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
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Walter Chrysler American Engineer, Industrialist
- Henry Ford American Businessperson
- Masaru Ibuka Japanese Entrepreneur, Engineer
- Soichiro Honda Japanese Inventor
- Leonard Bernstein American Composer, Conductor
- Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit Indian Politician, Diplomat
- Rosamond Lehmann English Novelist
- Pearl Bailey American Singer, Actress
- Fred Shero Canadian Sportsperson
- William C. Durant American Industrialist
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