Toyota Way Fieldbook : A Practical Guide for Implementing Toyota's 4Ps

Also, in most organizations problems are not viewed as opportunities for improve-

ment, but as failures, and thus are hidden rather than addressed.

Toyota is able to maximize its performance using two tactics:

1. Leverage. Every employee is trained and encouraged to use the process
   daily, thus achieving tremendous leverage from the combined efforts of
   many problem solvers each making frequent, small, continuous improve-
   ments. This contrasts with many U.S. companies, where select individuals
   (such as engineers, or Black Belts) are trained and designated to solve prob-
   lems; often with little or no input from those actually closest to the process.


2. Focus. Resources are utilized to address problems across all three levels,
   and the efforts can be focused, thus applying greater leverage and multi-
   plying the results. The problem-solving process requires evaluation and
   comparison of issues, allowing people to focus efforts on the most signif-
   icant items. In this way, a smaller amount of focused effort produces
   greater results by attacking the larger opportunities. In addition, individ-
   uals are able to focus efforts on the smaller items they control and that
   directly affect them. Toyota applies the 80/20 rule by effectively focusing
   80 percent of their energy on the 20 percent of problems that will yield 80
   percent of the total benefit.
   The Toyota Way divides the categories and utilizes the resources appropriately
   for all three levels. Larger issues are generally addressed through management-
   directed and management-controlled activities such as Management Kaizen
   Training [also referred to as Practical Kaizen Training, or jishukenactivities

310 THETOYOTAWAYFIELDBOOK

Lean Initiative

Kaizen Event

Six Sigma

Figure 13-2. Opportunities captured by typical companies