Our strategic partner, Jeffrey Liker (author of The Toyota Way) has said, “The problem, I believe, is that U.S. companies have embraced lean tools but do not understand what makes them work together in a system…they do not understand the power behind true TPS (Toyota Production System): the continuous improvement culture needed to sustain the principles of the Toyota Way.”
This sums up perfectly the root cause of disappointments with Lean or any other “tool” organizations use to become HPOs. Toyota develops leaders with a philosophical sense of purpose first, then shapes the daily culture to align with this philosophy, and finally introduces Lean tools to align their walk with their talk. Injecting tools into an unprepared and unsupportive culture usually blunts the tools.
We can help you define your whole systems approach to fulfill your objectives.