The Toyota Production system

Identified as an integrated system composed of different elements:

The Toyota Production system is identified as an integrated system composed of different elements. Convis likens it to a triangle where one side is the philosophy that is the foundation of the system; another side is the technology that will help the system work; and the third side is management. The middle of the triangle is the people, what the system is all about. This means that human development is an essential component in the system, in fact, one could say that human development is the core of the system and without it, the system will not work (Convis, 2001).

There are also essential tools that will help make the system work effectively, such as just-in-time, small lot delivery, 5 S, quality in the process, visual control; and leveling of demand. These are the tools that aid in managing the day-to-day operations of the production system efficiently. People are, nonetheless, the element that will make or break the system (Convis, 2001).

Industries that could use lean manufacturing

Northrup Grumman provides a good example of how well the 5 S system can work. The company first implemented the 5 S system on a part of their delivery process. The work area was changed from different components into a single product. Prior to using this system, the area was disorganized and inefficient. Using this system, however, reduced the space employees needed to travel to complete their tasks by 93 percent. They also realized a 42 percent reduction in the total floor space used (Skinner, 2001).

The Toyota Production system

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