Toyota’s Innovation Factory
October 22nd, 2006 by HalThere's a new kid on the block and from his early writing, I'll be paying close attention. Creativity Driving Innovation in Business is a weblog written by Sanjay Dalal. (I learned about him from Chuck Frey, perennial innovation blogger.) One of Sanjay's first postings is titled Toyota's Innovation Factory. He offers a good summary of The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation, by Matthew May, just published last week. I haven't read the book yet, but my order is in.
Sanjay describes each of the guiding principles and the blocks to innovation.
Guiding Principles for Driving Innovation
- The Art of Ingenuity
- The (relentless) Pursuit of Perfection
- The Rhythm of Fit
Lean projects are characterized by innovation and learning.
Blocking Innovation
- Swinging For Fences
- Getting Too Clever
- Solving Problems Frivolously
This looks like a book worth studying…not just reading. Sanjay finished his review this way:
"Toyota has become the dominant car maker today based on large part due to the Innovation Factory. A Factory based on a foundation of creating elegant solutions through three guiding principles, avoiding three “temptations” and driving ten production practices."
Lean projects start with lean design. And throughout the project they are characterized by innovation and learning. It's time we all learned how it's done.
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November 3rd, 2006 at 4:23 pm
Thank you for reading and mentioning my book! Let’s keep the conversation going. I’m looking for real world stories of elegance in all facets of business life…individuals, teams, design, process, product, service…you name it. I’d love to hear your stories as I begin my next project.
Matt
(elegantsolutions.typepad.com)