Leraning by Doing
Toyota (Chapter 1)
Overview. This case concerns the systems used by Toyota to become the third largest automobile manufacturer in the world. The case illustrates how this organization strives to serve customers and achieve a profit. The case intentionally emphasizes features of Toyota's manufacturing system, rather than its marketing strategies per se, to show how the whole organization is focused on serving customer wants and needs, not just the marketing department. Suggestions for Discussion Questions 1. In what ways is Toyota's new-product development system designed to serve customers? There are a number of features to this system that make it customer oriented. The Toyota system responds more quickly than competitors, allowing the company to correct any mistakes and react to market trends faster than competitors. The system has a chief engineer responsible for the product from design to marketing. This may allow consumer research to function as a direct input into engineering specifications rather than become a secondary concern after the product is designed. Since the corporate philosophy is to serve customers, consumer inputs are more likely to be used develop better new products.
2. In what ways is Toyota's manufacturing system designed to serve customers? There are a number of features in Toyota's manufacturing systems that are designed to serve customers, including the following features. Employees, even on the assembly line, are trained to consider their output as a product that should satisfy the next employee (the "customer") who receives it. If everyone in the company is satisfied with the quality of the work received from others, it is more likely that the ultimate consumer will be satisfied with the final product. Toyota's manufacturing system has close relationships with suppliers and demands high-quality products from them. Toyota is a very efficient company that keeps costs down and continuously strives to push cost down further
Overview. This case concerns the systems used by Toyota to become the third largest automobile manufacturer in the world. The case illustrates how this organization strives to serve customers and achieve a profit. The case intentionally emphasizes features of Toyota's manufacturing system, rather than its marketing strategies per se, to show how the whole organization is focused on serving customer wants and needs, not just the marketing department. Suggestions for Discussion Questions 1. In what ways is Toyota's new-product development system designed to serve customers? There are a number of features to this system that make it customer oriented. The Toyota system responds more quickly than competitors, allowing the company to correct any mistakes and react to market trends faster than competitors. The system has a chief engineer responsible for the product from design to marketing. This may allow consumer research to function as a direct input into engineering specifications rather than become a secondary concern after the product is designed. Since the corporate philosophy is to serve customers, consumer inputs are more likely to be used develop better new products.
2. In what ways is Toyota's manufacturing system designed to serve customers? There are a number of features in Toyota's manufacturing systems that are designed to serve customers, including the following features. Employees, even on the assembly line, are trained to consider their output as a product that should satisfy the next employee (the "customer") who receives it. If everyone in the company is satisfied with the quality of the work received from others, it is more likely that the ultimate consumer will be satisfied with the final product. Toyota's manufacturing system has close relationships with suppliers and demands high-quality products from them. Toyota is a very efficient company that keeps costs down and continuously strives to push cost down further