TOYOTA KATA

Description

TK (Toyota Kata) is a brilliantly innovative management system that provides the means to achieve two equally important objectives:

1. A methodology to achieve challenging objectives that are currently beyond a team’s ability to reach, and…
2. Developing managers and leaders as coaches for creating a culture of continuous improvement, adaption, and innovation. This is done through simple, easy-to-teach, time-efficient, daily routines.

Deep exploration into the theory and research that underlies the overall Toyota Kata methodology. This day introduces and explains new research findings about how Toyota manages its people and sustains a culture of continuous improvement.

It develops awareness of a model of leadership and a method of management through which organizations can more efficiently cultivate adaptiveness, innovation, and sustained competitive advantage within their workforce. The described behavior routines are universally applicable in any organization or setting, old or new; manufacturing, service industry, administrative, healthcare, financial, etc. The course includes a ½-day hands-on practice exercise using a video based manufacturing case study. Finally, we cap off the experience with a discussion on how organizations are working to shift toward this management model.

Steve Medland has spent over 20 years leading, consulting, teaching, and learning operations in both lean and supply chain related practices in industries as varied as metal fabrication and machining to grocery retail. His roles have included Director of Distribution Center Operations, Sales Manager, Purchasing Manager, and Inventory Analyst. In addition to his work in manufacturing, Steve enjoys applying lean principles and other best practices to non-manufacturing processes in the supply chain such as customer interface, supply management, inventory management, and distribution.

Steve received his MBA in Supply Chain Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He teaches Supply Chain and Operations management at Colorado State University to undergraduates, graduate students, and executives in the College of Business and the College of Engineering. Steve has taught previously at the University of Oregon, the University of Colorado-Boulder, and the Bainbridge Graduate Institute.

Beth is a Toyota Kata instructor at the University of Michigan and Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) teaching Toyota Kata. Beth also presents at national conferences and acts as workshop facilitator for organizations such as AME, MEP, Shingo, LEI and LEI Healthcare Value Network.

Since 2008 Beth has concentrated her learning, teaching and practice on the deployment of “Toyota Kata” as described in the book of the same name by author Mike Rother. As a Toyota Kata Master coach Beth assists organization’s Advance Groups build a Continuous Improvement Culture through the deployment of this Content-Free Purpose Driven methodology.

Since 1999 Beth has been an independent consultant and trainer, leading organizations in lean transformations. She has a diverse range of clients from small and large organizations with repetitive and custom processing in manufacturing, service and healthcare environments. Beth Carrington has over 25 years experience in leadership roles within personal care, furniture and automotive industries. These positions included Quality Leadership, Operations Management and President of a Global tier-one automotive supplier; Acutex Div, SPX Corp.

Bill is the founder and Senior Partner for W3 Group. He was among the first 200 employees hired at Toyota’s Georgetown, KY, auto plant, where he was a group leader for 7 years.

Since 1994, he has worked as an independent consultant, supporting companies in diverse industries making the leap to lean management. Bill’s five-year effort converting Cedar Works to lean manufacturing is summarized in a chapter of the book, Becoming Lean (Productivity Press).

For the last five years, he has collaborated closely with Mike Rother, author of Toyota Kata. Rother and Costantino have developed and co-lead a variety of professional development seminars and workshops for the University of Michigan and Lean Enterprise Institute. Their focus is teaching the underlying philosophy, critical routines, and skill development of the Toyota Kata approach to management.

Bill is an Ambassador for Toyota Kata and frequent speaker around the world. He is an adjunct faculty at Bainbridge Graduate Institute for the Sustainable Operations course, a guest lecturer at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI, and a member of the Michigan Lean Consortium.