ABSTRACT
In order to have “thinking habits that are free from copy-catting,” it is critical to establish a thinking habit that approaches everything starting with its essence and with the basics. Kiichiro Toyoda worked diligently to solve each of the fundamental management challenges that he encountered in launching an automobile industry in Japan. He utilized his fundamental principles rather than adopting Western systems. Ford Motor, which preceded Toyota, used a conveyor belt system. For the ordinary entrepreneur there would have been no doubt that they should imitate the Ford system in developing their own conveyor belt system. But the thinking habits of Toyoda were different. He focused on the question: What was the purpose of using the conveyor belt system? He tried to go back to the basics and sought answers. He found the answer to be “seamless flow.” He thought a seamless production system required a “just-in-time” approach as the ultimate tool. Toyoda’s thinking habits caused him to seek the essence by going back to the basics. This brought him to the completely new concept of just-in-time, something Ford did not discover. Ford Motor applied the conveyor belt system in its search for volume production but missed the idea of the essential purpose of the conveyor belt.
