The Toyota Production System (TPS) was never just a production method. It was a complete management system designed to eliminate stagnation, shorten lead time, and develop people who can see and solve problems. My Lean TPS Basic Training continues this purpose by focusing on how Just In Time and Jidoka work together to prevent failure before it occurs.
Just In Time is the discipline of synchronizing production to customer demand. Its precondition is Heijunka, or production leveling. By reducing variation and balancing workloads, the system reduces stagnation and shortens lead time. This balance is what allows flow to exist without excess inventory or hidden waiting time.
Jidoka is the second pillar of TPS. It ensures that when an abnormality occurs, the process stops immediately. Stopping to notify is not a delay it is leadership in action. When the process finishes, the same principle applies: stop and confirm before moving on. Machines and people both follow the same rule. This prevents defects from moving downstream and teaches the team to see and respond to abnormality in real time.
In my training at Toyota, these principles were never taught as theory. They were practiced daily. Each stop, each notification, and each confirmation built awareness. The goal was not to rely on experience but to build systems that prevent error. This is how TPS created quality, safety, and flow together.
The Lean TPS Basic Training Program I teach today returns to these fundamentals. It reconnects improvement to its original purpose developing thinking people who can recognize abnormality, respond to it immediately, and design systems that sustain stability. True improvement begins when everyone understands why Just In Time and Jidoka must always work together.
