They concluded the presentation with an update from the quality
leader on the team. Due to the projected savings from various decisions
throughout the design process, the team was planning to use surplus
funds to invest in a data collection package that would monitor each
machine’s performance. Data could then be gathered at a PC with
software capable of producing reports showing various metrics of
interest such as down time, number of pieces produced, and machine
cycle time. Collecting this sort of information was extremely important
since the quality level of the current two X10 modules were not meeting
targets.
With this, the presentation was over. Yoshina did not specifically
comment on any of the plans presented. Instead, he approached the
table and handed them a suggested layout for the X10 line that he
had sketched during the presentation. They were surprised to see that
Yoshina did not constrain the line to the oddly shaped space that was
available next to the two current modules, but instead had sketched a
straight-line layout. They agreed to discuss this proposal with the plant
manager. Yoshina then thanked the group for their time and said he
looked forward to hearing the layout decision.
Four days later Yoshina received an invitation to meet with the industrial
engineer on the project. In the meeting, the engineer reported that
after talking with the plant manager, it was decided that the layout would
remain as the team had originally suggested. The plant manager did not
understand why a layout that would require rearranging the proposed
area to accommodate a straight-line flow was suggested. Yoshina
realized that if the plant manager had taken a few minutes to go out
to the floor, he would have seen the uneven risers, snakelike walk paths,
and tight confines that characterized the convoluted layout he was
supporting (Figure 20-3).
Upon hearing this news, Yoshina was obviously very disturbed. He could
not figure out why Acme was paying his company hundreds of thou-
sands of dollars in consulting fees for recommendations that would
only be rejected. He got up from the meeting and stormed off, mut-
tering a barely audible “Yappari”^4 under his breath.
Performance Results of Two Machining Lines
Which line performed better? In late 2004 both the A1 and X10
designed piston lines had been installed and were running for
approximately two years. Though minimal official data exists for
the performance of the A1 and X10 lines for the time they had been444 THETOYOTAWAYFIELDBOOK
(^4) This Japanese word evokes a feeling something to the effect of “as was expected,” or “just as I
thought.”