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

188 THETOYOTAWAYFIELDBOOK

information necessary to perform this task was available, it was not

laid out in a manner conducive to the specific task. Let’s evaluate the

steps of the task.

1. Look at order and identify dealer

2. Locate the dealer on the list

3. Scan across the page to identify the fax machine and code

(remember this information)

4. Find the fax machine

5. Enter correct code and send fax

Evaluating the method, we discover that errors could occur during each

step. It’s possible to identify the dealer on the order and then incorrectly

identify the dealer on the list. When scanning from the dealer to the

fax code, it’s possible to cross over into another line and identify the

wrong dealer (remember, the sheet was behind the fax machines,

where it was not possible to track across the lines with a finger). Moving

from the sheet to the fax machine, the employee had to remember the

correct fax machine and the code on the machine. It was possible to

get the correct machine and the incorrect code or the correct code on

the wrong machine or forget the information that had been looked up.

Management concluded that employees should be careful when

scanning the list and that remembering the machines and codes

should be easy. When they looked at the system, they concluded that

is was “easy” largely because they only had to do the task one time

error free to prove the point that the system was fine. If they had to

do the process hundreds or thousands of times, and sometimes were

in a hurry, they would discover that they too would make numerous

errors. This is a common failure of thinking by management. It may

be easy to do a task one time without errors. Doing it hundreds of

times without errors is another matter entirely.

20 Inches across the

sheet!

Dealer Name Dealer Region Dealer Address Dealer Representative Phone Number Fax Number Pre-Programmed Code

A Plus Cabinets South West 111 Short StreetAnytown, AK John Smith 888-555-1212 888-555-1213 Fax Machine 3- #49

Astounding Cabinets East 555 West MaYourtown, MSin, George Jones 877-222-2222 877-222-1234 Fax Machine 2- #32

Figure 8-6. Sample dealer list