Sticky Situation for Toyota

Even as Toyota sets in motion a plan to fix the gas pedal problem that could cause accelerators to stick in a partially open position in some of its models, one wonders if it can fix its reputation, too.

How did this company, revered by customers and competitors alike for its lean leadership and commitment to quality, end up having to stop sales on eight models, shut down production, and recall millions of vehicles? No process is perfect, of course, but I wonder how Toyota — the former king of quality, failed to put the brakes on this pedal problem a long time ago.

Perhaps part of the problem is Toyota’s commitment to lean, which drives waste out by using common parts across multiple lines. A recent Wall Street Journal article points out that in this case lean manufacturing actually backfired on the company because this quality control problem is impacting millions of cars sold around the world, forcing a massive recall.

Others speculate that in its quest to be the biggest and the best, the company lost sight of the quality control that forms the foundation of “The Toyota Way,” and became more interested in adding new factories in North America and capitalizing on the hardships of the American auto manufacturers.

Either way, there is new pressure on Toyota not only to fix the current problem and save its reputation, but also take a good look at its lean processes in the factory, as well as in the supply chain. The Wall Street Journal reports that in the case of unexpected acceleration, Toyota is pointing its finger at CTS Corp., the pedal supplier. There is going to be a lot of finger pointing, I suspect. It appears Toyota didn’t have the proper visibility into the quality control processes of its supply chain partners, and Toyota must ultimately shoulder that responsibility, as its brand name is at stake. .

Perhaps it’s time for Toyota to design a lean practice around risk management in the supply chain, because its focus on lean manufacturing alone has turned out to be wasteful in so many ways.