Akinori Hyodo joined the Toyota group at the age of 19 and through his Toyota career he worked his way up to become factory manager and director at the Toyota factory in Japan responsible for manufacturing the HiAce vehicle. His path on a lean journey wasn’t always smooth but his unswerving attitude to rise to challenges made him the lean leader he became. Hyodo Sensei shares experience from his Toyota career and gives us advice based on his personal journey.
The term Jishuken came out of Toyota and has become a well-known word in lean manufacturing. It is often referred to as a “management-driven group kaizen activity”. But, the details of what is really involved in Jishuken are not widely known. Akinori Hyodo explains Toyota’s approach to Jishuken and shares his experience of being an active part of it for more than a decade.
Good supplier relationship management is crucial for the success of a business and Akinori Hyodo argues that Toyota’s corporate strength is built upon the strong capabilities of its suppliers. We discuss the importance of supplier development and how to establish and maintain a strong relationship with suppliers.
Kaizen plays an important part in helping an organization mature into a lean enterprise. However, getting everybody on board with continuous improvement initiatives can be a challenging task. We discuss the benefits of Kaizen Suggestion Schemes with Lean Sensei Akinori Hyodo sharing examples from Toyota.
Leadership from top management is the key in determining the success of an organization’s lean transformation. But, how should they approach this vital task? We explore the role of top management and delve into the question of how they should take the lead in their lean journey.
When embarking on a lean journey, a strong approach is crucial to move forward in the right direction. We discuss how best to structure a lean transformation, with Akinori Hyodo sharing his advice on this important topic.
Mechanical Engineer with an International MBA in Business Management with vast experience in Business Intelligence and continuous improvement.
We all understand the importance of personnel development within an organization. What is Toyota’s approach to personnel development and training? Hyodo Sensei discusses Toyota’s method and shares his thoughts on this important topic by drawing examples from daily life.
What is the role of a team leader? We discuss the importance of the role of a team leader and explore how a shop floor team can be structured and managed by looking at some of the great examples from Toyota in Japan.
How should you go about your lean journey? What are the key ingredients for a successful lean implementation? Our lean guru Hyodo Sensei shares his views on the topic of Leading a Lean Journey and addresses a number of commonly asked questions on the topic.