Showing posts with label Japanese contributions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japanese contributions. Show all posts

Saturday, September 5, 2026

The SMED System: Shigeo Shingo's Detailed Explanation

New. Popular E-Book on IE,

Introduction to Modern Industrial Engineering.  #FREE #Download.

In 0.1% on Academia.edu. 12750  Downloads so far.

https://academia.edu/103626052/INTRODUCTION_TO_MODERN_INDUSTRIAL_ENGINEERING_Version_3_0




This lesson is part of Analysis of Flow - Delays sub-module of process industrial engineering or process improvement. Reducing set up time will reduce batch sizes and therefore reduces delay in flow of material in a process. Hence analysis of setups and reducing setup time/cost is important for productivity improvement


Set up Time reduction was an issue of interest right from the Taylor's time. It was developed into a specific procedure by Shigeo Shingo.

F.W. Taylor on Quick Setups


Taylor want a foreman to be incharge of setup activities and gave him the responsibility for doing setups in quick time. Taylor advocated study of motions of men and eliminating unnecessary motions in all activities.

The gang boss has charge of the preparation of all work up to the time that the piece is set in the machine. It is his duty to see that every man under him has at all times at least one piece of work ahead at his machine, with all the jigs, templates, drawings, driving mechanism, sling chains, etc., ready to go into his machine as soon as the piece he is actually working on is done. The gang boss must show his men how to set their work in their machines in the quickest time, and see that they do it. He is responsible for the work being accurately and quickly set, and should be not only able but willing to pitch in himself and show the men how to set the work in record time.



H.B. Maynard on Setup Analysis


In this article, the issue of collecting drawings, materials and tools as well as instructions from appropriate persons are discussed. Then the machine set up and loading of  the work piece are discussed. After the processing operation is over, the work piece has to be unloaded and it has to be moved to the next stage. At the end of the day, tools etc. are to be returned. In the process, care has to be taken to see that equipment is kept in proper order. All issues are raised in the check list of questions given below. 

________________________


Before any work can be done, certain preliminary or "make- ready" operations must be performed. These include such elements as getting tools and drawings, getting material and instructions, and setting up the machine or laying out material and tools about the workplace. When the operation itself has been completed, certain clean up or " put-away " elements must be done such as putting away tools and drawings, removing finished material, and cleaning up the workplace or machine.

Questions on "Make-ready" and "Put-away" Elements. The procedure followed to perform the " make-ready" and "put- away" elements should be questioned closely, particularly on small-quantity work, for these operations are usually fairly long. Many of them carry the operator away from his workplace. This is undesirable for several reasons, and the necessity for trips to other parts of the department should be minimized. The arrangement of the setup or the workplace layout is of primary importance, and the simple rules governing efficient workplace layouts should be clearly understood.

Typical questions which will lead to suggestions for improvement in this connection are as follows :

1. How is the job assigned to the operator?

3. How are instructions imparted to the operator?

4. How is material secured?

5. How are drawings and tools secured?

6. How are the times at which the job is started and finished checked?

7. What possibilities for delays occur at drawing room, tool- room, storeroom, or time clerk's office?

8. If operator makes his own setup, would economies be gained by providing special setup men?

9. Could a supply boy get tools, drawings, and material?

10. Is the layout of the operator J s locker or tool drawer orderly so that no time is lost searching for tools or equipment?

11. Are the tools that the operator uses in making his setup adequate?

12. Is the machine set up properly?

13. Is the machine adjusted for proper feeds and speeds?

15. If vises, jigs, or fixtures are used, are they securely clamped to the machine?

18. Is material properly positioned?

19. Are tools prepositioned?

21. What must be done to  put away all equipment used?

22. Can trip to return tools to toolroom be combined with trip to get tools for next job?

23. How thoroughly should workplace be cleaned?

24. What disposal is made of scrap, short ends, or defective parts?

25. If operation is performed continuously, are preliminary operations of a preparatory nature necessary the first thing in the morning?

26. Are adjustments to equipment on a continuous operation made by the operator?

27. How is material supply replenished?

28. If a number of miscellaneous jobs are done, can similar jobs be grouped to eliminate certain setup elements?

29. How are partial setups handled?

30. Is the operator responsible for protecting workplace over- night by covering it or locking up valuable material?


Make Ready. The methods followed in giving out jobs differ widely throughout industry. Where the same operation is worked day after day, the problem is not encountered; but on more miscellaneous work, some procedure for telling an operator what job he is to work upon next must be provided.

When the operator has received notification in one way or another of the job he is to do, he must next secure drawings, tools, and material. The way in which this is done also varies widely. In some cases, the operator must hunt everything for himself. In others, he goes to a tool- or drawing-room window and waits while an attendant gets what he requires. In still other cases, everything is brought to him, and he does not have to leave his work station.

The exact procedure that is followed will depend upon existing conditions; but if it is possible to work out an economical system for furnishing the operator with what he needs at his work station, it is desirable to do so. Besides reducing costs, this procedure increases the amount of time the equipment is utilized and thus increases the productive capacity of the plant. Often a low-rated worker can do the errands of the operators and bring tools, drawings, and materials.

Where the group system is used and no supply boy is available, the group leader commonly gets all necessary supplies and tools. By getting the necessary items for several jobs at one time, he is able to effect economies.

If a conveyer system specially designed is used, the jobs may be dispatched by the production department in the order wanted, and all material, tools, and drawings can be sent out at the same time on the conveyer. Thus the amount of time spent by the operator in getting ready to make the setup or workplace layout is reduced to a minimum.

The manner in which instructions are furnished with regard to how the job should be done is worthy of careful consideration. Instruction sheets can be used to instruct operators and, under certain conditions, their use is not too costly.  It gives complete and detailed instructions.

Setup. The setup of the machine and of any tools, jigs, or fixtures used should be studied in detail. The correctness and the adequacy of the setup should first be considered, followed by a brief review of the methods employed to make it. The correct setup is fixed by the nature of the operation, the nature of the part, the requirements of the job, and the mechanical features of the machine. Sometimes, it is possible to do a job in more than one way, and care should be taken to ascertain that the best way is being used.

When the setup is being made, certain tools are usually required. These should be suitable for the purpose. If each operator must make his own setup, he should be provided with the necessary tools. If only one or two wrenches are furnished to a group of 10 operators, for example, the time lost in hunting the wrenches and in waiting for a chance to use them will usually far offset the cost of additional equipment.

If setup men are employed to setup machines ahead of the operators, their setup work is to them fairly repetitive work, because they are performing the same elements day after day. It will therefore be desirable to treat it as such and to furnish the setup men with special-purpose quick-acting tools.


Put Away. The put-away elements usually consume less time than the make-ready elements. Tools are put away, the setup is torn down, and the workplace is more or less thoroughly cleaned up. Usually, some of the put-away elements can be combined with some of the make-ready elements for the next operation.

Tools for one operation, for example, may be returned to the toolroom when the tools for the next operation are obtained. The procedure that will prove most economical for the put-away elements will depend to a large extent upon the manner in which the make-ready elements are performed.

Where a number of similar operations are performed on a machine, it is sometimes possible to use 'the same or part of the same setup on two or more jobs. A part that is common to several assemblies may be ordered separately for each and appear on several different orders. If these orders are grouped, one setup will care for them all. Again, in milling-machine work, for example, it may be possible to use the same cutter for several different jobs. The elements of "get cutter from toolroom" "place cutter on machine",  "remove cutter from machine" and "return cutter to toolroom" will thus be performed but once for the several jobs.

Where possibilities of this sort exist, provision should be made when setting up the make-ready and put-away routine so that the economies will be made. If the operator does not know what job he is to do next, if he must completely tear down his setup before going for another job, and if neither the foreman nor the dispatcher attempts to group similar jobs, advantage cannot be taken of partial setups. This is wasteful, of course, and every attempt should be made to secure the benefit of partial setups. Whether or not the operator is paid for the complete setup or only for that part which he actually makes depends upon the difficulty in controlling setups and upon whether or not the saving is due to the operator's own initiative.  In either case, more time is available for productive work which is a distinct gain.

Shigeo Shingo


The efficiency of setup requires two things on the part of operators:

1. Knowledge relating to the structure and function of the machinery and equipment, as well as a thorough acquaintence with tools, blades, dies, jigs, etc.

2. Skill in mounting and removing these items, and also in measuring, centering, adjusting, and calibrating after trial runs.


The History of SMED

In 1950, Shingo was conducting an efficiency improvement survey at Toyo Kogyo's Mazda plant. As the large body-molding presses of 350, 750 and 800 tons were declared as bottlenecks, Shingo did a production study.

There was an incident of a missing bolt and one hour was wasted in finding the bolt. Shingo had written that gave him the idea that external set operations have to set up as standard procedures and one has to make sure that all items required for set up are there before one starts the set up procedure. Shingo established the external set up procedure of making all items required for a set up  and the efficiency was raised by 50% and the bottle neck problem disappeared.

The Second Idea

In 1957, Shingo was studying the operation of a large planer which is machining diesel engine beds. He noticed that centering and dimensioning of the engine bed had to be done and was being conducted on the planer table only. He came with the idea of buying an extra planer table on which this activity can be done while on the machine a job is getting machined. When the job was completed, the table was pushed out and the second table was pushed in ready with the job. This solution resulted in 40% increase in productivity.

The Third Important Event

In 1969, Shingo studied the set operation of 1,000 ton press at Toyoto Motor Company/s plant. The setup time was four hours and it was known that Volkswagen in Germany was doing the same set up in two hours. Shingo in association with Toyota engineers have identified the external setup operations and internal setup operations and improve the process to a time of 90 minutes. According to Shingo, it took six months of effort to reach that stage.

At this stage, Toyota management thought of a challenging goal. Can be reduced drastically to only  three minutes? This challenge resulted in the inspiring insight in Shingo. Can we convert much more internal activity (setup activity that was being done on the machine) to external activity. So a search began for eliminating activities from internal setup activity to move them the external activity. Shingo had written that 8 ideas came in quick succession and they developed these 8 ideas in 3 months time to reach the single digit setup time. So Shingo remarked that it took 19 years of time to make a drastic improvement to the setup operations.

The SMED System - Book by Shigeo Shingo - Chapter Summaries 


Foreword

SMED system is the most essential method for achieving Just-In-Time Production. SMED system will revolutionize existing production systems and I hope you will practice it after reading this book.

Introduction

In many factories, diversified low-volume production is a problem. The main difficulty is the setup operations and adjustments required - calibration, switching of tools or dies etc. Frequent setups of course are necessary to produce a large variety of goods in small lots.

But now I can tell you, you can cut your setup time and increase productivity. You can do setups in three minutes for tasks which had taken 3 hours earlier. The theory and techniques are made available to you in this book. Japanese industrial engineers have long understood the need to reduce setup times and many examples are made available by them in books. But in this book for the first time principles are provided so that you can apply them to your situation even though it does not match any of the previous examples or applications.

Why the setup times remained high for long. Managers and industrial engineers neglected the task and left it to the skill of workers.

People have to realize that high volume production and large lot production are the same. Even high volume production can be achieved through small lots and economy of manufacturing can be realized.  Traditional production planning assumes inventory as inevitable but new production system based on SMED works on the concept of confirmed production and eliminates inventory.

It took 19 long years for me to develop the SMED system.

Chapter 1 The Structure of Production


Production activities may best be understood as a process consisting of operations.

A process refers to a continuous flow by which raw materials are converted into finished goods. An operation is action performed by men, machine or equipment on raw materials, or intermediate or finished goods (for example packing). A process can have one or more operations.

Manufacturing processes can be further divided into four distinct phases (traditional IE categories)

1. Processing (termed as operation) 2. Inspection  3. Transportation 4. Storage.

The storage phase can be further categorised into:
1. Storage of raw materials.
2. Storage of finished goods
3. Lot waiting for process: The entire lot is in a queue before a machine
4. Waiting for a lot: Some of items of the lot are yet to be processed and some are processed.

Each operation on a lot will have preparation and clearing. These are termed setup operations.
The principal operation carried out on workpieces include essential operation, auxiliary operation like loading the workpiece and removing it and margin allowances (activities) that irregularly happen like sweeping up cuttings and personal activities of the operator like taking rest for fatigue and drinking water etc.

It is important to note that there are setup operations in inspection, transportation and storage also.

Chapter 2. Setup Operations in the Past


The blind spot: The unspoken assumption that drastic reductions in setup time are not possible. But with the development of SMED, the concept of economic lot size has diappeared from the profit-engineering agenda. Moreover, SMED has substantially reduced the level of skill required for setups and production operators themselves can do the setup.

3. Fundamentals of SMED


In the spring of 1950, Shingo was conducting an efficiency improvement survey at Toyo Kogyo's Mazda plant. At the presses were bottleneck machines, Shingo conducted a production analysis and observed a die change.  As he observed the time wasted after the machine was stopped for setup change, it dawned to him that setup operations fundamentally were two types: Internal setups which are to be done after a machine is stopped and external setups which can be conducted when the machine is in operation. The external set up were identified and only internal setups were done when the machine is stopped. The setup time reduced by 50%.

The first step of SMED was discovered and Shingo started advising companies on improving setups.

The second insight

Shingo was doing study of open-sided planer at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shipyard for methods improvement. He observed that marking-off procedure for centering and dimensioning the engine bed ws being conducted on the planer table and it was taking significant time. The idea came came to install a second planer table and perform the setup operation on it separately. Then the table was shifted in less time and it saved time and increased productivity.

The third experience

In 1969, the divisional manager of body shop at Toyota Motor Company told Shingo that they were taking 4 hours to make a die change and they know that in Volkswagen they were doing in two hours. Shingo worked with them to separate internal and external setup items and got the die change time reduced to one and half hours.

After a month, Shingo was informed that management want the setup time to go to three minutes. Shingo was strartled but challenged. The thinking led to the idea that some more internal elements can be converted into external elements. In three months, three minute goal was reached and Shingo says, he named the method SMED.

This SMED concept then spread to all types of setups in Toyota.

Basic steps in the Setup Procedure

1. Preparation, checking of all required items, tools and materials   30%
2. Removing old tools and mounting new tools 5%
3. Centering, dimensioning and setting other conditions 15%
4. Trial runs and adjustments 50%
5. Returning Old tools - Negligible

The time taken for trail runs and adjustments can be shortened by improving the prior process of centering, dimension and setting.

Basic Steps of SMED

Separating Internal and External Setup
Converting Internal Operations to External Operations
Improving Internal Setup Operations
Improving External Operations

4. Techniques for Applying SMED





Separating Internal and External Setup

Doing External Setup Operations Efficiently - Preliminary Steps

Use a checklist

Make a list of all the parts required with names and specifications and make sure that they are there before the setup. For it to happen without any shortcoming, Shingo recommended that a drawing is made with all the parts pictures and keep the parts on those drawing.

Then there has to be one more list that specifies details of pressure, temperature and other settings that are part of external setup. One has to go through this checklist and ensure that every item is having the required specification and also functioning. These list of items and checklists have to be separate for every machine.

The old die and related items should be transported back either after the setup is completed or by people who are specific to transportation. The machine should not be made to idle due to the transport operation of old die and related items.


Converting Internal Operations to External Operations

The first step in converting internal operations to external operations is to create operating conditions of the dies externally. Then only internal operations are to push the dies and attach them to ram and body.


Preheating Dies

Old practice was to heat dies in die casting by injecting hot metal between them. Instead of that if dies were preheated using gas or electric heat externally, 30 minutes could be saved.

Standardization of dies of various sizes or items on a machine can be done by shape standardization to reduce setup time. But the dies of even small parts can be large because of that. Instead Shingo suggested function standardization.

Function Standardization

What are the functions in attaching die to machine? Clamping, centering, dimensioning, expelling,grasping, and maintaining loads.

Efficient function standardization requires that for each die, the function providing features are only standardized as required by examining the die feature by feature or element by element.

Clamping height can be changed by adding shims to smaller dies. Centering can be done centering jigs. The dies can be made as a set and they can be inserted and withdrawn like a casette so that die inserting time can be only 20 seconds. Various locating elements can be used to adjust the dies in the required positions externally.


5 Applying SMED to Internal Operations

Improving Internal Operations or Reducing Time of Internal Operations

Implementation of Parallel Operations

Die-change operations on plastic molding machines, and die-casting machines and large presses require work both at front and at the back of the machine. If two work parallelly  one at the back and one at the front lot of time is saved.

The Use of Function Clamp

The length of the bolt should be determined such that only one turn is required for fastening or loosening. Such bolt will be called functional clamp.

Examples of One Turn Attachments

The Pear Shaped Hole Method

The U Shaped Washer Method

The Split Thread Method

The U-Slot Method

The Clamp Method

One Motion Methods
  Cams and clamps
  Wedges, tapered pins and knock pins
   springs

Magnetism and Vacuum Suction

Interlocking Methods
(Punch and die assembly for making interlocking integral fasteners - Patent No. US2924312)

Instead of fastening, many times, two pieces can be interlocked and it is sufficient.

Interlocking Method for Press Dies

In a press, the upper die is attached to the machine ram and the lower die is attached to the machine tool. Why there should be same number and diameter of bolts in both sides. While the die attached to the ram has to be supported against gravity, the die attached to the machine bed need not be so supported. Shingo suggests holding plates and cradles for the holding plate to hold the die.


Seeing is believing. Watch in YouTube video die changes in less than 9 minutes
SMED - YouTube Videos


Related Development:

SMED 2.0 - April 25, 2023 by Christoph Roser.
https://www.allaboutlean.com/smed-2-0/

Design for changeovers
http://etidweb.tamu.edu/hsieh/ENTC410/Design%20for%20Mass%20Customerization/DesignForChangeOver.pdf
The paper is on original equipment manufacturer making design of machine that facilitates quick setup changes











Ud 29.4.2023,  10.10.2022,  9.10.2021
Pub 9,12.2013

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Seven Flows of Manufacturing - Toyota Production System Industrial Engineering

TPS is Industrial Engineering System of Toyota Motors.


IE is a system and the Toyota production system may be regarded as Toyota style IE.

Taiichi Ohno on Industrial Engineering - Toyota Style Industrial Engineering

https://nraoiekc.blogspot.com/2013/11/taiichi-ohno-on-industrial-engineering.html

 




Toyota Production System has a system or process design component and system and process improvement component. The Jidoka pillar of TPS describes these activities. The other pillar JIT deals with quantities of material flowing in the system. JIT is a small batch quantity production system.


Seven flows are important in process design and process improvement.


They are:


The flow of raw material

The flow of work-in-process

The flow of finished goods

The flow of operators

The flow of machines

The flow of information

The flow of engineering

Industrial engineers must first observe each of these flows to gain full understanding. Based on observation, they have to take notes and sketch out the seven flows. 

https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/19651/underst-implement-7-flows-of-manufacturing


2026

Post by Sameer Kataria

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7437573843746975744/



OCTOBER 21, 2007 BY MARK

The Seventh Flow - The flow of engineering

http://theleanthinker.com/2007/10/21/the-seventh-flow/


Understand and implement the 7 flows of manufacturing.

Published on February 5, 2016

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/understand-implement-7-flows-manufacturing-graham-chick/


Nakao-san and Shingijutsu-Kaizen

August 4, 2014 by Bob Emiliani

https://bobemiliani.com/nakao-san-and-shingijutsu-kaizen/


A kaizen method like no other!


Shingijutsu-Kaizen: The Art of Discovery and Learning describes how, for more than three decades, Kaizen consultants from Shingijutsu USA Corporation have been helping manufacturing and service organizations improve processes by teaching people the methods and tools of flow production.

https://bobemiliani.com/book/shingijutsu-kaizen/


http://www.shingijutsuusa.com/


Chihiro Nakao - Taiichi Ohno’s best student from outside of Toyota proper.

The Most Dangerous Idea in the World

By Jon Miller • Published: June 22nd, 2015

https://blog.gembaacademy.com/2015/06/22/the-most-dangerous-idea-in-the-world/


Nakao was in charge of development activities in a supplier company.

https://books.google.co.in/books?id=cNs_CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA13#v=onepage&q&f=false

Flow Analysis is part of Toyota Kaizen Course in 1968


Improving Flow - Lee Candy


Document or Map the process - Process Chart, Value Stream Map

Identify and log all problems the process owners/managers/engineers/operators experience

Identify all waste in the current process

Develop ideas for  improvement opportunities

Do engineering of improvement ideas

Develop Process Chart or Map of the Revised Process 

Develop an action plan to install the revised process

Actively monitor the new processes put into place to assure improvement expected.

Create performance measures for control in the operations

https://online.kettering.edu/news/2016/07/07/understanding-principle-flow-lean-manufacturing


A Toyota Leader on Misunderstandings About the Toyota Production System

By Mark Graban On Apr 24, 2019

It's a talk given by Nampachi Hayashi at the “Building on Success 2018 Conference.”

Mr. Hayashi says the name “should have been TPS = Toyota Process Development System.”

Built-in quality and improved flow leading to lower cost… as a result. Cost reduction isn't the primary lever that's pulled (as we see attempted in so many Western companies, including hospitals)… it's a result. Simple cost-cutting might not lead to better quality and flow (it's often quite the opposite that happens). But better flow and better quality always leads to lower cost, in my experience. Productivity is also a forward activity. It focuses on fully utilizing the machine and man to do a job with less resources. This it results in lower cost.



Discussion in LinkedIn Topic  https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6866080389295874048

When you talk about Flow - what else can be added to the information below!



Sivakumar Shanmugasundaram
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sivakumar-shanmugasundaram-84b9665a/

Operator flow .....

Are the operators knowledgeable about the process ?

Have the operators acquired the required skills to execute the work?

Is their fatigue level is same throughout the operating hours ?

Are they able to identify the defects ?

Are they able to identify the abnormalities in the machine ?

Are they able to measure and adjust the machine to produce zero defects ?


Material flow....

Is the material flow visible throughout the value stream ?

Is the material defect free ?

Is the material easy to handle ?

Information flow...

Does the right information reach the right person at the right time ?

What is the mode of information flow ?
verbal, hardcopies, or electronic

Has the receiver able to understand the information and execute effectively?



Ud 12.3.2026, 16.11.2021
Pub 3.5.2021













Friday, March 6, 2026

Jidoka - Automation and Mechanization - Process Engineering, Facilities and Industrial Engineering in Toyota Production System

Industrial engineering has two important components - Machine Effort Industrial Engineering and Human Effort Industrial Engineering. 

Jidoka - Human Effort Engineering and Industrial Engineering in Toyota Production System  

Jidoka refers to Process Design and Process Improvement in Toyota Production System. It also includes operator work design and training. Jidoka is development of full process involving machines and operators.

"The deeper meaning of Jidoka is improving production process and machines so they can always do work that adds value instead of just spinning their gears. Ohno’s choice of spelling for Jidōka (See image below) emphasizes that if we remove non-value added work and improve value-added work the defects will ultimately be eliminated." - Jun Nakamuro, Fully Endorsed Expert for Organizational Transformation Based on the Ohno Method and TPS

Re-Translating Lean from Its Origin, January 5, 2017

"The concept of jidoka originated in the early 1900s when Sakichi Toyoda, founder of the Toyota Group, invented a textile loom that stopped automatically when any thread broke. Previously, if a thread broke the loom would churn out mounds of defective fabric, so each machine needed to be watched by an operator. Toyoda’s innovation let one operator control many machines. In Japanese, jidoka is a Toyota-created word pronounced exactly the same (and written in kanji almost the same) as the Japanese word for automation, but with the added connotations of humanistic and creating value."

https://www.lean.org/lexicon-terms/jidoka/

自動化



The word below in the picture is used in Toyota for Jidoka. It indicates machines with human touch or intelligence. It is automatic machines with human touch. It can be interpreted as a system having machines and people with appropriate roles that provides quality and productivity (lack of waste of resources).

Mr. Michel Baudin described some aspects of machine effort engineering and machine  effort industrial engineering in Toyota Production System in his "Working with Machines: The Nuts and Bolts of Lean Operations with Jidoka." Baudin also discussed human effort engineering and industrial engineering in the book.


A Toyota Leader on Misunderstandings About the Toyota Production System

It's a talk given by Nampachi Hayashi at the “Building on Success 2018 Conference.”

Mr. Hayashi says the name “should have been TPS = Toyota Process Development System.”

Jidoka = Toyota Process Development System.

Built-in quality and improved flow leading to lower cost… as a result. Cost reduction isn't the primary lever that's pulled (as we see attempted in so many Western companies)… it's a result. Simple cost-cutting might not lead to better quality and flow (it's often quite the opposite that happens). But better flow and better quality always leads to lower cost, in my experience. Productivity is also a forward activity. It focuses on fully utilizing the machine and man to do a job with less resources. This it results in lower cost.



Autonomation describes a feature of machine design to effect the principle of jidoka (自働化)(じどうか jidouka), used in the Toyota Production System (TPS) .

Etymology
The word "autonomation" 自働化, a loan word from the Sino-Japanese vocabulary, is a portmanteau of "autonomous" and "automation" 自動化, which is written using three kanji characters: 自(じ ji) "self", 動(どう dou)movement, and 化(か ka)"-ization". In the Toyota Production System, the second character is replaced with 働(どう dou) "work", which is a character derived by adding a radical representing "human" to the original 動.


Two Pillars of TPS - Jidoka and JIT

Jidoka - Process designs (Process engineering, Process Planning and Process Industrial Engineering) that eliminate waste

https://global.toyota/en/company/vision-and-philosophy/production-system/

JIT - Material procurement and flow system that eliminates waste.


Jidoka is based on engineering - Product engineering, process engineering, facilities engineering. product industrial engineering, process industrial engineering, facilities industrial engineering,  human effort industrial engineering.


Toyota Production System - Vision & Philosophy (From Company's Website)


Toyota Production System is a production system based on the philosophy of achieving the complete elimination of all waste in pursuit of the most efficient methods.

This production control system was established  with the objective of making the vehicles ordered by customers in the quickest and most efficient way, in order to deliver the vehicles as swiftly as possible. The Toyota Production System (TPS) was established based on two concepts: "jidoka" (which can be loosely translated as "automation with a human touch"),  and the "Just-in-Time" concept, in which each process produces only what is needed for the next process in a continuous flow.

Based on the basic philosophies of jidoka and Just-in-Time, TPS can efficiently and quickly produce vehicles of sound quality, one at a time, that fully satisfy customer requirements.

TPS and its approach to cost reduction are the wellsprings of competitive strength and unique advantages for Toyota. 


The TPS concept

For Toyota, jidoka means that  machines come to a safe stop whenever an abnormality occurs.  

To develop such intelligent machines and processes incorporating these machines, engineers meticulously build each new line component to exacting standards and further improve them  through incremental kaizen (industrial engineering - continuous improvement). Engineers simplify the operations. They create instruction sheets so that the skills of engineers are transferred to operators. The process instruction sheet and the training associated with it enables any operator to use the line to produce the same result.

Once the line is producing the required quality production, the jidoka mechanism is incorporated into actual production lines. Through the engineering repetition of this process by engineers, machinery becomes simpler and less expensive, while maintenance becomes less time consuming and less costly, enabling the creation of simple, slim, flexible lines that are adaptable to fluctuations in production volume.

The work done by engineers by their own hands in this process is the bedrock of engineering skill. Machines and robots do not think for themselves or evolve on their own. Rather, they evolve as we transfer our skills and craftsmanship to them. In other words, craftsmanship is achieved by learning the basic principles of manufacturing through actual work, then applying them on the factory floor to steadily make improvements. This cycle of improvement in both human skills and technologies is the essence of Toyota's jidoka. Advancing jidoka in this way helps to increase machine capabilities and human resource capabilities.

Human wisdom and ingenuity are indispensable to delivering ever-better cars to customers. Going forward, we will maintain our steadfast dedication to constantly developing human resources who can think independently and implement kaizen.


Just-in-Time

―Improving productivity―

Making only "what is needed, when it is needed, and in the amount needed"

Producing quality products efficiently through the complete elimination of waste, inconsistencies, and unreasonable requirements on the production line (known respectively in Japanese as muda, mura, muri).

In order to fulfill an order from a customer as quickly as possible, the vehicle is efficiently built within the shortest possible period of time by adhering to the following:

When a vehicle order is received, production instructions must be issued to the beginning of the vehicle production line as soon as possible.

The assembly line must be stocked with the required number of all necessary parts so that any kind of ordered vehicle can be assembled.

The assembly line must replace the parts used by retrieving the same number of parts from the parts-producing process (the preceding process).

The preceding process must be stocked with small numbers of all types of parts and produce only the numbers of parts that were retrieved by an operator from the next process.


"Sakichi Toyoda worked with the problem and resolved it. Now the machine no longer has to stop. Hence, it is the ultimate form of jidoka: Make a machine that can run without stops!"   Christoph Roger in   https://www.allaboutlean.com/jidoka-3/

My comment on Rogers' post in Linkedin

Jidoka is to be interpreted as better and better machines and processes. It is better and better engineering. The interpretation of lean theory has distorted the meaning. Its interpretation has to better and better combination of machines and people (process).

Jidoka - Excellent Machines - Excellent Operators - Process Engineering and Industrial Engineering in Toyota Production System

https://nraoiekc.blogspot.com/2021/04/jidoka-automation-and-mechanization.html


How to implement Jidoka in Lean Manufacturing ? Autonomation

Knowledge Factory-Lean Six Sigma
"Jidoka, also known as automation with a human touch, comes from the Japanese word for 'autonomation'. It's about creating a system where machines, not humans, identify and resolve errors."


Shigeo Shingo on  Toyota Production System Industrial Engineering

Shigeo Shingo - Toyota Production System Industrial Engineering (TPS IE) Part 1

https://nraoiekc.blogspot.com/2014/02/industrial-engineering-foundation-of.html


Shigeo Shingo - Toyota Production System Industrial Engineering (TPS IE) Part 2

http://nraoiekc.blogspot.com/2013/12/toyota-production-system-industrial.html


Shigeo Shingo - Introducing and Implementing the Toyota Production System Industrial Engineering - Part 3

http://nraoiekc.blogspot.com/2013/12/introducing-and-implementing-toyota.html


Michel Baudin - "Working with Machines: The Nuts and Bolts of Lean Operations with Jidoka."

Steps of Automation for Machining


1. Introduction of power feed.

2. Automatic stop and return to start position at the end of a cut

3. Automatic unloading of the workpiece

4. Automatic loading of the workpiece

5. Automatic error diagnosis

6. Automatic transportation between operations


Chapter 12: The Lean Approach to Automation


Toyota uses machines and automation at all appropriate places. In this if follows the principle advocated by Barnes. For each step in a process/operation, the best of automation, mechanization or manual work is to be used.


Jidoka is machine - people (machine-man) system. Toyota added man to classical machine symbol and created the symbol for Toyota's Jidoka (Baudin).


Mechanization designates the replacement of human or animal muscle with machines to perform work.

After mechanization of many activities, automation was started by engineers. In automation, machines are told through mechanical means, electrical means, hydraulic means, electronic means or through computer instructions when to start and when to stop and what to do.

Automation reduces amount of human intervention in working of machines. Any change that results in fewer or shorter operator intervention in work of the machines is automation.


Seven Steps in Automating Machining Operations

In early days Toyota engineers had a list of tasks to be done in automating machining. Now all their machines are automated to a very large extent. But engineers of companies that are in the process of automating can learn from the Toyota's automation steps list.


1. Adding a power drive:  As we know, most of the machines now provide power to the work piece in case of lathe and to the rotary tool in case of milling machines.

2. Adding power feed: In case of lathe, tool feed is done through power. Still an operator is required to stop the cut.

3. Automatic stopping of the cut:  If the machine can stop the cut automatically as specified, the operator can start the cut and go and attend another machine. If the tool can come to the starting position after completing a cut, it will save some more time of the operator.

4. Automatic unloading: If the operation is completed, the machine can eject the completed part.

5. Automatic loading: If the machine can eject the completed part and pick and load the new blank, it is the next level of automation. The operator's role and required time further gets reduced.

6. Automatic problem detection: If the machine can detect problems in its functioning through sensors, operator is further relieved of some monitoring functions. If a problem is detected, machine will stop and announce the situation through alarms. Operator can come and take care of the problem.

7.Automatic transportation: In this automation step, the completed part of a machining operation is moved to the next machine automatically.


What Baudin emphasizes is that automation is done in steps so that labor productivity increase takes and operators do not lose the jobs all of a sudden. The system's output expands to provide work to all operators and share the productivity benefit. The automation exercise is carried out taking into consideration the stability of the employment.


Principles Underlying Automation in TPS


1. Productivity improvement must not lead to layoffs.

In USA, large automation projects are implemented, layoffs are implemented. Not so in Toyota.

2. Capability of in-house development

Toyota develops capability to do custom development of machines it buys from standard outside vendors.

3. Decentralized control

Two machines can communicate and manage work in between them. Centralized control is not needed for local events.

4. Automation levels and skill management

As automation proceeds step by step on various operators also upgrade themselves step by step. 


Chapter 13 Improving Legacy Automated Systems


In the chapter Baudin discussed the utility of automated production systems or facilities available like transferlines, FMS, rotary index machines and stacked conveyor loops in lean manufacturing systems.


Transfer lines


Transfer lines are arranged in a straight line for convenience of automatic material handling. The manufactured part moves in a fixed sequence through all the machines to become the machined part.

Transfer line is similar to automated machining cell for a group of a parts.

The machines in the transfer line are being replaced by high speed machining centers with pallet exchangers that can machine various features in a single piece production. 


Toyota Engineers


Kiyohide Motiki - Casting Engineer - https://toyotatimes.jp/en/feature/028.html


 GR Company GRZ Chief Engineer Yasunori Suezawa, who had served as Chief Engineer for the Yaris (Toyota Car Model) -  https://toyotatimes.jp/en/chief_editor/065.html


Jidoka - Kiyoshi Suzaki

In the Process of the Challenge, and the Use of the Jidoka Concept

Kiyoshi Suzaki in Target, Spring 1988, pp. 4-9.


What is the target?

Is it to produce required products, at the required time, in the quantity required with highest quality at lowest cost? 

Is it a challenge to continuous improvement? 

Or is it simply the elimination of waste?



Jidoka is to manufacturing what disciplined exercise is to the nervous and muscle systems of our body. As we increase our athletic skills through training, our body eventually responds to necessary changes much more quickly and accurately than before. There is a similar need to train ourselves in manufacturing to compete and survive. But how we can effectively practice this Jidoka concept is clearly the challenge.


.In order to make changes effectively by incorporating people with the Jidoka concept, there are a few points worth summarizing:

1. Persons in charge of operations (operators) should satisfy their customer's needs (that is, the next process) in cost, quality, and delivery according to the prescribed standards. Naturally, this practice of following the standard procedure requires discipline.

2. Supervisors) should  solve problems exposed from the procedures currently in place. Without standards, we can see no abnormality. If standards are not practiced by subordinates, the supervisor is not fulfilling his role.

3. Production managers  should have an even broader knowledge, balanced perspective, a higher level of commitment to achieve goals, and the ability to lead the organization toward such goals. This person should be able to develop or introduce new standards on Jidoka mechanisms (Process and process improvement) into the organization and make sure each procedure, standard, and mechanism is well maintained.

Jidoka - More Online Resources

What Exactly Is Jidoka?

July 17, 2018 by Christoph Roser

https://www.allaboutlean.com/jidoka-1/


https://mag.toyota.co.uk/jidoka-toyota-production-system/

https://www.apo-tokyo.org/resources/p_glossary/jidoka-2/

https://leanmanufacturing.online/jidoka/

https://in.kaizen.com/blog/post/2016/10/12/jidoka-the-forgotten-pillar.html

Ohno's goals for Jidoka

http://www.process-improvement-japan.com/toyota-history.html

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3738342  41 page book

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405896319312844  Article in science direct.

Rethinking Jidoka Systems under Automation & Learning Perspectives in the Digital Lean Manufacturing World

DavidRomero1 PaoloGaiardelli2 DarylPowell3 ThorstenWuest4 MatthiasThürer5

IFAC-PapersOnLine, Volume 52, Issue 13, 2019, Pages 899-903


An Application of SMED and Jidoka in Lean Production

January 2019

DOI:10.1007/978-3-319-92267-6_45

In book: Proceedings of the International Symposium for Production Research 2018 (pp.530-545)

Authors:

Mahmut Tekin et al.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327041611_An_Application_of_SMED_and_Jidoka_in_Lean_Production

Jidoka means “Intelligent people and machines." 
Masters Thesis

https://michelbaudin.com/tag/jidoka/


Recent References - Jidoka


Ansari et al., 2018a

F. Ansari, S. Erol, W. Sihn

"Rethinking Human-Machine Learning in Industry 4.0: How Does the Paradigm Shift Treat the Role of Human Learning?"

Procedia Manufacturing: 8th Conference on Learning Factories - Advanced Engineering Education & Training for Manufacturing Innovation, 23 (2018), pp. 117-122


Ansari et al., 2018b

F. Ansari, M. Khobreh, U. Seidenberg, W. Sihn

"A Problem-Solving Ontology for Human-Centered Cyber Physical Production Systems"

CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology, 22 (2018), pp. 91-106


Bainbridge, 1983

L. Bainbridge

"Ironies of Automation"

Automatica, 19 (6) (1983), pp. 775-779


Baxter et al., 2012

Baxter, G.; Rooksby, J.; Wang, Y. and Khajeh-Hosseini, A. (2012). "The Ironies of Automation… Still Going Strong at 30?", 30th European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics, pp. 65-71.


Billings, 1996

C.E. Billings

"Aviation Automation: The Search for a Human-Centered Approach", CRC Press (1996)


Bao et al., 2018

Z. Bao, Y. Wang, Z. Yang, C. Zhu, C. Jin

"Design on the Virtual Maintenance Training System of Some-Type Equipment Based on the Virtual Reality"

International Conference on Man-Machine-Environment System Engineering, Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, 527 (2018), pp. 479-487


Camarinha-Matos and Afsarmanesh, 1995

L.M. Camarinha-Matos, H. Afsarmanesh

"Introduction: Towards Balanced Automation", Balanced Automation Systems: Architectures and Methods, Springer (1995), pp. xi-xii


Camarinha-Matos and Afsarmanesh, 1996

L.M. Camarinha-Matos, H. Afsarmanesh

"Introduction: Implementation Challenges for Balanced Automation", Balanced Automation Systems II: Implementation Challenges for Anthropocentric Manufacturing, Springer (1996), pp. xiii-xiv


Camarinha-Matos et al., 1997

L.M. Camarinha-Matos, R. Rabelo, L. Osório

"Balanced Automation", in Management and Control of Manufacturing Systems, S.G. Tzafestas (Ed.), Springer-Verlag (1997), pp. 376-413


Chen et al., 2010

H. Chen, R.R. Lindeke, D.A. Wyrick

"Lean Automated Manufacturing: Avoiding the Pitfalls to Embrace the Opportunities"

Assembly Automation, 30 (2) (2010), pp. 117-123




Hold et al., 2017

P. Hold, S. Erol, G. Reisinger, W. Sihn

"Planning and Evaluation of Digital Assistance Systems"

Procedia Manufacturing: 7th Conference of Learning Factories, 9 (2017), pp. 143-150


Jackson et al., 2011

M. Jackson, M. Hedelind, E. Hellstrӧm, A. Granlund, N. Friedler

"Lean Automation: Requirements and Solutions for Efficient Use of Robot Automation in the Swedish Manufacturing Industry"

International Journal of Engineering Research and Innovation, 3 (2) (2011), pp. 36-43


Kelleher et al., 2015

J.D. Kelleher, B. Mac Namee, A. D’Arcy

"Fundamentals of Machine Learning for Predictive Data Analytics: Algorithms, Worked Examples, and Case Studies", MIT Press (2015), pp. 1-3

17, 117, 179, 247, 323.


Lenz et al., 2018

J. Lenz, T. Wuest, E. Westkaemper

"Holistic Approach to Machine Tool Data Analytics"

Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 48 (2018), pp. 180-191

DOI: 10.1016/j.jmsy.2018.03.003.




Mora et al., 2017

E. Mora, P. Gaiardelli, B. Resta, D. Powell

"Exploiting Lean Benefits Through Smart Manufacturing: A Comprehensive Perspective", The Path to Intelligent, Collaborative and Sustainable Manufacturing, Lödding, H. et al. (Eds.), IFIP, APMS, AICT 513, Part I, Springer (2017), pp. 127-134







Romero et al., 2016a

D. Romero, P. Bernus, O. Noran, J. Stahre, Å. Fast-Berglund

"The Operator 4.0: Human Cyber-Physical Systems & Adaptive Automation towards Human-Automation Symbiosis Work Systems", Production Management Initiatives for a Sustainable World, Nääs, I. et al. (Eds.), IFIP, AICT 488, Springer (2016), pp. 677-686


Romero et al., 2016

Romero, D.; Stahre, J.; Wuest, T.; Noran, O.; Bernus, P.; Fast-Berglund, Å. and Gorecky, D. (2016b). "Towards an Operator 4.0 Typology: A Human-Centric Perspective on the Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies", International Conference on Computers & Industrial Engineering, Tianjin, China, pp. 1-11.


Romero et al., 2018

D. Romero, P. Gaiardelli, D. Powell, T. Wuest, M. Thürer

"Digital Lean Cyber-Physical Production Systems: The Emergence of Digital Lean Manufacturing and the Significance of Digital Waste"

Part I, IFIP AICT, 535 (2018), pp. 11-20




Sheridan and Parasuraman, 2015

T.B. Sheridan, R. Parasuraman

"Human-Automation Interaction"

Reviews of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 1 (89) (2015), pp. 89-129

Google Scholar

Sezer et al., 2018

Sezer, E.; Romero, D. Guedea, F.; Macchi, M. and Emmanouilidis, C. (2018)."An Industry 4.0-enabled Low Cost Predictive Maintenance Approach for SMEs:AUse Case Appliedto aCNC Turning Centre", 24th International ICE-Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation, pp. 1-8, DOI: 10.1109/ICE.2018.8436307.


Strauch, 2017

B. Strauch

"Ironies of Automation: Still Unresolved After All These Years"

IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems, 48 (5) (2017), pp. 419-433




Webel et al., 2013

S. Webel, U. Bockholt, T. Engelke, N. Gavish, M. Olbrich, C. Preusche

"An Augmented Reality Training Platform for Assembly and Maintenance Skills"

Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 61 (4) (2013), pp. 398-403



Systematic combination of Lean Management with digitalization to improve production systems on the example of Jidoka 4.0

Jochen Deuse, Uwe Dombrowski, Fabian Nöhring, ...

International Journal of Engineering Business Management

First Published August 25, 2020 Research Article

https://doi.org/10.1177/1847979020951351

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1847979020951351   - Open Access


Meanings   自働化 - Jidoka or Jidouka - Japanese - English


jidoka (自働化)(じどうか jidouka),


Entry Details for 自働化


Definition and Synonyms for 自働化

1. 自動化 高度な技術を用いた手段

Automation the act of implementing the control of equipment with advanced technology

Synonyms: 機械化, 自動化

2. 自動化 自動にする、制御するまたは自動に作動する

Automate make automatic or control or operate automatically

Synonyms: 自動化

3. 自動化 自動制御または操作を達成させるのに使用される装置

Automation equipment used to achieve automatic control or operation

Synonyms: 自動化

4. 自動化 自動的に操作または制御される状態

Automation the condition of being automatically operated or controlled

Synonyms: 自動化

5. 自動化 通常電子ハードウェアを含むこと

Automation usually involving electronic hardware

Synonyms: 機械化, 自動化

https://www.tanoshiijapanese.com/dictionary/entry_details.cfm?entry_id=30456&element_id=41599

kikai (Japanese)

Romanization

kikai

Romaji transcription of きかい


This is the meaning of きかい:


きかい (Japanese)

Noun

きかい

機会: opportunity

機械, 器械: machine

奇怪: strange, mysterious

棋界: the shogi world


https://www.wordsense.eu/kikai/


自動化, 自働化, じどうか

jidōka


Definition:  automation


Related Kanji

oneself

move, motion, change, confusion, shift, shake

change, take the form of, influence, enchant, delude, -ization

work, (kokuji)

https://nihongomaster.com/japanese/dictionary/word/30387/jidouka


自働化


Meaning of 自働化 in Japanese

It seems that your search contains the follows:

自  働化


Definition of 自働化

じどうかjidouka  【 自動化 ·自働化 】自動化働 Kanji Details

(n, vs) automation

http://www.romajidesu.com/dictionary/meaning-of-%E8%87%AA%E5%83%8D%E5%8C%96.html



Automation of Operations in Flow Process Chart









MACHINE EFFORT INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING - Neglected Component of Industrial Engineering of F.W. Taylor.

"Through this lowering of the selling price the whole public, the buyer and user, of the joint product of the labor and machinery have profited by getting what they buy cheaper." - Taylor in Testimony.

Note products of industrial establishments are the joint product of the labor and machinery.

Celebrate the birthday of F.W. Taylor in your Industrial Engineering Department and Company. Share what you are implementing in your company from Taylor's Ideas.


Birthday of F.W. Taylor 20th March. Modern Industrial Engineering March  2026 Issue - Taylor Month of IE - Contribution of F.W. Taylor to Industrial Engineering and Productivity Management - Implemented and Neglected
Access Essays on F.W. Taylor's Writing - Belt Drive Design, Productivity System and Section, Shop Management, Productivity Science of Machining, and Scientific Management



Updated on 14.1.2025, 10.8.2023,  7.10.2021, 20 May 2021,  3 May 2021

Published on 24 April 2021







Monday, November 10, 2025

5S System - Japanese Work Place Design and Upkeep Principles and Practices (Facilities Industrial Engineering)

New. Popular E-Book on IE,

Introduction to Modern Industrial Engineering.  #FREE #Download.

In 0.1% on Academia.edu. 11600+ Downloads so far.

https://academia.edu/103626052/INTRODUCTION_TO_MODERN_INDUSTRIAL_ENGINEERING_Version_3_0


Online Education/Training Session on "Effective Industrial Engineering and Productivity Management."

I developed an online education/training session on "Effective Industrial Engineering and Productivity Management." I can present the session in one hour, one and half hour or two-hour long sessions. The sessions will be valuable when company industrial engineers and other engineers and managers attend as a group. Industrial engineers require active cooperation and participation of other engineers and managers in their studies and projects. Hence a common presentation and discussion on effectiveness will be very useful.


Supporting Information.

Effective Industrial Engineering - Some Thoughts by Narayana Rao K.V.S.S.

Effective industrial engineering has to satisfy management about the contribution it made to the organization year after year.

The prime contribution of IE has to be cost reduction through productivity improvement.

https://nraoiekc.blogspot.com/2025/07/effective-industrial-engineering-some.html


Online Free Access Handbook of Industrial Engineering includes all modules of IE Online Course Notes.


New:  Industrial Engineering ONLINE Course

Japanese companies are using scientific management and industrial engineering from 1911. In the process of using these subjects developed in USA, Japanese brought in various innovations. 5S is one such innovative method. This method was developed to implement two principles related to efficiency.

Principle: There should be a definite and fixed place for all tools and materials (See Principles of Motion Economy).

Principle:  Layout must facilitate efficiency

The System


5S is a management system  of workplace organization. We can also describe it is work place orderliness or factory or plant orderliness.

In industrial engineering, processes and operations in the processes are popular items for study and improvements. But there are certain areas which are the factory level or complete production system level, which need study and improvement. 5S is the Japanese way of keeping factory and facilities clean and visible. Speed depends on visibility of every tool and accessory being visible and in being in a known place.

5S's constitute the system and in English they are:

Sort
Set in Order
Shine
Standardize
Sustain

Sort is a process of removing every non essential item from the workplace. Some of the examples of non essential items on shopfloors are  tables, benches, cabinets, tools, inventory, cleaning supplies, rags, and documents. All of these extra items do get in the way of efficient production.

Set in Order is the process of organizing the workplace items.  For example, all tools used in a setup on a machine should be placed as close as possible to where they will be used. There should be a place for everything and everything should always be in its place except when it is in the hands of the operator.

Shine is the third “S”. It is the process of cleaning the work area and any machinery or equipment in it. The ideal manufacturing place has to keep the equipment in the same or better shape than when it was handed over to it. Prior to 5S concept, many companies allowed their machinery to deteriorate due to neglect.  Japanese Manufacturing systems, employing the concepts of 5S, TPM (Total Productive Maintenance), and Kaizen, keeps machinery producing the same way or better than the day it was received, even after many years of use.

Standardize is the process of making the first three S’s a habit through standard operating procedures and diagrams. Companies who have not implemented the standardization process, have gone  through cleaning and organizing systems over the years only to see it slip away back to cluttered facility. Standardize is also an important component of the 5S system. For example, if a machine is to be wiped clean at the end of a shift, it should be done every single day without fail and it should be made part of standard work routine of the operator and time has to be allocated in the daily time allotment sheet given to him by the scheduling or dispatching clerk.

Sustain, the last S, is the activity of management whereby it evaluates the work place and takes control actions whenever there are deviations from the standard operating procedures.

Benefits


Implementation of 5S reduces inefficiencies caused by poor housekeeping and organization. 5S facilitates some other initiatives like  quick changing of dies. The order set in place with 5S makes searching and picking tools very efficient and fast. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) must have 5S as a base element for further improvement.

5S is a system that finally enables manufacturers to once and forever maintain a “customer ready” facility at all times.

______________________________________________


10 minute video



_______________________________________________

References



Articles on 5S
Industrial Engineer, August 2009

5S is the little big secret for improving health care, Matt Morrisette, pp.34-38

Morrisette exhorts "Mindset first, action second."

Change requires the mind with four distinct belief systems. The first is called Toppa. In Japanese it means that first step to solve the problem is to be taken to find the solution. The second belief is in kaizen - incremental and continuous improvement. The third is poka yoke. The fourth is houshou. Houshou is recogninzing and rewarding successes and successful persons who achieve something in the right direction.  Morrisette gives the 5S steps as separate, sort, shine, standardize and sustain.
______________________________________________________________________________
Related Posts 

Industrial Engineering - Knols of Narayana Rao K V S S


Updated on 10.11.2025, 5.9.2023, 3.8.2022,  24.5.2022,  3 Sep 2021,  7 August 2021
20 May 2020,  3 June 2019, 17 November 2013

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Taiichi Ohno on Industrial Engineering - Toyota Style Industrial Engineering






TPS is Industrial Engineering System of Toyota Motors.

 Taiichi Ohno on Industrial Engineering 





Taiichi Ohno in Toyota Production System: Beyond Large Scale Production,

Advocating Profit-Making Industrial Engineering  



After World War II, the United States influenced Japan greatly in many ways.

Aggressive Japanese businesses imported and adopted America's high-level production and manufacturing technology. In academia and business, a great number of American business management techniques were also studied and discussed. For example, Japanese businesses carefully studied industrial engineering (IE), a company-wide manufacturing technology directly tied to management that was developed and applied in the United States.

Defining industrial engineering seems to be fairly difficult. When first introduced, it was pointed out that the Toyota production system was method engineering (ME), not IE. Don't be confused over the meanings.

To me, IE is not a partial production technology but rather a total manufacturing technology reaching the whole business organization. In other words, IE is a system and the Toyota production system may be regarded as Toyota style IE.

What is the difference between traditional IE and the Toyota system? In brief, Toyota style IE is mekeru or profitmaking IE, known as MIE. 

Unless IE results in cost reductions and profit increases, I think it is meaningless.

There are various definitions of IE. A former head of the American Steel Workers' Union defined its function as that of entering a plant to improve methods and procedures and to reduce costs. And this is exactly so.

"IE is the use of techniques and systems to improve the method of manufacturing. In scope it: ranges from work simplification to large-scale capital investment plans."'

"IE has two meanings. One aims at improving work methods in the plant or in a particular work activity. The other one means the specialized study of time and action. However, this is the work of a technician. Essentially, an industrial engineer studies systematic approaches to improvements. "

I would like to add a definition from the Society for Advancement of Management (SAM), an organization that succeeded the Taylor Society:

Industrial engineering applies engineering knowledge and techniques for the study, improvement, planning, and iniplementation of the following:

1. method and system,
2. qualitative and quantitative planning and various standards including the various procedures in the organization of work,
3. measuring actual results under the standards and taking suitable actions.

This is all done to exercise better management with special consideration for employee welfare, and it does not restrict business to lowering the cost of improved products and services.'

I have listed various IE definitions, each saying good things, because they are useful references. However, in private business, implementing IE effectively is not easy.

The reason I call Toyota's industrial engineering profitmaking IE is my wish that the Toyota production system born and raised at Toyota Motor Company be comparable or superior to the American IE's business management and manufacturing system.

We are very happy that the Toyota production system has become, as I intended, a company-wide manufacturing technology directly tied to management. And, fortunately, it is extending to the outside cooperating firms as well.



Quotes from Above.


Japanese businesses carefully studied industrial engineering (IE), a company-wide manufacturing technology directly tied to management that was developed and applied in the United States.


When first introduced, it was pointed out that the Toyota production system was method engineering (ME), not IE.


TPS is Industrial Engineering System of Toyota Motors.

IE is a system and the Toyota production system may be regarded as Toyota style IE.


Toyota style IE is mekeru or profitmaking IE, known as MIE. 
Unless IE results in cost reductions and profit increases, I think it is meaningless.


Essentially, an industrial engineer studies systematic approaches to improvements.


It is my wish that the Toyota production system born and raised at Toyota Motor Company be comparable or superior to the American IE's business management and manufacturing system.


Industrial engineering (IE), a company-wide manufacturing technology directly tied to management that was developed and applied in the United States.

We are very happy that the Toyota production system has become, as I intended, a company-wide manufacturing technology directly tied to management.



------------------------

Taiichi Ohno repeats what Taylor said. Improve every element of an operation/process.


Improve machining processes,  install autonomous systems, improve tools,  rearrange machines,  improve  transportation methods. Examine available resources and  the materials at hand for manufacturing. optimize their use.

Prevent the recurrence of defective products, operational mistakes, and accidents, and by incorporate  workers' ideas."  


Toyota Industrial Engineering that is Ohno's Industrial Engineering is improving every element of the process and reducing every delay, defect and machine breakdown (Naryana Rao)


Toyota style Industrial Engineering - Ohno


"We have eliminated waste by examining available resources, rearranging machines, improving machining processes, installing autonomous systems, improving tools, analyzing transportation methods and optimizing the materials at hand for manufacturing. High production efficiency has also been maintained by preventing the recurrence of defective products, operational mistakes, and accidents, and by incorporating workers' ideas." Taiichi Ohno (P. 21)

Source: Taiichi Ohno, Toyota Production System: Beyond Large Scale Production, pp. 21-22.


------------------------

Japanese businesses carefully studied industrial engineering (IE), a company wide manufacturing technology improvement discipline that is directly tied to management.

The success of Toyota in cost reduction, productivity improvement, and international competitiveness and its celebrated Toyota Production System, fulfilled the dream of Yoichi Ueno (that Japan can guide US in improved practices of efficiency improvement). The success of #Toyota and the World Class #TPS was  built on the sustained efforts many Japanese persons who understood Taylor and Gilbreth's writings and improvised them in implementing them in Japanese companies.


Summarized from Taiichi Ohno's Book - Toyota Production System: Beyond Large Scale Production,

IE is not a partial technology improvement discipline but it is a total manufacturing technology improvement discipline reaching the whole organization. Toyota production system utilizes Toyota-style IE.


                    Jun. 17, 2020. Toyota Launches New Model Harrier in Japan                       

What is Toyota style Industrial Engineering?


Toyota style industrial engineering is mokeru or profit-making industrial engineerng (MIE). Unless IE results in cost reductions and profit increases, I (Taiichi Ohno) think it is meaningless.

A former head of the American Steel Workers' Union defined IE's function as that of entering a plant to improve methods and procedures and to reduce costs.

"IE is the use of techniques and systems to improve the method of manufacturing. In scope it ranges from work simplifications to large-scale capital investment plans"

IE aims at improving work methods in the plant or in a particular work activity. An industrial engineer studies systematic approaches to improvements.

Definition of IE according to Society for Advancement of Management (Successor to Taylor Society)


Industrial engineering applies engineering knowledge and techniques for the study, improvement, planning and implementation of the following:

1. Method and system
2. Qualitative and quantitative planning and various standards including the various procedures in the organization of work.
3. Measuring actual results under the standards and taking suitable actions.

This is all done to exercise better management with special consideration for employee welfare, and it does not restrict business to lowering the cost of improved products and services.

Ohno said he included various definitions as each is good description. But he indicated that implementing IE effectively is not easy.

Ohno made a wish that IE as used in Toyota will be superior to the IE used in American Business.

Toyota style Industrial Engineering - Ohno


"We have eliminated waste by examining available resources, rearranging machines, improving machining processes, installing autonomous systems, improving tools, analyzing transportation methods and optimizing the materials at hand for manufacturing. High production efficiency has also been maintained by preventing the recurrence of defective products, operational mistakes, and accidents, and by incorporating workers' ideas." Taiichi Ohno (P. 21)

Source: Taiichi Ohno, Toyota Production System: Beyond Large Scale Production, pp. 71-72.

Japanese Leaders in Efficiency - Productivity Movement - Industrial Engineering.
#IndustrialEngineering #Productivity #CostReduction  #Japanese


Yoichi Ueno - Japanese Leader in Efficiency - Productivity Movement

Rear Admiral Takuo Godo - Productivity Promoter in Japan


Shigeo Shingo - The Japanese Industrial Engineer - Contribution to Industrial Engineering

Taiichi Ohno on Industrial Engineering - Toyota Style Industrial Engineering


Takeshi Kawase - Industrial Engineering - Definition. IE  deals  with the efficiency of systems that include humans.






Updated on 28.5.2025,  10.7.2024, 26 June 2020, 12 November 2013