Table of Contents
- Thinking Before Doing in TPS
- Putting the Pillars of TPS into Motion
- Building Blocks That Keep TPS Standing
- Practical Takeaways for Lean Leaders
The Toyota Production System is often misunderstood, even by those who claim to “know Lean.”
They’ve read the books, sat through the seminars, or spent a few years consulting. They’ll even nod along confidently when someone mentions Kaizen or standard work. But then, when they go back to the Gemba? Nothing seems to stick.
Processes fall apart, problems keep coming back, and the tools that were supposed to help seem to only create confusion.
That’s because, when it comes to the Toyota Production System, just knowing the theory isn’t enough. TPS starts with how people think, not with a set of techniques.
It begins with principles: respect for people, continuous improvement, and solving problems at the root. Without those principles driving decisions, even the best Lean tools get used poorly, or they get ignored entirely. Understanding TPS means paying attention to what’s behind the house, not just what’s written on the pillars.
Thinking Before Doing in TPS
Most companies get hung up on tools first.
They plaster Kaizen boards on walls, mark floors with yellow tape, or implement Kanban systems, thinking that will make them Lean. The problem is that the tools alone don’t create improvement. If they lack the fundamental principles, then they’re actually just activities that look like Lean but don’t solve problems or change behavior.
“Toyota was adamant, and they still are, that if you don’t understand the principles and the philosophy behind the Toyota Production System, the tools don’t matter.” — Mark DeLuzio
The pillars of the Toyota Production System — Just-in-Time and Jidoka — sit on a foundation of standard work, Heijunka (level scheduling), and continuous improvement.
But these aren’t checklists or procedures. They’re expressions of a way of thinking: how to see waste, how to respect people, how to solve problems at their root. Principles guide decisions, priorities, and behaviors. Tools are just the “how” you put them into action.
Take Jidoka, for example. Typically translated as “automation with a human touch,” Jidoka is sometimes misrepresented as a defection-detection device or a line stop mechanism. When applied appropriately, however, Jidoka is actually a steadfast commitment to quality. A simple but powerful pillar, Jidoka encourages employees to stop the process when a problem arises so it doesn’t get passed on.
This kind of responsive action requires awareness and a mindset that values problem-solving over output. Without that principle guiding action, a Jidoka device is nothing more than a piece of equipment.
The same goes for standard work. If no one truly understands why a standard exists, or if it’s not documented and visible, you get guesswork — not improvement. Standard work creates a baseline for problem-solving, a reference point from which continuous improvement can actually happen.
Tools follow from that foundation, not replace it.
Putting the Pillars of TPS into Motion
Once principles are clear, the pillars of TPS can come alive.
Because Just-in-Time and Jidoka are effective only when guided by respect for people, standard work, and continuous improvement. Without that foundation, the pillars become busywork.
Just-in-Time aligns production with actual demand — essentially, producing what’s needed, when it’s needed, and in the right quantity. Which sounds simple, but that depth of awareness requires Heijunka, or level scheduling, to smooth out the natural ups and downs in demand. Production systems that lack this balance? They’ll quickly become chaotic.
“We don’t want to batch production. We don’t want to buy, you know, eight months worth of inventory or raw materials just because we got a great deal on it.” — Mark DeLuzio
Whereas Jidoka gives teams the authority to stop the line when issues arise, effectively training your employees to be active problem-solvers. This shifts employees from a place of reaction to one of response.
So, the pillars gain meaning only when principles guide behavior.
Tools give teams the ability to act, but they don’t necessarily replace the mindset that drives tangible improvement. TPS works when people understand why they do what they do. And when that understanding turns actions into a system that continually improves itself.
Building Blocks That Keep TPS Standing
But of course, the pillars of TPS can’t stand without a solid foundation.
At the base are standard work, Heijunka, and continuous improvement, or the principles that guide how people operate and interact with processes.
- Standard Work: Creates a baseline for all processes. By documenting and visualizing how work should be done, teams can spot deviations, reduce variability, and identify opportunities for improvement. Without it, problem-solving is guesswork.
- Heijunka (Level Scheduling): Smooths out production to match demand, preventing peaks, valleys, and hidden problems between batches. It helps teams maintain flow and avoid chaos caused by uneven workloads.
- Continuous Improvement (Kaizen): Encourages everyone to identify problems, test solutions, and make small, incremental improvements. This mindset ensures that processes evolve and never stagnate.
Together, these foundations turn TPS from a set of tools into a living system, where every action, decision, and adjustment aligns with the principles that make Lean sustainable.
Practical Takeaways for Lean Leaders
By now, it should be clear that simply memorizing the tools of the Toyota Production System or putting up a few Kaizen boards isn’t going to cut it.
Because it’s the principles that shape the way your team thinks, sees problems, and responds to them. Hence, respect for people, continuous improvement, and problem-solving should always be at the root. Without them, even the most sophisticated Lean tools will be treated as busywork or even ignored.
For Lean leaders, translating this knowledge into action means focusing on behavior and mindset before implementing any system. Your foundations should be visible, so make sure that standard work is documented, accessible, and understood. Smooth out workloads with Heijunka and embed continuous improvement into daily routines.
And, of course, show your team why these practices matter, not just how to do them. When people understand the “why,” they feel a sense of purpose, take ownership, and become active participants in improvement.
“If it’s not documented, you can’t call it a process. It’s not a standard if it’s not documented.” — Mark DeLuzio
As a leader, you should also be approaching problem-solving deliberately. Use tools like Kanban, Jidoka, or SMED not as destinations in and of themselves, but as ways to act on the principles. Invest time in coaching people to identify root causes, test solutions, and learn from failures. Celebrate learning and progress rather than just output.
Finally, remember that TPS is a long-term commitment. You won’t achieve perfection overnight, and cherry-picking the easy or flashy tools will only create frustration.
Start with the foundations, lead by example, and reinforce principles at every turn. Over time, this mindset will shape a culture where improvement is constant, problems are solved at their source, and Lean becomes a way of thinking, not just a set of activities.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Toyota Production System
Success with the Toyota Production System (TPS) requires more than just tools like Kanban boards or floor tape. Lean implementations often fail because organizations adopt the “artifacts” of Lean without adopting the underlying philosophy. If the principles of respect for people, continuous improvement, and root-cause problem solving are not driving the culture, the tools become superficial busywork rather than drivers of genuine efficiency.
The TPS structure is often visualized as a “house.” The two main pillars holding up this house are Just-in-Time (JIT) and Jidoka.
1. Just-in-Time: Making only what is needed, when it is needed, and in the amount needed.
2. Jidoka: Often described as “automation with a human touch,” this principle empowers machines and operators to detect abnormalities and stop work immediately to prevent defects from passing downstream.
Heijunka, or “level scheduling,” is a foundational element of TPS that supports the Just-in-Time pillar. It involves smoothing out the volume and mix of production to avoid the extremes of overproduction or underutilization. Without Heijunka, production schedules can become chaotic, leading to uneven workloads (Mura) and overburdening of staff and equipment (Muri).
Standard Work is not meant to be a rigid constraint, but rather the current “best known way” to perform a task. It serves as a baseline. You cannot improve a process that is unstable or undocumented because you have no reference point to measure against. Once Standard Work is established, Kaizen (continuous improvement) can be applied to find a better way, which then becomes the new Standard Work.
No, Jidoka is fundamentally about building quality into the process. While it does involve stopping the line when a problem occurs, the deeper purpose is to force an immediate investigation into the root cause. This prevents the defect from moving to the next stage and ensures that the problem is solved permanently, rather than just patched over.
