A lean blueprint for creating long-termsustainability the Toyota way!

During Toyota s highly publicized recalls of2009 and 2010, the legendary carmaker s60-year-old reputation for operational excellencewas put under the microscope. Business punditswondered out loud if Toyota s quality levels haddecreased dramatically, while the harshest criticspredicted the end of the company as we know it.For the most part, the government s fi ndings absolvedToyota of serious defects and accidents,and Toyota recovered rapidly but mistakes weremade, which showed that Toyota is not perfect. Infact, there is always opportunity for improvementin every process.

In his bestselling business management classic TheToyota Way, Jeffrey Liker introduced the world tothe foundational principles that have made Toyotathe envy of companies around the world. Now,in The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement,Liker teams up with former Toyota production engineerJames Franz to explain the underlying thinkingbehind continuous improvement and why anycompany needs a disciplined approach to processimprovement in every part of the organization.

Liker and Franz outline the common mistakes inthinking that limit results, and they reveal howToyota achieves its dual objectives of improvingbusiness performance and developing its peoplethrough following Dr. W. Edwards Deming s teachingsof Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA). Throughdetailed case examples in many industries, you lllearn how to:

• Determine why your processes aren t achievinganticipated results
• Build a sustainable lean process with awell-defined purpose
• Create a system that reveals problems
• Teach every leader and team memberat every level the art of PDCA for processimprovement

With The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement,you have the foundation you need to developa vision of continuous improvement specificto your organization and plot a path to turn yourvision into a measurable reality.

Praise for The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement:

I have found inspiration and lessons in these real stories from real peoplewho try, sometimes fail, and yet find creative ways to succeed in adaptingthe principles of Deming and Toyota. Despite the diversity of applicationsrevealed here, the commonality in vision, values, and desired outcomes unifies these leaders. You won t be able to put this book down.
RICHARD ZARBO, MD, DMD, Senior Vice President and Chairmanof Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Henry Ford Health System

Lean is no longer an idea, a hypothesis, or a theory it is a proven set ofprinciples and practices that more and more people are using to achievesubstantial, sustainable continuous improvement in a variety of enterprises.This book details the practices and case studies to help you bring Leantransformation to your enterprise!
CHARLES BAKER, former Chief Engineer andformer Vice President, Honda R&D Americas