Customer Reviews
Written by a master! - By: Mr. Philip G. Stunell, 12 Feb 2008 
This book provides an excellent overview of how the Toyota Production System developed (and continues to develop), showing how the different tools & techniques are dependent on one another for success.
Throughout the book Ohno explains the thought processes that led to him to think the unthinkable, & experiment with ideas that are counter-intuitive for people trainedin the world of mass production.
Highly recommended!
The Source of Lean Production but sadly disappointing - By: Mr. Ross Maynard, 01 Nov 2007 
"Toyota Production System" was publishedin 1979in Japanese and,in Englishin 1988. It is the source material on the toyota production system and,in my view, it is often good to go back to the source. Sadly, this book is disappointing. The writing style is clunky (perhaps a poor translation) & the book lacks structure; being more of a semi-random collection of points than a development of ideas. Nevertheless there is some interesting stuffin here. For example, I didn't realise that Mr Ohno ranked kanban (with quick changeovers) as the core of the system & essential to success. Oftenin lean kanban seems to be a bit of a side issue: here it is vital. Also there is an interesting analysis of some of Henry Ford's early writings compared to TPS. This would be good material for a student essay. However, for the philosophy of TPS you will get much more out of "The Toyota Way" or "The Toyota Way Fieldbook"; & for the tools of lean go to "Lean Production Simplified" or the many other booksin this area. This book is a bit of a let-down I am sad to say.
Its the Starting point that counts - By: Stephen Parry, 12 May 2007 
This is a must read for any serious Lean Thinker. A great insight into the formation of the Toyota production system with historical & social context.
Ohno expresses the simple ideas which became the starting point for the formation of the Toyota Production system, this book is not about Toyota today, which is the end point. (And still evolving)
There are many books struggling to articulate what the end point is all about, so go to the start to gain profound understanding...
The history of Toyota goes to show how doing simple things consistently by EVERYONE can create a great company.
Lean manufacturing from the master - By: , 10 Jan 2005 I was still a studentin a manufacturing course when i first read this book. I have to admit that i did not understand much back then. After a while a read a couple of other books such as "lean thinking" & "the machine that changed the world".
I decided to read Mr. Ohno's book once more. It was at this time i realised his grandeur & his geneus. These are the the ideas of the creator of lean manufacturing himself.
I typical japanese style every paragraph contains a small lesson that the lean practioner should know. This is a "must have" for all industrial engineers & industral managers. The book itself decribes the saven wastes, how they affect a manufacturing system, JIT principle, the Toyota "house of lean", kanban & a lot of other issue. Even if you know all these you must find out how Ohno himself perceived these issues. It is guaranteed to be a revelation!
Difficult material covered simply - By: , 19 Feb 1998 This is a short book & as such gets to the point. Explains difficult conceptsin a simple way. This book explains how JIT, Kanban, Zero Defects came about. Also shows what is missing from American JIT & that is production leveling.
