In this case study, the following questions are addressed:
1) As Doug Friesen, what would you do to address the seat problem? Where would you focus your attention and solution efforts? What options exist? What would you recommend? Why?
2) Where, if anywhere, does the current routine for handl...
Operations Management WS 22/23
Case Study: Toyota Manufacturing Company
Question 1: As Doug Friesen, what would you do to address the seat problem? Where
would you focus your attention and solution efforts? What options exist? What would
you recommend? Why?
What would you do to address the seat problem?
At Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc. (T.M.M.), the quality of seats has been deteri-
orating because of the company's Just-In-Time policy. This has led to problems such as
the delivery of faulty seats and issues with replacing defective ones. To resolve these is-
sues, some proposed solutions include reducing the number of seat variants and waiting
to customize colours until after quality checks have been completed. These changes would
help to improve seat quality management and align it more closely with T.M.M.'s goals.
As Doug Friesen, I would first analyse the root cause of the seat problem by conducting a
thorough investigation and gathering data on the issue. This may include looking at cus-
tomer complaints, warranty data, and production records.
Where would you focus your attention and solution efforts?
I would focus my solution efforts on addressing the root cause of the problem. This may
involve improving the design of the seat, implementing new manufacturing processes, or
collaborating with suppliers to improve the quality of materials used.
To ensure that seat quality meets Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U.S.A.'s standards, quality
control measures should be implemented either at the outbound stage of KFS or at the
inbound stage of T.M.M. When defects are identified in seats on the assembly line, they
should be promptly moved to the Code 1 Clinic Area for evaluation and repair. This ap-
proach aligns with the Jidoka concept of promptly addressing problems as they arise. New
communication tools for the cars and their corresponding parts should be equipped with
software capable of tracking the respective parts and the production progress. This can
be solved, for example, using barcodes or RFID.
Additionally, implementing Just-In-Time techniques in the Code 1 Clinic Area can mini-
mize delays during the rework process. TMM should also conduct checks on special deliv-
eries to confirm proper assembly of seats at the inbound stage.
What options exist?
To address the seat problem, Toyota Manufacturing has several options. One solution is
to diversify its seat suppliers by adding more vendors or working with multiple suppliers.
This way, the suppliers can compete to produce high quality seats and Toyota Manufac-
turing will not be reliant on a single supplier. Alternatively, Toyota Manufacturing can
establish a quality inspection team to monitor seat quality from the supplier's site,
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