Early History of ToyotaThe Toyota we know today started as a department within the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works Ltd. The root of the Toyota Production System began with Sakichi Toyoda, who constantly focused on the elimination of all waste, to efficiently produce the automatic looms.
While on the loom business Kiichiro Toyoda, son of Sakichi visited the United Sates and Europe to learn about the manufacture of automobiles.
When orders for looms slowed in the 1930s, the family decided to move into the automotive industry. In 1937, the Toyota Motor Company, Ltd was formally established.
In the early 1950s, Eiji Toyoda and Toyota’s chief production engineer Taiichi Ohno, began experimenting with systems that would ultimately support their strategy to mold the company into full-range auto manufacturer.
The two men faced many challenges, however not the least of which involved the lack of capital resources to invest in a mass production system.
The company’s early motto from the 1950s, “Good Thinking, good products,” continues to live through expanded adaptations in many industries in the world today.
In the mid 1940m the Japanese met an American by the name of Dr. W. Edward Deming. He believed that of Japanese manufacturers would build the best quality products customers would buy.
Quality had to be built into every step of the production process, and he promoted the training and development of workers to accomplish that task.
The leaders of Toyota took Deming seriously and focused in building the highest quality vehicles on the market.
Taiichi Ohno, the general manager of Toyota, in 1950 concurred that producing superior quality could be their market advantage but they could only afford such high standards if they were relentless about reducing waste in their manufacturing processes.
Thus the Toyota Production System was born. This system has help Toyota become the world leader in auto manufacturing.
Early History of Toyota
