A3 Problem Solving⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000784 **Origin.** Toyota; the name comes from the A3 paper size (11" x 17") on which the entire analysis fits. Emphasizes concise, visual, and complete problem documentation.
Andon⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000680 **Origin.** Toyota Production System; andon means "lantern" — a visual signal.
Five S⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000688 **Origin.** Japanese manufacturing; systematized as part of TPS; the five S's are Japanese words: Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, Shitsuke.
Five Whys⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000712 **Origin.** Toyoda Sakichi; the Toyota Production System.
Genchi Genbutsu⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000760 **Origin.** Toyota Production System; the phrase means "actual place, actual thing" — go and see for yourself.
Heijunka⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000704 **Origin.** Toyota Production System; the word means "leveling" or "smoothing."
Jidoka⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000688 **Origin.** Sakichi Toyoda's automatic loom (1896) that stopped when a thread broke; generalized at Toyota as "automation with a human touch."
Just-in-Time⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000736 **Origin.** Toyota Production System; developed by Taiichi Ohno and Kiichiro Toyoda (1950s-1970s); JIT is one of the two pillars of TPS alongside Jidoka.
Kaizen⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000688 **Origin.** Post-war Japanese manufacturing; systematized at Toyota by Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo (1950s-1970s); the word means "change for better."
Kanban⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000688 **Origin.** Taiichi Ohno at Toyota (1950s-1960s); the word means "signboard" or "card." Adapted to knowledge work by David Anderson (2000s).
Muda Mura Muri⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000752 **Origin.** Toyota Production System; the "three M's" — waste, unevenness, and overburden.
Obeya⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000680 **Origin.** Toyota product development; the word means "big room" or "war room." Formalized by Takeshi Uchiyamada during the development of the first Prius (1990s).
Poka-yoke⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000712 **Origin.** Shigeo Shingo at Toyota (1960s); originally "baka-yoke" (fool-proofing), renamed to the less offensive "poka-yoke" (mistake-proofing).
Quality Circles⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000760 **Origin.** JUSE (Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers) in the 1960s, building on Deming and Juran's quality teachings; Kaoru Ishikawa systematized the approach.
Value Stream Mapping⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000800 **Origin.** Toyota Production System (called "material and information flow mapping"); popularized in the West by Rother and Shook, "Learning to See" (1998).