quantities of waste, and in “tighter,” more efficient work. At some point con-
tinuous improvement becomes a series of small, incremental improvements.
However, periodic major changes in the environment or in the product will
create instability, and then large improvements will be needed, starting all over
down the spiral. For example, product model changes, the introduction of new
products and processes, and changes in plant facilities will naturally create
more variation, and thus instability, in the process.50 THETOYOTAWAYFIELDBOOK
Figure 3-3. Continuous improvement cycle
CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
LEVEL
INCREMENTALLY
CREATE
FLOW
STABILIZE
STANDARDIZE
TRAP
Don’t Outrun Your Headlights
It is important to keep these dramatic improvements in context.
Toyota has a deep bench. They are able to focus and leverage
resources to create major improvements in a short time. If you
attempt to duplicate Toyota’s achievements, you may find that
you have to “outrun your headlights.” It is crucial to focus on the
depth of skills within your organization rather than on a short-
term dramatic push to results. Rushing to short-term gains will
surely end in disaster.