The objective of this discussion is to aid you in mastering the following course competencies:

• Apply theories, models, and practices of global operations management to address business problems.
• Integrate operations management analyses into general business management planning and decision making.

More specifically, you will:

• Formulate solutions to process design problems.
• Formulate solutions to quality management problems.
• Apply operations management analysis techniques to arrive at ethical recommendations in business decision scenarios.

Activity Instruction

For this discussion, review the case study Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc. (1995) by Mishina and Takeda, and the article “What Really Happened to Toyota?” by Cole (2011). Then, respond to the following questions:

• If you were Doug Friesen, manager of assembly at the company’s Georgetown, Kentucky, plant, what would you do to address the seat problem? Where would you focus your attention and solution efforts?
• What options exist? What would you recommend? Why?
• Where, if at all, does the current routine for handling defective seats deviate from the principles of the Toyota Production System?
• What is the real problem facing Doug Friesen?
• What is your plan to solve the seat problem?
• Is the production in Toyota a lean production (defined in Chapter 16)? Why?