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Taiichi Ohnos Workplace Management: Special 100th Birthday Edition
COMMEMORATING THE 100th BIRTHDAY OF TAIICHI OHNO Businesses worldwide are successfully implementing the Toyota Production System to speed up processes, reduce waste, improve quality, and cut costs. While there is widespread adoption of TPS, there is still much to be learned about its fundamental principles.
This unique volume delivers a clear, concise overview of the Toyota Production System and kaizen in the very words of the architect of both of these movements, Taiicho Ohno, published to mark what would have been his 100th birthday. Filled with insightful new commentary from global quality visionaries, "Taiichi Ohno's Workplace Management" is a classic that shows how Toyota managers were taught to think.
Based on a series of interviews with Ohno himself, this timeless work is a tribute to his genius and to the core values that have made, and continue to make, Toyota one of the most successful manufacturers in the world.
"Whatever name you may give our system, there are parts of it that are so far removed from generally accepted ideas (common sense) that if you do it only half way, it can actually make things worse."
"If you are going to do TPS you must do it all the way. You also need to change the way you think. You need to change how you look at things." -- Taiichi Ohno
""This book brings to us Taiichi Ohno's philosophy of workplace management--the thinking behind the Toyota Production System. I personally get a thrill down my spine to read these thoughts in Ohno's own words."" -- Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Director, Japan Technology Management Program, University of Michigan, and Author, The Toyota Way
Based on a series of interviews with Taiicho Ohno, this unique volume delivers a clear, concise overview of the Toyota Production System and kaizen in the very words of the architect of both of these movements, published to mark what would have been his 100th birthday.
INCLUDES INSIGHTFUL NEW COMMENTARY FROM:
Fujio Cho, Chairman of Toyota Corporation
Masaaki Imai, Founder of the Kaizen Institute
Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Director, Japan Technology Management Program, University of Michigan, and author
John Shook, Chairman and CEO of the Lean Enterprise Institute
Bob Emiliani, Professor, School of Engineering and Technology, Connecticut State University
Jon Miller, CEO of the Kaizen Institute
This unique volume delivers a clear, concise overview of the Toyota Production System and kaizen in the very words of the architect of both of these movements, Taiicho Ohno, published to mark what would have been his 100th birthday. Filled with insightful new commentary from global quality visionaries, "Taiichi Ohno's Workplace Management" is a classic that shows how Toyota managers were taught to think.
Based on a series of interviews with Ohno himself, this timeless work is a tribute to his genius and to the core values that have made, and continue to make, Toyota one of the most successful manufacturers in the world.
"Whatever name you may give our system, there are parts of it that are so far removed from generally accepted ideas (common sense) that if you do it only half way, it can actually make things worse."
"If you are going to do TPS you must do it all the way. You also need to change the way you think. You need to change how you look at things." -- Taiichi Ohno
""This book brings to us Taiichi Ohno's philosophy of workplace management--the thinking behind the Toyota Production System. I personally get a thrill down my spine to read these thoughts in Ohno's own words."" -- Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Director, Japan Technology Management Program, University of Michigan, and Author, The Toyota Way
Based on a series of interviews with Taiicho Ohno, this unique volume delivers a clear, concise overview of the Toyota Production System and kaizen in the very words of the architect of both of these movements, published to mark what would have been his 100th birthday.
INCLUDES INSIGHTFUL NEW COMMENTARY FROM:
Fujio Cho, Chairman of Toyota Corporation
Masaaki Imai, Founder of the Kaizen Institute
Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Director, Japan Technology Management Program, University of Michigan, and author
John Shook, Chairman and CEO of the Lean Enterprise Institute
Bob Emiliani, Professor, School of Engineering and Technology, Connecticut State University
Jon Miller, CEO of the Kaizen Institute
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
60 people are currently reading
812 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 12, 2013
Taichi Ohno comes off like such an arrogant jerk. Some of the things he says to employees border on abusive. Having said that, there is something about reading his boiled-down, harsh directives and commentaries. I may take some of those concepts and turn them into teachings that are less cruel. Definitely a book worth reading (borrow, don't buy); Taichi Ohno may not be long on "respect for people" but he has a lot of wisdom and imparts some in this book.
March 5, 2017
This was the perfect book to read on a long flight. The chapters are short but intense. You can read a chapter or two and then sit back close your eyes and reflect on the wisdom you just read. If blogging was in fashion during Ohno’s time, I think he could have been one of the original business bloggers. Think of this book as a collection of stand-alone blogs. Each chapter is 3-4 pages. The translation does not flow perfectly, but like Jon Miller discusses in the Afterword the Japanese language is complicated, a smooth English translation isn’t always possible. Also each chapter does not lead directly into another. Again in the Afterward it was explained that this book wasn’t meant to go from chapter to chapter perfectly but rather to be a collection of interviews and wisdom.
Be warned, Workplace Management is definitely not “introductory” lean reading and would not be a good choice for someone with little or no background in the topics. It really digs to the core of how Ohno drove operational excellence within Toyota. Time for reflection is a critical piece to truly absorbing the material. One reading was sufficient for me. I discuss at the end my intentions for using this book in my continued learning.
For me, the biggest take away from this book is how Ohno separates and prioritizes kaizen. My early learning I was taught that “kaizen was kaizen”. Any improvement was good improvement. Ohno discusses three specific types of kaizen…Manual Work, Equipment and Process Kaizen. His key point is that manual work kaizen is ALWAYS the first place to start. Equipment and Process kaizen have a place, but not until manual work improvement is well established.
A second takeaway is counter-intuitive to much of my learning and that is not to worry about the categorizing waste. In one of the sections Ohno discusses how more modern books have focused on identifying and reducing the 7 wastes. He makes it clear that classifying and categorizing waste for the sake of doing it is not worthwhile. To briefly paraphrase the Master, anything that adds cost without adding value should be eliminated….period. Don’t worry if it’s motions or waiting or whatever. Experiment..improve..repeat!
What surprised me the most was Ohno’s approach to management. Toyota with its well established philosophy of respect for humanity/people I was surprised that Ohno actually encourages “scolding” managers. Not only that but scolding them at the gemba. This is contrary to so much of today’s leadership training. Modern wisdom says not to “scold” but to coach these people off line. His argument is that workers want to see support. When something isn’t right workers need to see management addressing it swiftly and with vigor. Having held middle level management positions I can see how Ohno must have been difficult to work with. But in other chapters, he says when you are wrong, no matter what your rank or title, admit it swiftly and sincerely.
Another lesser surprise is a modern Lean Myth debunked. It is well documented in many of the original Japanese translated books from authors such as Ohno-san and Shingo-san, kaizen IS about reducing costs. I have great respect for many of today’s lean bloggers and podcast hosts who discuss that you focus on the process and the costs will follow. Ohno is clear, we do improvement not for improvement’s sake we do it to reduce costs.
I loved this entire book, but my absolute favorite part was not originally included in the first edition…in the Afterward there is a section called The Sayings of Ohno. These 4-5 pages have single sentence quotes on specific topics. I know that quotes alone don’t paint the entire picture, but they continue to paint the picture of what Ohno created.
In summary, I plan on using this book in the future a little differently - Not to read cover to cover as I did this time at 30,000 feet, but to read a single chapter a week and to deeply reflect on that chapter throughout the week. Since format of this book is that each chapter is short and is a stand-alone piece of work I think this is very feasible and could add a lot of value to my continued learning.
Be warned, Workplace Management is definitely not “introductory” lean reading and would not be a good choice for someone with little or no background in the topics. It really digs to the core of how Ohno drove operational excellence within Toyota. Time for reflection is a critical piece to truly absorbing the material. One reading was sufficient for me. I discuss at the end my intentions for using this book in my continued learning.
For me, the biggest take away from this book is how Ohno separates and prioritizes kaizen. My early learning I was taught that “kaizen was kaizen”. Any improvement was good improvement. Ohno discusses three specific types of kaizen…Manual Work, Equipment and Process Kaizen. His key point is that manual work kaizen is ALWAYS the first place to start. Equipment and Process kaizen have a place, but not until manual work improvement is well established.
A second takeaway is counter-intuitive to much of my learning and that is not to worry about the categorizing waste. In one of the sections Ohno discusses how more modern books have focused on identifying and reducing the 7 wastes. He makes it clear that classifying and categorizing waste for the sake of doing it is not worthwhile. To briefly paraphrase the Master, anything that adds cost without adding value should be eliminated….period. Don’t worry if it’s motions or waiting or whatever. Experiment..improve..repeat!
What surprised me the most was Ohno’s approach to management. Toyota with its well established philosophy of respect for humanity/people I was surprised that Ohno actually encourages “scolding” managers. Not only that but scolding them at the gemba. This is contrary to so much of today’s leadership training. Modern wisdom says not to “scold” but to coach these people off line. His argument is that workers want to see support. When something isn’t right workers need to see management addressing it swiftly and with vigor. Having held middle level management positions I can see how Ohno must have been difficult to work with. But in other chapters, he says when you are wrong, no matter what your rank or title, admit it swiftly and sincerely.
Another lesser surprise is a modern Lean Myth debunked. It is well documented in many of the original Japanese translated books from authors such as Ohno-san and Shingo-san, kaizen IS about reducing costs. I have great respect for many of today’s lean bloggers and podcast hosts who discuss that you focus on the process and the costs will follow. Ohno is clear, we do improvement not for improvement’s sake we do it to reduce costs.
I loved this entire book, but my absolute favorite part was not originally included in the first edition…in the Afterward there is a section called The Sayings of Ohno. These 4-5 pages have single sentence quotes on specific topics. I know that quotes alone don’t paint the entire picture, but they continue to paint the picture of what Ohno created.
In summary, I plan on using this book in the future a little differently - Not to read cover to cover as I did this time at 30,000 feet, but to read a single chapter a week and to deeply reflect on that chapter throughout the week. Since format of this book is that each chapter is short and is a stand-alone piece of work I think this is very feasible and could add a lot of value to my continued learning.
October 12, 2016
Good conceptions.
June 25, 2024
Excellent overview of the philosophy of the Toyota Production System. Some of the ideas in this book really challenged some of my worldviews; one of Ohno's central points is that things that work on paper don't always work in practice, which should make sense to me as a student of physics and medicine but somehow still took a while for me to wrap my mind around.
In general, Ohno's approach to quality improvement and process investigation/experimentation should be adopted in medicine (though perhaps not the Toyota Production System itself). A few principles in particular jump out at me for this: 1) the shortest time should be the standard time --> applied to medicine, the best care should be the standard care (not the standard *of care in some guideline, but the care the patient actually receives), the best outcome should be the standard outcome, normal limits should be defined as an exceptionally healthy standard (the argument against this would be that if treatment would not be recommended, then why define something as abnormal in the first place, but I would contend that treatment recommendations are a separate issue, and it may be useful to catalog all of a patient's barely abnormal findings, on the off chance that, considered together, they represent an actionable clinical picture); 2) defects are not work --> applied to medicine, the classic first do no harm... if only we did a better job of this (extraordinary measures should be taken to ensure that all treatments that reach the patient benefit the patient more than they harm the patient and that no mistakes reach the patient); and 3) stop the line --> applied to medicine, there should be ways for everyone involved in a patient's care (incl the pt) to stop any process if they don't feel comfortable or feel like a mistake is about to be made (one might say we already have this, but many patients don't feel empowered to stop things when they feel uncomfortable, and it may help to explicitly empower them, for example with a physical button).
In general, Ohno's approach to quality improvement and process investigation/experimentation should be adopted in medicine (though perhaps not the Toyota Production System itself). A few principles in particular jump out at me for this: 1) the shortest time should be the standard time --> applied to medicine, the best care should be the standard care (not the standard *of care in some guideline, but the care the patient actually receives), the best outcome should be the standard outcome, normal limits should be defined as an exceptionally healthy standard (the argument against this would be that if treatment would not be recommended, then why define something as abnormal in the first place, but I would contend that treatment recommendations are a separate issue, and it may be useful to catalog all of a patient's barely abnormal findings, on the off chance that, considered together, they represent an actionable clinical picture); 2) defects are not work --> applied to medicine, the classic first do no harm... if only we did a better job of this (extraordinary measures should be taken to ensure that all treatments that reach the patient benefit the patient more than they harm the patient and that no mistakes reach the patient); and 3) stop the line --> applied to medicine, there should be ways for everyone involved in a patient's care (incl the pt) to stop any process if they don't feel comfortable or feel like a mistake is about to be made (one might say we already have this, but many patients don't feel empowered to stop things when they feel uncomfortable, and it may help to explicitly empower them, for example with a physical button).
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February 4, 2021Lots of people speak about the Toyota Production System or lean manufacturing, but few have taken the time to look at what the originator has to say about it. Taiichi Ohno’s Workplace Management: Special 100th Birthday Edition is his writing about the development of the system, including the thinking that led to its development.
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December 1, 2025
Had to read this for work but I'm still counting it.
Gets five stars from me because this man invented the discipline I currently work in.
Full of insights into modern manufacturing that are just as pertinent today as when they were conceived.
Gets five stars from me because this man invented the discipline I currently work in.
Full of insights into modern manufacturing that are just as pertinent today as when they were conceived.
November 6, 2017
Whether you believe Ohno is the Master, or simply "the guy leading all the other guys", I still consider his works vitally important to understanding the principles of Lean.
January 8, 2020
Very important for TPS knowledge
Crucial to anyone wanting to learn more about TPS tools and mindsets in the workplace. It is a quick knowledge read.
Crucial to anyone wanting to learn more about TPS tools and mindsets in the workplace. It is a quick knowledge read.
March 21, 2020
Loved this! It's a wonderful complement to the (many) books on lean management such as the 5-star "Machine that Changed the World." The first-hand wisdom & storytelling are priceless.
August 7, 2020
Excelente libro para entender más en profundidad la filosofía Kaizen. Recomendando para aquellos que tengan una base en el tema
May 8, 2021
The whole book is about the definition of lean.
May 19, 2021
Få gode pointer.
Men dårlig opsat bog, hvor det er svært at overskue hvad der er væsentligst.
Gammel bog.
Men dårlig opsat bog, hvor det er svært at overskue hvad der er væsentligst.
Gammel bog.
August 8, 2021
Not as good as I expected
October 28, 2022
The author provides an idea on how the Toyota management system came together providing various chapters describing various parts of the system, with some examples and clear explanations on the why.
July 26, 2024
Many wisdom from this book
September 19, 2016
Very philosophical book (more towards the start then it gets more manufacturing specific). It reads very quickly and if you are into the mindset and understand the context it is a joy. There are a couple of things, specially about trying to squeeze employees that might be taken wrongly but I would guess this is mostly because of the context. I would say that the important thing is not take it as gospel as Ohno advocates but use it as a way of finding your own way. I wouldn't read it straight away without some introduction to Lean Manufacturing, Toyota System etc. Some quotes I really enjoyed:
"Perhaps the more a person is an intellectual the more they are prone to misconceptions"
"Openness to admit your own mistakes makes people feel better about trying your ideas and become more willing to cooperate. That is the true power of persuasion"
"Each person should be tenacious when testing their ideas and checking the results until everyone is persuaded that they have found the one better way"
"If your idea fails, then go to see what failed with your own eyes
That way you will see what things were tried and what things were not"
"The ability of people to relate to each other is a significant strength"
"Misconceptions easily turn into common sense"
"Unless we completely change how we think, there is a limit to what we can accomplish by continuing the same thinking"
"The shift to producing higher-value-added products is a typical philosophy of economists"
"The cost that is reduced is the profit that is generated"
"Costs do not exist to be calculated but to be reduced"
"Try methods and see which ones reduce cost"
"If I could predict the future I wouldn't need to come to work. I could make more money betting on horses at the track"
"Perhaps the more a person is an intellectual the more they are prone to misconceptions"
"Openness to admit your own mistakes makes people feel better about trying your ideas and become more willing to cooperate. That is the true power of persuasion"
"Each person should be tenacious when testing their ideas and checking the results until everyone is persuaded that they have found the one better way"
"If your idea fails, then go to see what failed with your own eyes
That way you will see what things were tried and what things were not"
"The ability of people to relate to each other is a significant strength"
"Misconceptions easily turn into common sense"
"Unless we completely change how we think, there is a limit to what we can accomplish by continuing the same thinking"
"The shift to producing higher-value-added products is a typical philosophy of economists"
"The cost that is reduced is the profit that is generated"
"Costs do not exist to be calculated but to be reduced"
"Try methods and see which ones reduce cost"
"If I could predict the future I wouldn't need to come to work. I could make more money betting on horses at the track"
August 13, 2016
While I gave this 5 stars, it is NOT for everyone. I love the gems throughout the book. If someone is looking for formulaic advice, they will be very disappointed. If they follow without processing (repeatedly) the concepts based on their own experiences and knowledge then they will be disappointed. For those who have been working toward a true interaction with employees, and working toward jointly considered solutions, where employees have more say in the HOW (maybe more than the WHAT)... this will be a book FULL of gems based on Tahiichi Ohno's deep and rich experiences. This is a great source of insights. Please do NOT expect it to give you formulas to follow. Do NOT expect it to give even rules to be followed without considering the concepts, etc. Do NOT expect it to be a beginner's tutorial. If you take it for the (somewhat haphazard) list of valuable experiences and lessons learned that you can process and apply as helpful, this will be a gold mine. In my opinion, this great man's presentation is not what I wish it were, but his content (if you do the mental work to see what applies and how) is nothing short of fantastic.
January 20, 2016
In general this is a good book for manufacturing. Since I don't involve much in manufacturing subject, this is a fresh view for me.
The book talks a lot about productivity and cost reduction.
Little from the book can be applied for my kind of business but some are very cool to have a perspective on, especially the ones with leadership lessons.
I especially like the additional part with the timeless quotes:
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought."
"If you are going to do Kaizen continuously… you've got to assume that things are a mess."
"Teaching means to teach something unknown. Training means to repeatedly practice something you know until your body remembers it."
"Let the flow manage the processes, and not let management manage the flow".
"Knowledge is something you buy with the money. Wisdom is something you acquire by doing it."
The book talks a lot about productivity and cost reduction.
Little from the book can be applied for my kind of business but some are very cool to have a perspective on, especially the ones with leadership lessons.
I especially like the additional part with the timeless quotes:
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought."
"If you are going to do Kaizen continuously… you've got to assume that things are a mess."
"Teaching means to teach something unknown. Training means to repeatedly practice something you know until your body remembers it."
"Let the flow manage the processes, and not let management manage the flow".
"Knowledge is something you buy with the money. Wisdom is something you acquire by doing it."
July 6, 2015
A quick and easy read written in a conversational style. I wouldn't consider this an instructional book, but rather a supplement of meaningful lean anecdotes for those already in the practice or who have basic knowledge.
April 2, 2013
Simply stated, because it is first person stories it points out the human side, and humility that is lacking in so many "management" books.
March 23, 2014
Wow
I would recommend anyone in management to read this book. completely changes your way of thinking from start to finish.
I would recommend anyone in management to read this book. completely changes your way of thinking from start to finish.
June 14, 2016
Great book for any manager. A must for anyone who works on the shop floor and manages a team.
September 4, 2015
Ingeniería industrial directamente del arquitecto del TPS. Excelente.
January 31, 2016
Short chapters filled with wisdom. Must read for every Lean practitioner.
July 23, 2017
This is the second book I’ve ready by Taiichi Ohno. I love Ohno’s style. He makes everything sound so simple and clear. You get a sense, quickly, that he is an authority on the topics he discusses. Ohno can write about a concept in a very short amount of words, yet they explain everything. His writing style is as efficient as his improvement systems.
I chose to read Ohno’s books to ground myself in the origins of Lean. I’m glad I did it since it gives me perspective on how the current processes formed. It gives me the original “5 Whys” perhaps. Since he is the standard, I can use it as a baseline for everything else.
I recommend Workplace Management highly. It is a short read packed with a lot of great stuff. If I had to choose, I suppose I think that The Toyota Production System was better. However, I feel like I get a more comprehensive understanding of the man who did so much to shape the future of manufacturing and improvement.
For a full review, please visit my site at https://davemolinari.com/2017/07/13/b....
I chose to read Ohno’s books to ground myself in the origins of Lean. I’m glad I did it since it gives me perspective on how the current processes formed. It gives me the original “5 Whys” perhaps. Since he is the standard, I can use it as a baseline for everything else.
I recommend Workplace Management highly. It is a short read packed with a lot of great stuff. If I had to choose, I suppose I think that The Toyota Production System was better. However, I feel like I get a more comprehensive understanding of the man who did so much to shape the future of manufacturing and improvement.
For a full review, please visit my site at https://davemolinari.com/2017/07/13/b....
November 26, 2017
Nice collextion of short, insightful stories, yet some parts feel a bit... dated. Although thr book specifically states it should be seen as an interview, I do think that it would be immensely helpful if the book was mote streamlined Kaizen, the next edition ? ;)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews