A3 Problem Solving⤓ .md 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000012424 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 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000011056 Toyota Production System; andon means "lantern" — a visual signal.
Five S⤓ .md 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000011888 Japanese manufacturing; systematized as part of TPS; the five S's are Japanese words: Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, Shitsuke.
Five Whys⤓ .md 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000006528 Toyoda Sakichi; the Toyota Production System.
Genchi Genbutsu⤓ .md 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000010920 Toyota Production System; the phrase means "actual place, actual thing" — go and see for yourself.
Heijunka⤓ .md 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000010184 Toyota Production System; the word means "leveling" or "smoothing."
Jidoka⤓ .md 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000010944 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 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000012896 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 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000011416 Post-war Japanese manufacturing; systematized at Toyota by Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo (1950s-1970s); the word means "change for better."
Kanban⤓ .md 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000012192 Taiichi Ohno at Toyota (1950s-1960s); the word means "signboard" or "card." Adapted to knowledge work by David Anderson (2000s).
Muda Mura Muri⤓ .md 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000012008 Toyota Production System; the "three M's" — waste, unevenness, and overburden.
Obeya⤓ .md 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000011896 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 2026-07-17T121634.146 000000000000712 Shigeo Shingo at Toyota (1960s); originally "baka-yoke" (fool-proofing), renamed to the less offensive "poka-yoke" (mistake-proofing).
Quality Circles⤓ .md 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000013024 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 2026-07-13T092753.000 000000000012512 Toyota Production System (called "material and information flow mapping"); popularized in the West by Rother and Shook, "Learning to See" (1998).