TAIICHI OHNO: Father of the Kanban System
BACKGROUND
Taiichi Ohno is considered “a symbol of Japan’s manufacturing resurgence after the second world war.” Born in Dalian, China, “he joined the Toyota Automatic Loom Works between the wars.”
Towards the end of WWII, Ohno worked as a production engineer for Toyota. The production for the company during the period was one of its worst, but Ohno set out to “eradicate inefficiency and eliminate waste” in the production process assigned to him. His practices later became core for the Toyota Production System (TPS). “Several elements of this system have become familiar in the West: for example, muda (the elimination of waste), jidoka (the injection of quality) and kanban (the tags used as part of a system of just-in-time stock control).”
“But it was not a smooth path. Ohno met regular resistance when he first set out to persuade the company to radically change its manufacturing processes. A big part of his story is about the power of Japanese persistence, of how he kept asking repeatedly why the company needed to (expensively) stockpile vast quantities of components for its production line—until eventually was born the just-in-time (JIT) method of stock control.”
“Ohno often described the TPS as being rather like a supermarket, which he had first seen (and been impressed by) on his trips to America to look at car production systems. In the TPS, each production process sets out its wares for the next process to choose from, just as a supermarket does. Thus production is “pulled” by the demand down the line rather than, as in previous assembly-line systems, being “pushed” by the production rate higher up the line.”
BOOK/S
1. Workplace Management
Excellent book for those who have at least a basic understanding of TPS. The book is made up of Mr. Ohno's thoughts, as he wrote them, therefore gives a little more insight to the man that created the system.
2. Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production
“In this classic text, Taiichi Ohno -- inventor of the Toyota Production System and lean manufacturing -- shares the genius that sets him apart as one of the most disciplined and creative thinkers of our time. Combining his candid insights with a rigorous analysis of Toyota's attempts at lean production, Ohno's book explains how lean principles can improve any production-oriented endeaver. A historical and philosophical description of just-in-time and lean manufacturing, this work a must read for all students of human progress. On a more practical level, it continues to provide inspiration and instruction for those seeking to improve efficiency through the relentless elimination of waste.”
CONTRIBUTION/S
1. Kan-Ban System
A Kan-ban is a card containing all the information required to be done on a product at each stage along its path to completion and which parts are needed at subsequent processes.
“These cards are used to control work-in-progress (W.I.P.), production, and inventory flow. A Kan-ban System allows a company to use Just-In-Time (J.I.T) Production and Ordering Systems that allow them to minimize their inventories while still satisfying customer demands.
A Kan-ban System consists of a set of these cards, with one being allocated for each part being manufactured, that travel between preceding and subsequent processes.
The Kanban System was developed (more than 20 years ago), by Mr. Taiichi Ohno, a vice president of Toyota, to achieve objectives that include: reducing costs by eliminating waste/scrap, to try to create work sites that can respond to changes quickly, facilitate the methods of achieving and assuring quality control, design work sites according to human dignity, mutual trust and support, and allowing workers to reach their maximum potential.”
REFERENCES:
1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0915299143&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0JDJMN39Q18B7NYDX9MNhttp://www.theleanlibrary.com/taiichi-ohnos-workplace-management/
Rose, K. (2005). Project quality management: Why, what, and how. USA: J. Ross Publishing, Inc.
There are some interesting cut-off dates in this article but I don’t know if I see all of them heart to heart. There may be some validity however I’ll take maintain opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want more! Added to FeedBurner as nicely AMREP South Korea
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