TOYOTA PDCA Project Management

I'm currently finishing up a Project Management/Business Analysis course at a local university, and last night we discussed PDCA, which is a project management plan invented by Toyota in the 60s and "perfected" in the mid 80's. It stands for Plan-Do-Check-Act and is highly praised in the business world. So my question is this: What happened on the third gens? I switched to Toyota after a less than stellar experience with German Auto's, but it feels like I'm in for the same wild ride.

 

Cost cutting and Chrysler influence?

 

I did the exact same thing switching from a BMW X5.
So far the only issue has been the howl and rear differential seep. I'm hoping the Taco won't give me as many headaches as my bimmer did.

 

What happened is, they allowed toyota North America to design and build the Tacoma. PDCA apparently got left behind for the third gen.

 

There's really no way to tell from our end. It would take insider knowledge of today's modern techniques being used, plus you have to take in account the amount of automation being used. The types of machinery and modern metal compositions also play a part. Thousands of reasons, really. Just look at all the computerization in everything now, back then cars were much simpler without so many electronics.

 

Funny I had a 2011 335D and private sold it within one year before the warranty expired... it had me in the shop EVERY month with Service lights illuminating on the dash. So imagine my frustration when my brand new "uber-reliable" Tacoma starts to give me the same shitfits

 

Kaizen

 

"continuous improvement of working practices"

Wish they'd apply that to having enough replacement parts to cover their fuck ups.

 

These flashy business acronyms are more about marketing than results. Its to show customers that they are keeping up with the latest business tends. They usually have a lot of metrics, template forms for documentation, systems for information storage etc. I've seen that sometimes this just ends up being more about the "process" and documentation rather than getting results. Mindset is what REALLY produces results, not processes. There are many different processes that you can follow, and if you have the right mindset, all produce good results.

 

Toyota Japan is actually very well respected in PMO history. They are often credited with inventing LEAN and successfully utilizing and improving six sigma. My guess is that a lot of that got thrown overboard when production came across the ocean for some vehicles. Implementing a strong six sigma program would have unions crying foul in the good ol' USA.

 

The process, in theory, works. But you need the entire company, from management to manufacturing to engineers to embrace it. Otherwise it becomes a box you check off to satisfy corporate and it doesn't work as well as it should. Also, a common way to cut costs is to outsource parts. Good luck getting suppliers and their suppliers to embrace the system flawlessly as well.

 

"good ol" Not so much it would seem.

 

I am a Project Manager.

Greed, cut cost, took short cuts to make more profit. It's all about how much money can I put in my pocket today attitude.

Sad and just wrong.

 

Very sad, because if this Tacoma continues to be a headache it will be my first and last Toyota.

 

The use of Just in Time during Production kinda messes with having an inventory of replacement parts.

 

Kanban

 

Toyota uprooted their entire US operation, moved it to another part of the country, lost over 25% of their employees the process, and had a complete re-org of what was left.
Stop with all the assumptions that they are influenced by Chrysler, or that they are no longer following processes that they were the very ones to invent, or that they are a product of cost cutting measures, or what ever other conspiracy theories you guys can come up with.
They have committed to investing 10 billion dollars in the US in the next 5 years
They are far from being lost as a company, or being cheap.
If you don't like your truck, sell it.
If you don't like the company, don't buy their products.
But stop talking out of your asses
They still have less problems and higher resale value than anything else.

 

Says the Toyota employee

 

I'm confused, what does a PMP have to do with the quality of these trucks?

 

Serious question. Have you owned a vehicle that hasn't given you these sorts of issues? If so what was it/them?