JTEKT – Factory Tour
JTEKT Corporation is one of the Toyota Group companies that was created as a result of a merger between Koyo Seiko and Toyoda Machine Works. They are a major supplier of steering systems in the automotive sector, but also a manufacturer of bearings and machine tools for a variety of sectors including steel, railway, aerospace, construction, machinery, and others.
Corporate Information
- Company: JTEKT Corporation
- Establishment: 2006
- Location: Aichi Prefecture
- Main Business: manufacturing of steering systems, bearings, machine tools and mechatronics
JTEKT Corporation – Lean Characteristics
TPS, Kaizen, Smart Factory, IoE
JTEKT is a global manufacturing company that has 12 factories in Japan and over 40 production bases overseas. As a vital member of the Toyota Group, JTEKT thoroughly applies the Toyota Production System. However, the company is led by a set of guiding values called “JTEKT Way” and members of the JTEKT Group share a unified sense of the JTEKT values worldwide, which are made up of five key pillars summarized as: 1) customer first, 2) continuous kaizen, 3) aspiration for innovation, 4) teamwork and self-discipline and 5) ownership.
The company has been promoting a smart factory concept and recently been making a concerted effort to combine lean thinking with cutting-edge digital solutions through the introduction of IoE (Internet of Everything) into their operations. By connecting machinery and equipment to people and services, and processing the big data collected to be visible and actionable to people for analysis, weak points in the manufacturing processes can be better detected which were previously not always identifiable and quantifiable. As a result, more accurate decisions can be made to improve operations, and manufacturers are able to achieve next level efficiency, functionality, reliability and productivity.
Greenwood, Mississippi, United States
I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to learn the Toyota Production System from the source. I look forward to implementing the many findings in our plant. This experience has given me a different approach to improving our plant’s lean journey. Thank you again for everything.
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Zurich, Switzerland
It was an inspiring week with great learnings around lean and how it is applied across various levels of the supply chain. The tour also provides a nice glimpse into the Japanese culture with its amazing food and friendly people.
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Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Excellent, from preparing the tour group on do’s and don’ts to guidance on what to watch out for every step of the way. Cannot recommend this enough if you are looking to learn how to resolve issues, and want to understand the lean approach from philosophy to theory to practice. Thank you very much, Paul,…
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Shanghai, China
Shinka Management’s service here was truly exceptional. The staff were attentive, friendly, and made sure that every detail of our experience was perfect. They went above and beyond to ensure our comfort and satisfaction, and it was truly appreciated. Their hospitality was warm and welcoming, making us feel like valued guests.
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Quezon City, Manila, Philippines
Thank you, Shinka Management, for providing me with the opportunity to learn more about Kaizen. As a Quality practitioner, witnessing the evolution of Toyota and its implementation of Kaizen has been amazing. Learning how to adapt Kaizen principles from manufacturing for implementation within a hospital setting has been truly inspiring. Again, thank you Shinka Management!…
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Towson, Maryland, United States
The whole experience of the lean tour was excellent. I learned so much over the past week and all of my previous knowledge of lean was reinforced. Not only did I learn about lean management but I was also impressed with the Japanese culture. The whole team at Shinka Management were very helpful and made…
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The Shinka Management Lean Japan Tour is a professional development program run several times annually. The program includes a mix of lean and kaizen seminars, hands-on lean training and visits to several benchmark lean companies. For further information and program dates, see the lean tour overview page.
Tour Inquiries
Interested in joining us in Japan? For additional information prior to registration please fill in the form provided or contact us.