The Articles collection features longer studies on Lean TPS practice.
Each piece explores structured methods, leadership development, and improvement through 5S Thinking, Kaizen, Jishuken, and Standardized Work.
These are full Toyota-style case lessons that show how structure builds capability and prevents failure.
A 20-Category Assessment Framework for Building a Thinking People System Introduction to the Lean TPS Assessment The Lean TPS Assessment is designed as a practical tool to help organizations measure their progress in applying Lean and Toyota Production System philosophies, practices, and methods. It is not a simple scorecard. It
In-depth writing on Lean TPS practice. These articles explore structured methods, case lessons, and leadership development through Standardized Work, Kaizen, Jishuken, and 5S Thinking.
The 5S Evaluation Scorecard is more than a checklist. It is a Lean TPS method for sustaining safety, organization, and stability through structured evaluation and leader follow-up at the Gemba.
The Lean TPS 8 Wastes visual introduces the foundation of improvement. It helps people see waste, understand flow, and recognize the importance of engaging every person in daily Kaizen.
The Lean TPS 9-Step Method explains how Standardized Work becomes a living system. It defines the steps for establishing, auditing, and improving standards to build stability and sustain continuous improvement.
Kaizen in Lean TPS is not about large projects. It is the daily improvement that removes waste and supports flow. This example shows how a simple shadow board and paper towel dispenser created better visibility, reduced motion, and improved stability in daily work.
The handwritten Standardized Work Combination Table (SWCT) is a visual record of real Gemba learning. It shows how time, sequence, and flow interact to create stability or reveal imbalance. This simple chart connects Standardized Work, Kaizen, and leadership training in Lean TPS.
Lean TPS leadership is the balance between people, process, and technology. By aligning these three elements, leaders create systems that sustain improvement and respect human capability. Technology supports people, processes remain disciplined, and learning becomes continuous, reflecting the Toyota approach to operational excellence and leadership development.
In Lean TPS, leadership means learning at the Gemba. By engaging directly in Jishuken and Kaizen activities, leaders teach, observe, and remove obstacles to flow. This visible participation creates a culture of respect and continuous improvement, turning leadership into a daily practice of learning and development.
Many organizations think training means PowerPoints, lectures, and policies. The way people actually learn is very different. Reading gives little retention. Hearing adds a small amount. Pictures and videos help, but not enough. Real learning happens when people act, simulate, teach, and take ownership at the workplace. This is why
Stop Call Wait is Toyota’s practical structure for Blame-Free Jidoka. It connects Standardized Work, leadership accountability, and continuous improvement into a daily rhythm of learning at the Gemba.
In the Toyota Production System, a Sensei is more than a teacher. A Sensei is the living link between experience and application, the person who ensures knowledge is not lost between generations. For me, that person was Mr. Sadao “Sam” Nomura, Senior Advisor for Toyota Industries Corporation. When Mr. Nomura
Dantotsu Quality is the living expression of TPS discipline. Mr. Nomura taught that zero defects come from leadership accountability, visible problems, and the courage to respond immediately.
Daily Shopfloor Management is more than visual boards. It is how leaders teach, coach, and build capability every day. The Lean TPS 5P Model shows how DSM turns the 4P framework into a living system of performance through Jishuken.
Jishuken began with Mr. Ohno’s belief that true improvement comes from learning at the Gemba. This timeline shows how Toyota spread that discipline across decades, connecting leadership development with hands-on problem solving.
By applying Lean TPS system design, a chaotic billing process was transformed into a controlled flow with visibility, ownership, and accountability, recovering over two million dollars in trapped revenue.
Toyota L&F Takahama demonstrates TPS as a living system. Each building, process, and layout connects through rhythm and support, showing how structure and leadership sustain continuous improvement.
The A3 Inventory Report shows Lean TPS applied to material and information flow. By visualizing tons, loads, and locations on one page, leaders can see imbalance and act on facts, not assumptions.
The Jishuken Final A3 shows how Toyota converts improvement into learning. It records measurable results in flow and quality while preserving the leadership lessons gained through structured problem solving.
The Jishuken Mid-Term A3 shows how visualization and balanced flow strengthen both process and people. Each chart and improvement record reflects Toyota’s learning-by-doing approach to leadership development.
The Jishuken A3 shows how Toyota develops leaders through structured problem solving. This report from Brantford’s Reach Truck Line connects data, targets, and learning in one visual story.
The Kaizen A3 turns daily work into continuous improvement. It shows how Toyota connects problem solving, participation, and leadership development through a single visual page.
The 5S A3 teaches how order creates stability and flow. It captures Toyota’s foundation for improvement through visible standards, discipline, and daily learning.
The A3 Format turns PDCA into visible thinking. Each section records the problem, analysis, countermeasure, and follow-up so learning is captured and shared across generations.
The A3 is Toyota’s one-page system for thinking and learning. It turns complex problems into clear stories and preserves the wisdom of TPS across generations.
The Standardized Work Audit Template is more than a form. It is a framework that makes problems visible and teaches leadership. This post explains how Toyota used fifteen simple questions to connect structure, learning, and respect in the daily work of improvement.
Lean TPS support is available for plant teams, regional operations, and leadership development. Support includes structured improvement, capability building, and systems-based problem solving grounded in Toyota methods.
Services include:
• Continuous Improvement Facilitation
Structured guidance to stabilize flow, expose abnormalities, and strengthen daily management through Standardized Work.
• Jishuken Leadership Development
Hands-on improvement cycles that build capability through participation, observation, and leadership accountability.
• Lean TPS 5S Thinking and Workplace Organization
Establishing structure, visual control, and discipline to protect flow and prepare teams for Kaizen.
• Standardized Work Design and Audit Support
Developing the best-known method, connecting people to process, and sustaining improvement through leader observation.
• Jidoka and Abnormality Management
Making problems visible through Stop–Call–Wait, quality response routines, and structured root cause analysis.
• Kaizen Facilitation
Practical improvement activities that eliminate waste, reduce variation, and support continuous flow.