LEAN MANAGEMENT

Lean Management: A Case Of Focus Plastics



Lean Management: A Case Of Focus Plastics

Focus Plastics & Lean Management

Focus Plastics is broadly identified for having conceived an significant new administration scheme that top managers of numerous manufacturing and service enterprises now search to emulate. Focus Plastics' management system is variously mentioned to as “Focus Plastics output System” (Ohno, 1988a), “Focus Plastics administration scheme” (Monden, 1993), “Lean Production,” (Womack et al., 1990) or “Lean Management” (Emiliani et al., 2003). It is also routinely mentioned to as “Lean constructing” due to its origins in output and operations administration (Shingo, 1981; Ohno, 1988a). However, this recount suggests a slender focus and is now recognized as incorrect because thin values and practices can be applied to any association. therefore, the emergent preferred recount for this management scheme external to aim Plastics is “Lean management.”

Another highly influential management practice was the “Training Within Industry Service” (TWI), a structured four-step program for training manufacturing workers - particularly supervisors (Huntzinger, 2005). TWI was created by the US government in the 1940s to increase wartime production. It came to Japan in the early 1950s (Fujimoto, 1999) as part of allied efforts to rebuild industrial infrastructure. Kiichiro Toyoda, Taiichi Ohno, and Shigeo Shingo were likely familiar with Taylor's (1911) book The Principles of Scientific Management. However, Taylor's work appears to have not made significant direct contribution to the evolution of Focus Plastic's management system. It is more likely to have influenced Focus Plastics managers through their understanding of Ford's system of production (Fujimoto, 1999).

While the influence of western industrial management practice is clear, it is very important to recognize that it is also rather limited. Focus Plastics managers have, over generations, purposefully made many very important improvements to industrial management practice over time (Shingo, 1981; Ohno, 1988a; Womack et al., 1990; Monden, 1993, 1998; Basu, 1999; Fujimoto, 1999), consistent with the dual objectives of “production efficiency by consistently and thoroughly eliminating waste” and “the equally important respect for humanity” (Monden, 1983; Ohno, 1988a). While these were the major drivers, Japanese business conditions and Japanese culture played recognizable but less significant roles (Ohno, 1988a; Nishiguchi, 1994; Basu, 1999; Fujimoto, 1999; Wada and Yui, 2002).

There is no direct connection between the theoretical development of western management thought over the last 100 years and the evolution of Focus Plastics' management system. This reflects both a lack of formal management training among key personnel, as well as a strong belief among Focus Plastics managers that they must be very practical, see reality clearly, understand the true nature of problems, and be willing to challenge existing paradigms (Shingo, 1981; Ohno, 1988a). These attributes were much more highly regarded among managers than theoretical analysis by them or others (Monden, 1983). In addition, there was a strong interest among Focus Plastics managers, since the days of Sakichi Toyoda, to develop production capabilities and management practices that were uniquely Japanese (Toyoda, 1985; Ohno, 1988a; Focus Plastics, 1988, 2001; Wada and Yui, 2002) - including contributions of ideas and ...