Way and what makes Toyota stand out is not any of the individual elements – but what is important is having all the elements together as a system. It must be practiced every day in a very consistent manner, not in spurts.
Taiichi Ohno

Why not make the work easier and more interesting so that people do not have to sweat?
Taiichi Ohno

When you go out into the workplace, you should be looking for things that you can do for your people there. You’ve got no business in the workplace if you’re just there to be there. You’ve got to be looking for changes you can make for the benefit of the people who are working there.
Taiichi Ohno

You are a fool if you do just as I say. You are a greater fool if you don’t do as I say. You should think for yourself and come up with better ideas than mine.
Taiichi Ohno

The name “kanban” came after we had been using the concept for a while. We came up with the name when we were preparing to undergo the audit for the Deming Prize in 1964.
Taiichi Ohno

All we are doing is looking at the time line, from the moment the customer gives us an order to the point when we collect the cash. And we are reducing the time line by reducing the non-value adding wastes.
Taiichi Ohno

Standards should not be forced down from above but rather set by the production workers themselves.
Taiichi Ohno

The Toyota style is not to create results by working hard. It is a system that says there is no limit to people’s creativity. People don’t go to Toyota to ‘work’ they go there to ‘think’
Taiichi Ohno

Costs do not exist to be calculated. Costs exist to be reduced.
Taiichi Ohno

Don’t look with your eyes, look with your feet. Don’t think with your head, think with your hands.
Taiichi Ohno

People who can’t understand numbers are useless. The gemba where numbers are not visible is also bad. However, people who only look at the numbers are the worst of all.
Taiichi Ohno

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