Toyota's Karakuri introduces compassion within arm's reach through its innovative design
At Toyota's Motomachi Plant, two employees, Hayato Ikeda and Katsuya Yamashita, have made significant contributions to improving work processes and enhancing safety.
Initially, polystyrene foam was used as steps and seats, but it created safety issues and debris. Recognising this problem, Ikeda, a worker at another section of the plant, decided to address the issue for the high-mix line, where workers often overreached on the instrument panel line for certain models. Ikeda designed an integrated "work seat" that slides into the car's cargo area, allowing the job to be done from a seated position. The work seat provides space to store tools on the handle and has adjustable seats with springs for stability, washers and rollers for joints, and can handle loads of around 100 kg.
Meanwhile, Yamashita, a former team leader, designed a retractable step to make work easier for all technicians, particularly shorter ones, on the high-mix production line. The step, made of aluminum pipes, sliders, and springs, can be deployed with the push of a lever and retracts via a crank mechanism. Yamashita spent approximately 15 hours creating the retractable step, inspired by a crank mechanism used elsewhere on the line to improve the design.
Both innovations have been well-received by technicians, who find them making their work easier. The retractable step simplifies access for workers, enhancing safety and ease of movement, while the integrated work seat provides comfort and efficiency during operations.
These employee-led innovations are a testament to Toyota's commitment to fostering creative problem solving and employee development. The company's Creative Idea Suggestion System empowers frontline employees to contribute ideas that improve work processes, product quality, and workplace efficiency. This system encourages a culture of continuous improvement (kaizen) where employee creativity is valued and rewarded, thus motivating workers and developing their problem-solving skills.
The system originally opened suggestion-making to all employees—from management to the production line—creating a broad base of participation and enabling the capture of millions of ideas over decades. Toyota also offers annual awards recognising outstanding suggestions, reinforcing employee engagement and skill development. This approach not only bolsters quality and innovation but also cultivates a workplace where employees are motivated to think critically and creatively about their work environment.
For Yamashita, kaizen means making difficult tasks easier to do, as new problems arise with changing workers and car models. For Ikeda, kaizen is evolution, the constant evolution and transformation of things and processes. Both entrusted their ideas to junior colleagues, viewing the Creative Idea Suggestion System as a tool for instilling the kaizen spirit and encouraging growth among employees.
The Motomachi Plant has shifted to a high-mix line producing four powertrains, which has increased the need for work inside the rear cargo area. The retractable step and integrated work seat innovations are just two examples of how Toyota's employee-led approach is enhancing product/process quality and promoting continuous employee learning and development.
[1] Toyota Global - Continuous Improvement (Kaizen) at Toyota (https://global.toyota/en/about/vision/kaizen.html)
[2] Toyota Production System (https://www.toyota-global.com/innovation/toyota-production-system/)
[4] Toyota Motor Corporation - Toyota's Creative Idea Suggestion System (https://global.toyota/en/company/corporate_info/csr/toyota_way/creative_idea_suggestion_system.html)
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