Decades of Confusion

The world first became aware of TPS (The Toyota Production System) when Taiichi Ohno published a
book about his groundbreaking efforts at Toyota. It was published in Japan in 1978. The Japanese
version of his book wasn’t translated into English until 1988. Since ten years had passed, this
translation did not fully communicate the nuances of Ohno’s vision. The direct translation into
English does not communicate the depth hidden within Ohno’s choice of words. Ohno was very
specific in his use of language. He did this to express to his trainees the intent, sequence, and purpose
of each TPS principle and method. Some important concepts, such as The Spirit of Kaizen, were not
even mentioned in his original book. I am here to communicate what has been lost in translation
based on a number of unpublished lessons from Taiichi Ohno and what I have learned from those who
have continued to evolve TPS beyond Toyota after 1979. (More on the TPS beyond Toyota)

For example, Kaizen was loosely translated as “continuous improvement” since there was no
explanation in Ohno’s original text. It has never been accurately addressed, and for this many
organizations are struggling to initiate and sustain a Lean culture, as they could not develop
leadership based on the Kaizen mind-set. When we look at the original Japanese characters
alone, Kaizenhas a deeper meaning as intended by Taiichi Ohno. In fact, Ohno often used the
Japanese word “Kairyo” to describe continuous improvement that mainly focuses on physical
improvements to processes, technology, and machines through monetary investment. However,
Kaizen is not about making physical improvements. Kaizen is about changing one’s behaviors in order
to benefit others. It is a state of mind. In 1990, the year he passed away, Ohno defined Kaizen as the
“Spirit of Toyota.” We can see, even from this one example, that looking deeper into the original
meaning of each Japanese word that Ohno intentionally used to create awareness will guide us out of
confusion, arguments, and everything else that is holding us back from achieving the results that
Ohno proved were possible. (More on Redefining Kaizen)

Back to the Basics of the TPS House: The Roots of Jidōka

The concept of Jidōka as it is generally understood was extremely important for Toyota early in its
history when they made automated looms. Today, the Jidōka concept is most apparent in how Toyota
Motor Corp. has applied it to their final assembly line where anyone can stop the entire production
line upon discovering a defect.

But how good is the production line if it continues to create defects? The ideal state is for the line to
never have to stop. The real question is how we can eliminate the root cause of why people or
machines produce such defects in place? How can we ensure the production line never has to stop? At
a Toyota investors meeting in 2015, President Akio Toyoda said, “If workers know they have the ability
to stop the line, they will do everything they can to avoid having to stop the line.” Instead of simply
responding to defects, Jidōka also teaches us not to create those defects in the first place. The deeper
meaning of Jidōka 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.

It is now common knowledge that TPS has two pillars: Just-in-Time and Jidōka. Many Lean guides
talk about the Japanese Kanji (characters borrowed from the Chinese alphabet) that are used to write
Jidoka （自働化）They explain how the symbol “dō 働” means humans assisting machines when
defects are found. “Ji-Dō-Ka” is therefore translated as “automation with a human touch.” If we look
deeper into this symbol, we will see many more important lessons beyond just autonomation.

“Ji-Dō-Ka” surely is a methodology applied to automated machines that are mostly independent
manual work. Ohno taught us that improvement to machines must be kept as the last stage and we
first need to focus on improving our mindsets, value streams processes that we have much more
control over. Therefore, we must look deeper into the original meaning of the word “dō” 働 as it
provides context, not only for but also for people’s daily work.

Ohno’s well-known practice was always to go to Gemba (the actual place of work) and observe people
working. He taught people to call all motion that adds value to products “truly working.” Motion that
is not adding value is simply called “moving around.” By clearly separating the use of these symbols,
he taught trainees how to tell the difference between non-value-added work and value-added work by
creating awareness of that difference with his creative use of spelling. In this way, he shows us that the
most effective approach is to eliminate unnecessary “moving around (動) ” and create “true work (働)”
with the full participation of the shop floor as the first step. He did so to teach this basic principle to as
many people as possible and get them engaged in the process of making small changes through which
the right Kaizen mindset will evolve.

Misunderstood Lean: Baka-yoke VS Poka-yoke

There are two types of people on the shop floor. One type simply forgets by not paying full attention
and makes avoidable errors. These people are called “Poka.” The other type of person does not have
the ability to prevent errors from happening. These people make every effort to prevent errors but still
make unavoidable errors based on their ability or technical limitations as humans. This type of
performance is put into the “Baka” category in the sense that the standard is beyond people’s human
ability, as opposed to “Poka” people who have the ability but are actively disengaged.

Ohno clearly taught that "Poka" people are the worst type of workers that a company can have: people
who are actively disengaged in their own tasks. This should encourage leaders to prepare a specific
type of training for "Poka" people to make sure that they will pay full attention to the work at hand.
Meanwhile, Poka-yoke ensures that errors will not occur while people are disengaged. In contrast,
"Baka" people are those who need support from leadership so that they will continue to learn and
grow without blaming themselves for honest errors they made in the past. They will need support in
the form of Baka-yoke, such as simple jigs, sensors mechanical so that they can continue to perform
quality work. As well, machines will not intentionally choose to make errors due to a lack of attention
like humans do. Therefore, error-proofing devices for machines are typically called “Baka-yoke”
instead of “Poka-yoke.” It is so important for us to understand what the problem is and implement
appropriate types of error-proofing mechanisms.
Lean Arguments Clarified by Ohno’s Use of Japanese Spelling

Where Should We Start: PDCA or CAPD?

With all the different approaches to Lean, many people and organizations are left wondering where
they should even begin. Take the PDCA cycle for example. The PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act) is
one of the most widely known and utilized approaches to process improvement. At first glance, this
makes the starting place for improvement seem obvious. If PDCA starts with Plan, then you would
assume that planning is the starting point of the cycle, but it is not that simple. Ohno took the
acronym PDCA from Deming’s improvement cycle, but he decided that the PDCA cycle should start
with checking. This is apparent in his process of developing standard work. Let’s look at how Ohno
taught the process of developing “standard work” in Japanese.

“Standard work” can be written in two different ways in Japanese. Each spelling refers to a different
process within the PDCA cycle. Both types of standard work are pronounced the same way: “hyōjun
sagyō.” But the sound “hyō” can be written either with a symbol that means “surface” or a symbol that
means “target.” The target standard work is the only version that is typically translated into English
and refers to the importance of formulating best practices and procedures. This is the definition that is
well known in the Lean community. But how do we reach this target?

Ohno’s original use of language shows that we must first focus on the other translation of standard
work, which is to “surface” facts (current state) without judgment or biases to get a clear picture of
reality. This signifies that the C in PDCA (Check) is the starting point. Of course, it is a cycle after all,
so there will be no “beginning” and “end” once it really gets rolling continuously. However, if Planning
is done before the preliminary checking stage, improvements will be and the PDCA cycle will generate
limited results. How much time and resources do you spend on clearly understanding the current
state before jumping into a PDCA cycle? Many organizations I have dealt with haven’t done this
enough and struggle to get results even though they are going through the PDCA cycle. Ohno has
always provided us with an answer to overcome this challenge by using this particular spelling
(surface) in his training and his writing. He asserted that clearly understanding the current state and
developing consensus is the most important step in organizational transformation.
The Lost Basics of Muda

Everyone knows that Lean is about identifying and eliminating waste. But what is ? A lot of effort goes
into defining waste, and there are a number of different ways to categorize it (7 Wastes, 5MQS, 3
Mu’s) and variations of them (8 Wastes, and so on). In the effort to decide which waste to focus on,
many people overlook the context of the word “waste” itself. The Japanese word “ ” simply means
waste. But waste can vary greatly in type and scope. Once again, Ohno communicated this variation by
changing the spelling but not the pronunciation. Unlike the previous example of “Jidōka,” in which
the difference is communicated by swapping kanji (symbols that have both a meaning and
pronunciation), " is spelled using one of two phonetic alphabets (Japanese has three alphabets). If
“Muda ” is spelled in the katakana alphabet (ムダ) it refers to waste within or around a process. If it is
spelled with the hiragana alphabet (むだ), then it means a whole process that is wasteful begin with,
either because it is unnecessary or has become unnecessary through improvements to the value
stream. It is very helpful to be able to communicate the scope of waste this way so that we don’t spend
time and effort improving processes that should not exist at all. With this in mind, we need to focus on
eliminating waste that exists in necessary processes that we can see with our own eyes.

The True Intent of “Eliminating” Waste

There are several Japanese words that translate to mean, “eliminate” or “remove.” Taiichi Ohno chose
one specific word to describe what it really takes to eliminate waste. That word is “ .” This is a very
strong word. It means not only to remove but also to cast out and disown the root cause. It’s not just
about getting rid of waste on the surface. It is about asking hard questions to identify the root cause of
waste and abolishing it so it never comes back. This is the difference between shortsighted
improvement activity and the real TPS approach. It is not enough to solve problems here and there.
You must be dedicated to abolishing all waste from your workplace and your life. Here Ohno does it
again by meticulously pinpointing specific spelling to communicate the secret to success. We must all
go back to the basics and re-examine his exact phrasing in his original text to find the missing
answers.

Where are the Results? Where is the Resistance Coming From?

Labor Saving VS Flexible Workers

Many organizations complain that they “implemented Lean” and have not experienced the “savings”
and “efficiency” they expected. But the language they use to describe Lean tends to show that they had
the wrong expectations and goals in the first place. Instead of “savings” and “ they need to be focusing
on “flexibility” and “vitality.” Using the word “Lean” to describe the techniques developed at Toyota
only came into practice when people tried to spread these techniques internationally. This is where the
fixation on “saving” typically comes from. Using phrasing such as “labor saving” has a big and often
negative effect on how people react to Lean. People take “labor saving” to mean job cutting. Instead of
looking forward to self-development through work, people fear they will be criticized. The term that
Ohno developed with Hitoshi Yamada upon leaving Toyota is a much better way to describe a Lean
workforce. Instead of traditional TPS where takt time is often fixed and they focus on reducing the
required manpower to improve efficiency, Ohno’s focus shifted to providing the workforce with
flexibility and ownership to better match cycle time to customer demands, particularly in high
mix/low volume production line. The word Ohno and Yamada used is “katsu-jin” which translates to
“flexible people.” The word “katsu” doesn't mean savings; it means vitality. Here, the point is clear
that people are not a liability; they are assets that must be developed to their full potential. The word
“katsu” promises the ultimate goal of Lean transformation and emphasizes the importance of Respect
for People in the right context. (More on Respect For People)

Importance of Rediscovering Lean from the Source

These are just a few examples of Ohno’s ideas that have not received enough attention. Revisiting
Ohno’s original text and learning from his evolution of TPS beyond Toyota will deliver Ohno’s wisdom
to your organization. Many organizations that I work with have been able to achieve great success by
re-discovering each Lean method and mindset for themselves.
I re-translated each of the topics in this article based on my experience coaching others and training
with Sensei Hitoshi Yamada to learn Ohno’s method in its purest form. Each concept forms a part of
Kaizen culture, and yet each carries many deep meanings of its own. We should always look beyond
simple definitions and translations, and we should never take our current assumptions for granted.
We must seek our own knowledge in order to find improvements our own lives and the lives of those
around us.

Photo: So many of my clients study in Japan to re-discover Lean and Kaizen as Ohno intended.
(More on my connection to Hitoshi Yamada and Taiichi Ohno)