The Toyota Way

In this summary you will learn

• The fundamentals of Toyota’s approach to continual quality improvement
• The 14 principles that comprise the Toyota Production System
• What your company needs to know to apply these ideas

getAbstract rating

Why you should read The Toyota Way

This book is like a Toyota vehicle: not necessarily fancy, but extraordinarily capable of getting you from point "A" to point "B." Author Jeffrey K. Liker’s thorough insight into the continual improvement method known as "The Toyota Way" reflects his experience with the Toyota Production System (TPS) and his knowledge of its guiding philosophies and its technical applications. He explains why Toyota has become a global symbol of passionate commitment to continual improvement and efficiency. Toyota’s success as the world’s most profitable automaker is no accident and now, thanks to this book, it’s no mystery, either. Liker drills down to the underlying principles and behaviors that will set your company on the Toyota Way. The book reflects years of studying Toyota’s philosophy: it is well mapped out, straightforward and exceedingly although not daringly innovative. getAbstract.com highly recommends it to anyone striving to improve their organization’s operational efficiency.

About the Author

Jeffrey K. Liker, Ph.D., is cofounder and director of the Japan Technology Management Program at the University of Michigan, where he is also a professor of industrial and operations engineering. He has won four Shingo Prizes for excellence, and has written extensively on Toyota in various management journals. Dr. Liker is also a principal of Optiprise, a lean enterprise/supply chain management consulting firm.