Visiting Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana and the importance of Genchi Genbutsu.

What is Genchi Genbutsu?

Genchi Genbutsu is a Japanese lean principle that translate to “Go and See”. It means going to where the customer value is created, and it is a part of the Toyota Philosophy. A similar term is Gemba. Going to Gemba is the practice of going to the actual place of work. Both are used to correctly understand a problem and make informed decisions to effectively solve it.

Genchi Genbutsu is highly encouraged at my internship at Toyota North America. It is one of the fundamentals of the Toyota Way Philosophy. This philosophy is based on the two pillars: Respect for People and Continuous Improvement. Respect for people is demonstrated during Genchi because of the teamwork and need for understanding others. Through problem-solving, continuous improvement is shown.

My experience touring TMMI

Last month, I had the opportunity to “Go and See” Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana. This Genchi Genbutsu was scheduled because of a specific project I was working on. Going to the actual place where customer value was created (the vehicle manufacturing plant) allowed me to grasp the problem, confirm the facts, and analyze the root causes.

Upon my arrival to the plant, I observed and took mental notes of everything. I was present with management on the floor, walking through every department. Luckily, I was also able to sit in on meetings and meet new people. I then saw the assembly line being worked on, the weld shop in action, and caught a glimpse of the paint department. The most impactful experience was seeing the finished vehicles rolling off the production line.

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This visit was very insightful, because my main project is related to the manufacturing plants. My team was able to ask the managers of the plant any question we had right then and there (rather than having to wait for an email reply or a TEAMS meeting). Being there in real time is an advantage of going to GEMBA. It allows you to identify bottlenecks and areas of waste (Muda) quickly.

The supply chain analysts on my team often take trips to the North American Manufacturing Companies (NAMC). By doing so, they have built and maintained a trusted relationship with their counterparts. They are able to address and countermeasure potential issues quicker and better. Genchi Genbutsu is a big part of Toyota Culture and the quest for continuous improvement. It is often encouraged, even for interns.

Reflection

A class at the University of Arkansas that helped me better understand this strategy was MAKE: Supply Chain Process Improvement led by Satabdi Hazarika. This class taught me the Toyota Way Philosophy and altered the way I approach problem solving and teamwork. Some skills that I learned in this class include creating process flow maps, going to GEMBA, and 5-whys analysis. These skills have greatly prepared me for my Toyota internship. Excited to continue sharing my experiences as I enter the last couple of weeks of my internship!