Taiichi Ōno citations

“All we are doing is looking at the time line, from the moment the customer gives us an order to the point when we collect the cash. And we are reducing the time line by reducing the non-value adding wastes.”

“The Toyota style is not to create results by working hard. It is a system that says there is no limit to people’s creativity. People don’t go to Toyota to ‘work’ they go there to ‘think’.”

“Without standards, there can be no improvement.”

“Having no problems is the biggest problem of all.”

“The more inventory a company has, the less likely they will have what they need.”

“No goal, regardless of how small can be achieved without adequate training.”

“We are doomed to failure without a daily destruction of our various preconceptions.”

“Progress cannot be generated when we are satisfied with existing situations.”

“Standards should not be forced down from above but rather set by the production workers themselves.”

“Data is of course important in manufacturing, but I place the greatest emphasis on facts.”

“Something is wrong if workers do not look around each day, find things that are tedious or boring, and then rewrite the procedures. Even last month’s manual should be out of date.”