History

Three men were especially prominent in creating the Toyota Production System: Sakicihi Toyoda; his son, Kiichiro Toyoda; and a production engineer Taiichi Ohno.

Sakichi Toyoda was the inventer of automatic looms who founded the Toyota Group. He invented a loom in 1902 that would stop automatically if any thread snapped. His invention opened the way for automated loomworks where a single operator could handle dozens of looms.

Sakichi’s invention reduced defects and raised yields, since a loom would not go on producing imperfect fabric and using up thread after a problem occurred. The principle of designing equipment to stop automatically and call attention to problems immediately is crucial to the Toyota Production System. It is evident on every production line at Toyota and at other companies that use the system.

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In order to produce world-class, quality automobiles at competitive price levels, Toyota has developed an integrated approach to production which manages equipment, materials, and people in the most efficient manner while ensuring a healthy and safe work environment.

The Toyota Production System is built on two main principles: “Just-In-Time” production and “Jidoka.” Underlying this management philosophy and the entire Toyota production process is the concept that “Good Thinking Means Good Product.”

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