Comments on: Extreme Toyota’s Lesson for American Auto http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2008/11/19/887/ The magazine for the project age Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:20:14 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Tim Clark http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2008/11/19/887/comment-page-1/#comment-20813 Tim Clark Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:59:57 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2008/11/19/887/#comment-20813 Hal, On the comment that "something dramatically different needs to happen." It's just not the auto industry, what about the "financial industry?" Deming's advice to the Japanese in the 1950's was to adopt a systems perspective where the consumer was the most important part of the production line, and reduce variation. Variation typically defined using a scientific/statistical frame of reference. Expanded description adopted by the American Society for Quality at the following. http://www.asq.org/learn-about-quality/variation/overview/overview.html Hal,

On the comment that “something dramatically different needs to happen.”

It’s just not the auto industry, what about the “financial industry?”

Deming’s advice to the Japanese in the 1950’s was to adopt a systems perspective where the consumer was the most important part of the production line, and reduce variation.

Variation typically defined using a scientific/statistical frame of reference. Expanded description adopted by the American Society for Quality at the following.
http://www.asq.org/learn-about-quality/variation/overview/overview.html

]]> By: Hal http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2008/11/19/887/comment-page-1/#comment-20811 Hal Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:52:29 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2008/11/19/887/#comment-20811 I watched some of the hearings yesterday in a mood of dismay. While the auto execs were at times clueless, the committee members seemed to forget what they were there to accomplish. In the end, there's no help on the way. As David put it, people are blind to their blindness. That goes for everyone at yesterday's circus. Blindness is a central characteristic of the human condition. The situation with American Auto is not likely to change without significant strains on the three organizations and suffering to the world economy. I wasn't making the case for copying Toyota. Something dramatically different needs to happen. And some firms might not survive the change. I watched some of the hearings yesterday in a mood of dismay. While the auto execs were at times clueless, the committee members seemed to forget what they were there to accomplish. In the end, there’s no help on the way. As David put it, people are blind to their blindness. That goes for everyone at yesterday’s circus. Blindness is a central characteristic of the human condition. The situation with American Auto is not likely to change without significant strains on the three organizations and suffering to the world economy.

I wasn’t making the case for copying Toyota. Something dramatically different needs to happen. And some firms might not survive the change.

]]> By: David Schmaltz http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2008/11/19/887/comment-page-1/#comment-20809 David Schmaltz Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:51:30 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2008/11/19/887/#comment-20809 I think it's seductive to say, "Because this works for Toyota, GM should copy to succeed." I don't think copying what Toyota does is the key to even Toyota's success. What they do is a resonance of who they are, not the other way around. Ford seems to be showing more progress toward transformation, and part of who they are will always be who they've been. Ford can't just move to San Francisco and assume a different identity. No one can legislate mindset change, either. This is subtle stuff. If you've ever sat in the presence of one of the captains of American industry, you will find few of them were selected for subtlety. They, like the rest of us, don't see what we don't see. And no one else can ever see for us. Yesterday's congressional hearing's a good example: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/19/AR2008111903669.html?hpid=topnews I think it’s seductive to say, “Because this works for Toyota, GM should copy to succeed.” I don’t think copying what Toyota does is the key to even Toyota’s success. What they do is a resonance of who they are, not the other way around. Ford seems to be showing more progress toward transformation, and part of who they are will always be who they’ve been. Ford can’t just move to San Francisco and assume a different identity.

No one can legislate mindset change, either. This is subtle stuff. If you’ve ever sat in the presence of one of the captains of American industry, you will find few of them were selected for subtlety. They, like the rest of us, don’t see what we don’t see. And no one else can ever see for us. Yesterday’s congressional hearing’s a good example:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/19/AR2008111903669.html?hpid=topnews

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