Toyota Brings Process Improvement Lessons to USTRANSCOM

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, ILL. (USTCNS) --- In order to have kaizen, you must genchi genbutsu in the genba in order to eliminate muda while ensuring jidoka. Confused? Well, so are many organizations when they try to streamline processes and improve operational efficiency.

That’s why U.S. Transportation Command invited subject matter experts from Toyota to come to Scott Air Force Base October 10 – 11 to provide training on the Toyota Production System (TPS); the method they use to cut red tape and improve efficiency in their world-class car production and distribution operations.

As the Department of Defense’s Distribution Process Owner (DPO), USTRANSCOM is continually studying best practices from commercial industry in order to incorporate them, wherever practical, in the Defense Department’s supply chain to provide the best possible support to its customer – the warfighter. TPS embodies many of these practices, including “just-in-time-logistics” as well as the principle of “jidoka,” meaning built-in quality in both product and process.

Toyota has developed a successful and systematic approach to doing business which is based on the concept of continuous improvement – expressed by the Japanese term “kaizen.” The concept is inculcated into the Japanese manufacturing industry largely due to American academic icon and production expert Dr. W. Edwards Deming. The late Dr. Deming, who developed the “Total Quality Management” concept, played a major role in consulting the Japanese on rebuilding their manufacturing base following World War II. Japanese firms such as Toyota have built upon that concept and are now globally recognized as leaders in production, operations, and distributions management.

Many of the TPS concepts are expressed in Japanese such as: “genchi genbutsu” for “go look, go see,” “genba” meaning shop floor literally but also in the context of observing processes in action, and “muda” meaning waste.

However, no matter the terminology, the concepts are universal – especially the principle of customer satisfaction. As an organization, USTRANSCOM also highly values getting their customers what they need, when and where they need it.

In TPS lingo, a “customer” is anyone in the process, internally or externally, that you provide with goods, services or information. The kaizen approach requires that internal customers get the same level of service and responsiveness one would expect for a paying client.

This principle especially resonated with the USTRANSCOM training participants; one of the goals of the DPO is to optimize the overall distribution chain, as opposed individual segments optimizing themselves in a vacuum, perhaps to the detriment of the enterprise as a whole. This requires a better understanding by each segment of the needs of the preceding one, as well those of the segment that follows.

Under the TPS model, no problem is to be passed on to the customer whether the problem is erroneous information or materials, defective parts or low quality materials, or poor service. The belief is that the end user will be satisfied if problems are corrected throughout the supply chain. This concept also embraces the principle of respect for humanity, which is based on the organization recognizing its employees as its most valuable and competitive asset.

The guiding principles of TPS include the removal of waste, putting the customer first, respect for humanity and continuous improvement. Because elimination of waste is central to the TPS concept, input is sought from those actually performing the work on the shop floor. Employees are empowered to report problems and make recommendations. In turn, management incorporates constructive recommendations and provides employees with the necessary tools, equipment, resources, training and skills, and direction to accomplish their jobs.

However, the question remained, could this training assist the participants in achieving USTRANSCOM’s goal to synchronize DOD distribution operations and eliminate waste throughout the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise?

“I think there are a lot of things we can apply,” said TPS training participant Regina Dunning, a communications-computer systems specialist in USTRANSCOM’s Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems Directorate. “I thought it was wonderful,” she continued. “Kaizen reinforces USTRANSCOM’s principle that its people are its most important asset. Our DPO mission is trying to implement some of these very same kaizen principles by reducing duplication through Portfolio Management.”

To show the participants how the concepts apply in a practical sense and to instill a deeper understanding of the TPS principles, the training included several hands-on exercises.

Navy Capt. Rey Consunji, chief of USTRANSCOM’s Joint Operational Support Airlift Center, agreed that TPS training was beneficial. When asked what he liked best about the training, Consunji said it was “taking that foundation of learned knowledge to the practical side via the exercise. When you make a process change, you see the benefit right there. It’s not theoretical.”

That sentiment was echoed by another participant, Air Force Lt. Col. Richard Moon, regional team chief of the Distribution Analysis Branch in USTRANSCOM’s Strategy, Policy, Programs and Logistics Directorate. “I think everybody ought to take it,” Moon said. “There are lots of opportunities in DOD's supply chain for process improvement, and this training shows you that Toyota's process improvement principals are scaleable – they can be applied at every level.”

[Lt. Cmdr. Keith Taylor, U.S. Transportation Command Public Affairs, contributed to this article.]