Taiichi Ohno was born in Manchuria, China in 1912 and graduated from Nagoya Institute of Technology. He joined Toyota in 1932 and for about twenty years worked his way up in the firm.
In the 1940’s and early 1950’s, Ohno was the assembly manager for Toyota and developed many improvements that eventually became the Toyota Production System. Toyota was verging on bankruptcy during much of this period and could not afford major investments in new equipment or massive inventories.
The 1950’s also saw the beginning of a long collaboration with Shigeo Shingo and the refinement of their earlier efforts into an integrated Manufacturing Strategy.
Ohno’s career accelerated as a result of his success as Assembly Shop Manager and he became an executive Vice President in 1975.
In the early 1980’s, Ohno retired from Toyota and was president of Toyota Gosei, a Toyota subsidiary and supplier.
Taiicho Ohno died in Toyota City in 1990.
Ohno’s Method of Leadership
The Method (Very much like Plan-Do-Check-Act)
1. Mentally force yourself into tight spots (something like a gun to the head concentrates the mind).
2. Think hard; systematically observe reality.
3. Generate ideas; find and implement wise, ingenious, low-cost solutions.
4. Derive personal pleasure from accomplishing kaizen
5. Develop all peoples’ capabilities to accomplish steps 1-4.
Everyone learns kaizen by doing it. Managers and staff learn to support workers, proposing only big-step improvements. They learn not to control self-functioning workers.
Human based description of TPS with Ohno’s Method
1) Problem Visibility
2) Kaizen Problems
3) Look carefully; think hard
4) Minimize all waste
5) Gain satisfaction by overall improvements
6) Develop everyone’s capabilities (mentor them)
7) Develop flexibility (ability to quickly and easily respond to changes)
8) Long-term survival
