Many organizations around the world attempt to emulate the Toyota Production System (TPS) by borrowing techniques to increase performance, but the results they achieve are short-lived. They often fall short of creating the organizational culture needed for their workforce to support and build upon the success of Toyota. Moreover, there has been no comprehensive interpretation nor documentation of how Taiichi Ohno fostered Toyota’s own leadership culture from the very start. Until now.

This knowledge of the missing pieces from the Toyota Production System is needed to truly grasp The Ohno Method®. One must understand the importance of developing people’s untapped potential and skills as a strategic advantage. This book provides that knowledge and details crucial lost aspects of the TPS.

Unknown to most, when Taiichi Ohno resigned from Toyota in 1979, he declared to his trusted disciple, “The Toyota Production System is still incomplete. It must evolve from now on to be perfected.” He then went on to devote the next 10 years, until his death, to getting closer to the vision of Just-In-Time through his unique applications of the “Respect for People” principle.

The authors are fully endorsed to communicate this story as they have been closely following the footsteps of Taiichi Ohno in Japan and have been a part of the development of The Ohno Method® beyond TPS and Toyota for the past 30 years based on Ohno’s vision. In addition, they have successfully applied The Ohno Method® to maximize results across various industries around the world, adapting to the needs of modern businesses with the endorsement from Ohno’s protégé and their mentor, Hitoshi Yamada.