This is what Shingo San has talked about and some of the learnings that I have taken with me. I am only putting them in as notes. When my sessions with Shingo San are finished I will try to sum up and maybe create some pictures and make the order more logical. But still I want you guys to be able to see what I have learned and what Shingo Sensei is teaching me.
Leaders and Leadership
Leaders should challenge and take responsibility.
A Joint venture in China expected a target of reaching black numbers on the bottom line in 5 years, The Toyota target is 3 years but Shingo San put up a target of getting black numbers the same year. The management said that they didn't want to be responsible for this target. Maybe they could do it in three years but in one year - no way! So Shingo San said: "No, don't worry! I will take the responsibility! You just sell all you can!"
So Shingo San began selling vehicles (Coaster) during the week days. But then he was told that this was not a feasible solution - because then people couldn't get hold of him to make decisions etc. He then asked if it was ok that he went out selling in weekends? He was told: "that is ok". So he went out selling in weekends. That together with showing his back through spending less money (on company car, furniture etc.) made it possible to reach the target. Needless to see it was not only the spending of Shingo San and the extra effort he put in selling but his people copied his thinking spending less money and thus reducing the cost.
Getting black numbers in one year was never done before in a foreign country - maybe even in Toyota itself. But through challenging his organization and taking responsibility he realized an almost impossible target. Even in HQ in Japan and his leader (Mr. Toyota) didn't believe he could do it - but he did!
The learning here is that a Leader should not give up and keep working on reaching the target and allways follow up and if the current activities are not working then plan for and execute other activities.
Gembaism
Gembaism is the thinking that you have to go to the Gemba to get the facts, i.e. Genchi Genbutsu. If you don't grasp the facts you can't find the real problem. This is Gemabism.
When Shingo San was President of the Sichuan plant (production of the coaster vehicles) they experienced a very serious problem with broken shafts.
Shingo San called Toyota in Japan for help. The Quality Manager says yes and asks him to please invite the shaft suppler, department for assembly of the shaft, the axel suppiler, your quality and purchasing people to the factory.
To which Shingo San responded: "but I am a trained Toyota Manager and you are a trained Toyota Manager and you want us to go to the factory?! No! Where is the Gemba? The gemba is at the second tier supplier: the shaft supplier". So the Quality Manager met with Shingo San at the airport and they went for a 5 hour drive to the supplier. They found out what the problem was and fixed it.
The Quality Manager did not understand what the Gemba was and where it were. The Gemba is the place where actual things are happening!
Go & See people says but Shingo San says: "no, no Go and watch and observe (at least half an hour) or more if needed. Untill you grasp the facts".
Bulit In Quality
Originally the two pillars of Toyota was "Just In Time" and "Built in Quality" - now its called "Jidoka". This is a mistake according to Shingo San. It should be "Built In Quality at the source". According to Shingo San Jidoka has nothing to do with Built In Quality.
Quality should be built in by the operator with the right processes. And through helping tools like Poka Yoke. The operator should stop the process and fix problem.
Jidoka is: machine detect the problem, the machine has stopped, machine signals the operator that machine has stopped (detect, stop, signal). But that does not built in the quality it just stops a defect from moving further down the line.
Visual Management
Visual Management (Mieruka). Visual Management let people think about the quality and production volume etc.. You need to visualize the key elements. If not, nobody knows what is going on and they dont think. The Visual Management is there to make people think and act according to the signal that the Visual Management gives them.
4S - not 5S or 6S
According to Shingo San Toyota only uses 4S. Those four S's are: Seri, Seiton, Seiso and Seiketsu.
Seiri: You need rules for throwing away things. You need to have a date for entry and when its going to be used. Otherwise you will have components or parts lying around for a long time.
Once Shingo San visited a plant and they were looking at the warehouse and he found some big weird looking components filled with dust and dirt. So he asks the managers of the plant: "What is this?" To which the President resonds: "Ah, those are some components for a line we never built!" Shingo San says: "Why do you keep them if the line is not running? Why don't you throw them out?" The president says: "Because maybe one day we will built the line and then it would be good to have those components". Shingo San then says: "If in the future somebody discovers this plant and it doesn't exist anymore then when they find those parts covered in dust and dirt they will think: "Oh, these must be Dinosaur Bones. No, no good we must throw it out".
Seiton: How quickly and smoothly you can pick up things? The Seiton should make it easy and quickly to find and pick the things you need. No searching or lifting stuff to get what you need.
At a plant Shingo San discovered toilet paper in the receiving area! And when he asked why this is then the management responded that they couldn't find another place for it. There were boxes and boxes of toilet paper. The problem is that when the toilet paper fills up the receiving area then other necessary things can not be there or has to be placed in an akward place.
To investigate further and grasp the facts Shingo San visited the toilets and opened the toilet doors and in each toilet he discovered 20 rolls of toilet papaer. He then asks the management how long the leadtime for replenishment of toilet paper is and he gets the answer that they get the toilet paper in a few days. Shingo San then gets the planning people and show them the problem at the Gemba and tell them to correct the replenishment point.
You should always look at the time for replenishing the product, part, component etc. and then decide how much you need.
Another example was when was at an elevator plant and then he sees a lot of blankets. So he asks the President why there are so many blankets and if it is used in the production. The President tells him that when you buy panels for the elevators they come with a blanket around them to protect them and that they keep them.
Shingo San then says:"It looks like homeless people come every day to get blankets". Shingo San says: "Please tell all the homeless people to stop coming to the plant because we will stop saving blankets for them."
If you have parts, components etc. laying for more than half a year - a year please return to the supplier.
You should bring the planning people to the Gemba so they can see what gives them problems. You should not postpone this action - go and get them immidiately because it is now that you see the problem.
Another thing that Shingo San makes sure is working under Seiton is the FIFO (First In-First Out) to make sure that the oldest things is used first and do not pile inventory to the ceiling. In Toyota they never pile up things so that you can not see what is going on.
Seiso: Keep the working areas clean. Working clothes should be clean. Make sure there is enough light! Darkness hides the problems.
Seiketsu: Clean the working place and keep the working area clean (air, dust etc.)
Those are the 4 S's that Shingo San uses.
Problem Solving
In the Problem Solving methodology that Shingo San uses and was taught there are 5 steps:
1) Grasping fact
When you do problem solving the first thing you need to do is grasping the facts. Always grasp the facts.
Facts can be divided in two:
A) Non fact (what you imagine or think etc.) These are all assumptions. You don't really know! You have to see for yourself.
B) Real facts
Real facts can be divided in two as well:
B) Fact - Related fact
- Unrelated fact
Only the related facts should be considered. You have to decide and find out what the related facts are.
2) Problem finding
You will find the problem from the facts. If you dont grasp the fact you will not find the problem. Without a standard you can not find the problem.
An example could be if your standard is that you produce 200 pcs. pr. day but then suddenly you produce 400 pcs. Then you have to discover the problem (the deviation from the standard). It could be that your standard is not proper or perhaps you have added too many people. No matter what you have to find out how the deviation arose.
2a) How to choose the right problem?
To find out which problem is more important and that needs solving you should try to think about the seriousness. He tells a story about two fires: one small and one very big. At first you would think that the big fire should be put out first but what if that fire was in the desert? And what if the small fire could light a rod of dynamite? Then the small fire is more important. Another way to look at it is by adding a time perspective and see which fire is most important.
The key to finding the most serious fire or problem is asking this question: if you leave it what will happen ? If you leave the problem alone and you think that this might become an issue in some months or whatever then this is not the important problem. But if you find that this might explode in our faces then you have found the most serious problem.
If we add the time perspective and think about what will happen if we leave it be then you will find the most important problem (most serious problem).
If a Purchasing Manager experiences with supplier A) a small missed supply of 4-5 parts and with suppkier B) a missed supply of 1.000 parts to supply. At Toyota you first ask what is the Stock. You discover that the supply of the A supplier is almost out of stock and that on the supply from the B supplier we still have a lot in stock. Then we should go to A supplier to get a small amount of pieces because if not the line stops.
As Shingo San says: "At Toyota we have a line stop system but we dont like it when the line stops"
3) Cause analysis - 5 whys
Through the fact finding you will find the problem and from that you can do a cause analysis. When you have the problem you ask why 5 times or how many times is necessary to get to the cause of the problem.
A Fact has two faces: cause and result and it's a chain of facts in this way the result of the first fact becomes the cause of the second fact etc.
4) Counter Measure
Counter measures are put in two categories:
A) temporary measure
B) Permanent measure
You pick up 1 or 2 causes and write up a countermeasure - always remember to build a schedule (PDCA) - you should always have more steps if a countermeasure is big.
5) Implementation
Execute the implementation plan, follow up on the results and celebrate.
How to get the improvement cycle moving?
You should use Quality Control Circles. Give the team a name. When they solve the problem they report to Top managment. Shingo San says "Please give rewards, piece of paper, like a dinner party, I dont like money because then there is a tendency to that people only want the money. It should be something small because improvment is the peoples responsibility". To increase competetion and creativity the QC Circles compete on the plant level, between plants and even between countrys. Then the best QC Circles are selected and they present the results before the Top management.
If the team is too smal you don't get as may ideas. 1-2 people only have four eyes, it is better with 5 people which gives 10 eyes. You select one specific leader for the QC Circle for one year. If the QC Circle is not working you can reshuffle the team members. The best size of the QC Circle is between 5-10 people.
These are my learnings and what Shingo San has been teaching me these last few sessions.
