Since the late 2009, the famous vehicle manufacture Toyota has suffered a severe crisis due to unintended quality problems in its cars which had triggered Toyota’s largest officially recalls of its cars around the world. This crisis threatens the company’s previous reputation of good quality cars, as well as the brand image built up over time. This study aims to elaborate on the Toyota crisis in order to understand why Toyota faces this crisis and how they deal with the crisis; and investigate consumers’ perceptions of Toyota brand as the outcome of the crisis, with a focus on Swedish market. A qualitative research along with a number of face-to-face interviews with Toyota Swedish dealer and Swedish vehicle consumers is conducted. The findings reveal that the impact of the Toyota crisis in Sweden is not as serious as that in North America; there remain satisfied and loyal Toyota’s customers who are not swayed by the negative publicities; While Toyota should manage the crisis even in a better way in order to retain its good reputation.

This essay is an enquiry about how companies as participated in a Lean pro¬duction education use this education. The essay describes also how one works with the implementation of Lean production and how they believe that they will work. The enquiry tries to create an advisory material for other companies that are in the beginning of implementing their own Lean production systems. There these companies’ gets a picture of how other companies have done during their try to create a functioning Lean production system. In the essay, one may see how well the Lean concept basic thoughts and principles agree with the seven differently producing companies in the Jonkoping region. One may also see which parts from Lean production these companies use.

Detta examensarbete har utförts vid Elitfönster AB i Vetlanda. Elitfönster AB är Sveriges största leverantör av fönster och fönsterdörrar. Syftet med arbetet är att ta fram åtgärdsförslag för att minska ledtiderna, då korta leveranstider blir ett allt viktigare konkurrensmedel. Arbetet innebar en kartläggning av nuvarande produktionsflöde och identifiering av problemområden. Arbetet genomfördes med hjälp av tidsstudier och intervjuer med arbetsledare och personal. Arbetet bygger även en hel del på observationer, iakttagelser och studerande av statistik. I stora drag kan man dra slutsatsen att de långa ledtiderna beror på främst två orsaker; • hyvelbanornas långa ställtider som medför körningar i veckosatser • kvalitetsbrister och bristfälliga kvalitetskontroller samt trästycken som ”försvinner” längs förädlingskedjan. Detta leder till att order får ställas åt sidan i väntan på nya/omlackade bitar. För att erhålla en reducering av produktionsledtiden bör Elitfönster AB i första hand; • överväga att flytta ut ett eller två produktsortiment, vilket skulle medföra reducerade ställtider i hyvelbanorna och därmed en möjlighet att bryta ner veckosatserna i mindre satser. • sträva mot att synkronisera de olika resursernas cykeltider mot takttiden. • skapa stabila processer, det vill säga tillförlitlig utrustning och mångkunnig personal, för att kunna minimera buffertar och mellanlager. • kontinuerligt kvalitetsarbete i form av leverantörssamverkan och kvalitetsutbildningar till personal.

Diversity of consumers, timely needs of the times, combined with market information, production and selling out of products, enterprises can profit possible. Want in the fierce competition; we must attach importance to production and sales co-ordination and integration. This study aimed to clarify the "Toyota production and sales integrated management system," in close connection with production and sales, rapid response to changes in the meaning and operation of the structure and conditions of its formation. "Toyota production and sales integrated management system," the biggest feature is the production site with frequent sales information for the various stages of the production plan to do a different range of amendments, the final production and micro-adjustments to billboards, fast response to changes in demand. In the full sales pipeline, the distributor effective master customer information and establish long-term relationships with customers, thus the right to collect and prepare sales forecasts, and quickly back to the Toyota Motor Sales, such as Toyota's strong sales management an important support system behind the production factors. "Toyota production and sales integrated management systems," the transfer of applications across industries, from brand computer makers and electronics contract manufacturing service provider of supply chain production micro-tune the system for evidence. Through analysis and comparison of the two operational framework that, dismantling of production steps, multi-stage production scheduling amendments, the changes in the components remain the highest to the final assembly, so that the flexible "instant production of Just-In-Time" , can be applied in different industries. "Toyota production and sales integrated management systems," the production of micro-adjustment of the operational structure to clarify and resolve inter-industry transfer of instances, not only academic significance, other electronic products manufacturing industry for practical application, also has a reference value.

The nature of range ¡§ automobile ¡§ has high technology and traditional science both together. It expands living habit and areas for the human beings but also lead hazard and risky on environment and safety. What is the value of competition about the automobile? What are the cons and pros on traditional manufactures with United States, Japan and Germany? Any structure change from then until now? The subject essay is based upon the automobile research report, which was issued on 1990 by MIT, analysis of GM with The United States, Toyota with Japan and Volkswagen with the Germany 1991-2005 financial statements and volume production strategy to continue the analysis. The automobile manufactures were following the model of productions TPS after MIT research report was announced. The above companies were not being able to follow and copy the model very successfully. Because that past successful enterprise cultural was difficult to abandon and among different countries cultural background and basis were total different and individual. They could only practice the fur of Japanese Toyota. For example, GM was combined with Toyota to build up factory as issue; looks like GM have had good flow and function on inventory turn over percentage and cost of sales volume. After operation factors were getting worse even turn their inefficiency out to the fact. The traditional craftsman¡¦s art with Germany were become the sign of obstacle to the TPS.

There has been full of inefficiency and waste in current operation method of steel structure industries. This study hopes to utilize Toyota Just-in-time Production System for fabrication of steel structure to eliminate current each waste during the production process. The main purpose of this study is take case company as an example to discuss the following respects: 1.The current production process of steel structure industries. 2.The application of Toyota Just-in-time Production System in the steel structure fabrication. This study first introduces the framework of Toyota Just-in-time Production System to apprehend its spirit and then explains the concept and advantage of Toyota Just-in-time Production System explicitly. Also, this study compares Toyota Just-in-time Production System with current production method of steel structure industries. Second, according to the glancing of related document reference, this study discusses the application method and its profit for Toyota Just-in-time Production System in the manufacturing industries. As there are significant differences in structure or operation method between steel structure industries and manufacturing industries, thus this study utilizes gradual erection plan to match Toyota Just-in-time Production System during the period of fabrication process plan to eliminate the distinction between these two industries besides explaining the necessary rationalized operation when leading Toyota Just-in-time Production System in. Having visited the production line and made mutual communication with operation chief, this study has found the current problems existing in production management in case company. According to this discovery, this study uses bridge production line and built-up H section production line as pilot implementation to discuss the possible question and solution policy for Toyota Just-in-time Production System concept applied in steel structure fabrication so as to frame the procedures and criterion of Toyota Just-in-time Production System in fabrication of steel structure and also to evaluate its profit.

<p>This essay is an enquiry about how companies as participated in a Lean pro¬duction education use this education. The essay describes also how one works with the implementation of Lean production and how they believe that they will work. The enquiry tries to create an advisory material for other companies that are in the beginning of implementing their own Lean production systems. There these companies’ gets a picture of how other companies have done during their try to create a functioning Lean production system. In the essay, one may see how well the Lean concept basic thoughts and principles agree with the seven differently producing companies in the Jonkoping region. One may also see which parts from Lean production these companies use.</p>

Thesis (PhD) - Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Business and Enterprise, Swinburne University of Technology, 2009. / A thesis is submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy, Faculty of Business and Enterprise, Swinburne University of Technology - 2009. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (p. 225-238)

In any business environment companies experience challenges and competition. In this current worldwide economic crisis, the stakes are now higher. With every crisis comes opportunity. The best companies with the best methods and processes that create highest quality product for less money will have an extraordinary advantage over their less efficient, lower quality competition. The term ‘Lean’ describes how Toyota does business: fewer humans, less effort, less investment, fewer defects, less time to develop, less inventory. For companies that have truly understood and implemented these principles the effects are significant; but many others have failed Lean initiatives. What factors are necessary for a company to successfully adopt the processes proven by over 50 years of success in Toyota? Using both primary and secondary research, I compared attributes of four companies, three of which were successful, and one that did not make the conversion. Three main factors emerged, the Technical Factor -- knowing both your core business and having a deep understanding of Lean principles, the Management Factor -- strong leadership operating within Lean principles and with hands-on approach, and the Human Factor -- approaching the workforce with respect and employee engagement in problem-solving process. The following is a brief review of these factors and the tools and concepts that undergird them. / text

Lean Manufacturing (LM) is widely accepted as a world-class manufacturing paradigm, its currency and superiority are manifested in numerous recent success stories. Most lean tools including Just-in-Time (JIT) were designed for repetitive serial production systems. This resulted in a substantial stream of research which dismissed a priori the suitability of LM for non-repetitive non-serial job-shops. The extension of LM into non-repetitive production systems is opposed on the basis of the sheer complexity of applying JIT pull production control in non-repetitive systems fabricating a high variety of products. However, the application of LM in job-shops is not unexplored. Studies proposing the extension of leanness into non-repetitive production systems have promoted the modification of pull control mechanisms or reconfiguration of job-shops into cellular manufacturing systems. This thesis sought to address the shortcomings of the aforementioned approaches. The contribution of this thesis to knowledge in the field of production and operations management is threefold: Firstly, a Multi-Agent System (MAS) is designed to directly apply pull production control to a good approximation of a real-life job-shop. The scale and complexity of the developed MAS prove that the application of pull production control in non-repetitive manufacturing systems is challenging, perplex and laborious. Secondly, the thesis examines three pull production control mechanisms namely, Kanban, Base Stock and Constant Work-in-Process (CONWIP) which it enhances so as to prevent system deadlocks, an issue largely unaddressed in the relevant literature. Having successfully tested the transferability of pull production control to non-repetitive manufacturing, the third contribution of this thesis is that it uses experimental and empirical data to examine the impact of pull production control on job-shop performance. The thesis identifies issues resulting from the application of pull control in job-shops which have implications for industry practice and concludes by outlining further research that can be undertaken in this direction.