The Machine That Changed the World : Based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 5-Million-Dollar 5-Year Study on the Future of the Automobile

167 Pages·1990·13.9 MB·English

by  James P. Womack

1
THE
MACH
1
THAT CHANGED THE
BASED ON TI1
THE
V A
MRSSA CHUSmS
i.lli
INSTITUTE
THAT CHANGED THE
0-
BEBíBiNObOGY
5-MILLION-DOLL AR
S-Y EAR
JAMES i? WOMACK
STUW DANIEL T. JONES
DANIEL ROOS
ON TWE
FUTURE
RA WSON ASSOCIATES
OF BWE
New York
COLLIER MACMILLAN CANADA
AUTOMQBlLE TORONTO
MAXWELL MACMILLAN INTERNATIONAL
NEW YORK OXFORD SINGAPORE SYDNEY
Cupyl-ight O 1990 by lames P. Wornack, Ilanicl T. Juncs, Daniel Kuos, and Doriria BEFORE YOU BEGIN THlS BOOK 3
Samtnons Cai-pentcr
Al1 rights rcscrved. No part of this bouk m- be reprudiiced or transmittc<I in any THE INDUSTRY OF INDUSTRIES IN
1
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TRANSITION 17
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866 Third Arcnue, Nrw York, N.Y. IOOLZ Suitc 200 THE ORlGlNS OF LEAN PRODUClTlOM 17
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ISBN: 0-892.56-350-8 2
LCC numbcr: 89-063284 THE RlSE AND FALL OF MASS PRODUCTION 27
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RUNNING THE FACTORY
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Printcd in thc Unitrd Statcs of Arnerica DESlGNlNG THE CAR
V

viii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
gram but speaking to a general audience-reflects a successful
melding ol two distinct cultures.
It lvould al1 have been for naught except for the extraordinary
generosity of our IMVP research affiliates in sharing their knowl-
edge freely. While three of us are listed as auihors because we put
ihe words on the page, this has truly been a group effort by
individuals from many backgrounds and countries. We have tried 1
to acknowledge tbeir contributions fully at appropriate points jn THE
the text and end notes. The reader should always bear in mind
MACH
that, lilre the development of a new car in a "lean" auto company,
this has been a truly collective endeavor.
1
THAT CHANGED THE
DANIERL oos, Director, IMVP
DANIETL. JONESE, uropean Director, IMVP
JAMESP. WOMACRKe, search Director, IMVP

traveling the world surveying ninety auto assembly plants in feedback mechanisms where we could explain our findings
fiffien countries, in what we believe is the most comprehensive stry, governments, and unions and gain their reactions for
industrial survey ever undertaken in any industry. ual benefit. We did this in three ways.
T\VOa dditional MBA students at MIT, Antony Sherjff an t, we held an annual meeting Eor the liaison Person from
Kentaro Nobeoka, provided insight for our product-development r, ~t meeting we went over the previous year's
studies, through case studies of the product-development process detail, asking for criticism and for suggestions about
based on their previous work as product planners at Chrysler and s for our research.
Mazda, respectively. d, we held an annual policy fomm at a diflerent loca-
A mere listing of these naines shows an additional feature nd the world-~iagara-on-the-Lake in Canada, Como in
our work that we felt was essential-to develop a completel capulco in Mexic-to present our findings to senior exec-
internationai team of researchers, with the language and cultur d government officials from the sponsoring com~anies
skills to understand production methods in different countries overnments,p lus interested observers from labor unioi's
and an eagerness to explain iheir findings to colleagues [rom very he financial community. These private meetings provided an
diffel-ent backgrounds. These researchers (who are listed in AP- tunity for senior leaders ol this industry to discuss the real
pendix B) were not primarily stationed at MIT and were not moving the world from mass to lean production,
primarily American. Ratlier, we developed a worldwide team with the publicity and the need for public posturing.
no geographic center and no one nationality in the majority. attending the IMVP policy forums are listed in A P P ~ ~ -
To be taken seriously both inside and outside the motor-
vehiele industry we needed to be independent. Therefore, we inally, we've conducted several hundred private briefings for
determined Lo raise the $5 million we needed through contribu. anies, governments, and unions. For example, our factory
tions from many car companies, components suppliers, and gov- ice team eonducted a seminar at each of the ninety assembly
ernmcnts. (The thirty-six organizations ultimately contributing we "isited as part of the IMVP World AssembIy PlanL
to the IMVP are listed in Appendix A,) We limited contributions ey, I~ these seminars, we reviewed worldwide performance.
from individual companies and governments to 5 percent the sed the performance of the plant we were visiting, and
$S-million total and placed al1 the Funds in a single account, so ained the reasons that plant might lag in world-class ~erform-
we
that no sponsor could influence the direction of our work by . also conducted briefings h r corporate management
earmarking its contribution Sor a special purpose. we were also ds, union executive committees, government ministries. an*
careful Lo raise funds in equal amounts in North America, western rs in the investment community, in each case explaining the
Europe, and Japan, so that we would not be subject to national or rences between mass production and lean with ideas on how
regional pressures in our conclusions. onvert to lean production.
For our researchers to succeed, they would need extensive
access to motor-vehicle companies across the world, from the
factory floor to the executive suite. We therefore made it elear to
potential sponsors that their most valuable contribution would
not be money but rather the time given by their employees to
answer our questions. In every case these companies have been
even more open than we had hoped. We have been tmly amazed have now spent five years exploring the differences between
by the spirit of professionalism in this industry, which has moved ass production and leati production in one enormous indust~.
managers in the worst facilities and weakest companies to share have been both insiders with access to vast amounts of propri-
their ~roblemsf rankly, and managers in tlie best plants and ry information and daily contact with industr~le aders, and
strongest companies to explain their secrets candidly. ,,"tsiders with a broad perspectivc, often very critical, o* existing
Finally, to succeed in our work we were determined to devise practices. ~n this process we've become convinced that the prin-