1990

1930s The Machine That

Breakthrough Moments in Lean
1500s Flow Production
Venetian Arsenal introduces floating assembly
line for boats of standard designs moving through
standard assembly stations. First example of flow
in history?
1780s
Concept of
Interchangeable Parts
French Army Ordinance pioneers
the concept of interchangeable parts
for weapons, a necessary precursor
to high-volume, flow production.
1860s Takt Time 1965
High-Volume The Model T German aircraft-industry pioneers use takt
time as a way to synchronize the movement
Mass Production 1987
Changed the World
Jim Womack, Dan Jones, and
Interchangeable Parts of aircraft in assembly operations in which Management “Lean” Introduced Daniel Roos write an explanation
Samuel Colt’s Armory in Hartford, CT, each major section or complete airframe Alfred Sloan publishes My Years 1977 1982 of the fulfillment, product design,
claims to produce pistols in large volumes 1890s needs to move to the next assembly station with General Motors to fully First Dissemination Full Description
John Krafcik, a young
supplier management, customer
researcher in the MIT
with completely interchangeable parts. Scientific Management at the same time. A precise takt time means describe the manage-by-metrics
of TPS of TPS International Motor Vehicle
support, and global management
Later investigation by David Hounshell Frederick Taylor analyzes work in search 1924 1926 system pioneered by the best
that the cycle time for the work at each 1950s system he developed at General
Fujio Cho, Y. Sugimori, and Yasuhiro Monden’s Toyota Program, proposes a label
Japanese companies and provide
(1984) shows that the parts were only of the one best way to do every job. He adds
1908 Quick Changeovers Mass Production station must be precisely Kanban and Supermarkets 1960 Motors from the 1920s into the
others at Toyota publish the Production System is translated for the combination of
exhaustive evidence of the
2005
interchangeable for special weapons a piece-rate bonus system, “scientifically” 1950s. This is just as Toyota
Truly Interchangeable Parts The G-type loom at Toyoda Automatic As Henry Ford completes his vast Rouge complex he analyzed to keep it below Taichi Ohno develops practical methods Deming Prize first article in English—in a into English and published in production, product
competitive superiority of the Lean Solutions
created for sales promotions. Pistols in setting wages to spur effort and tying
Henry Ford introduces a modular car and Loom Works introduces a zero-time adds product variety and introduces the term “mass the takt time. Mitsubishi to implement Kiichiro Toyoda’s concept Japanese Union of Scientists
emerges in world markets to
UK engineering journal— the U.S. by the Institute of development, supplier
complete system.
1997 Jim Womack and Dan Jones apply
regular production still had “fitted” complex production paths together by become GM’s rival.
parts requiring extensive manual labor. means of a clearly documented travel makes a great leap in interchangeable parts shuttle changeover so the loom can production.” While the flow of materials at the Rouge is has a technical relation for just-in-time delivery of parts. and Engineers inaugurates the explaining the logic of the Industrial Engineers, providing collaboration, customer Lean Enterprise Institute the process thinking at the heart of
keep running continuously. This idea automated by miles of conveyors, the complex locates with the German aircraft Toyota Production System. the first description of the support, quality, and Jim Womack creates a non-profit, lean thinking to consumption (what
The problem of fabricating truly path through a factory for every part. He through a standard gauging system used Deming Prize to encourage
leads eventually to quick changeovers different types of fabrication steps (e.g., stamping, industry and brings the entire Toyota Production management methods education, publishing, and research the consumer does to solve his or her
interchangeable metal parts without also introduces standard cost accounting throughout his plant and by every supplier. Japanese companies to
in every piece of equipment at the welding, paint) in “process villages,” and most final idea back to Japan where System to a global audience. pioneered by Toyota. organization to promote lean problems) and to provision (the steps
extensive “fitting” continues to baffle to allocate overheads to machine and labor Ford announces, “There are no files in embrace statistical quality
Toyota Motor Company. assembly is moved to as many as 50 final assembly Toyota embraces it. principles and deepen understanding provider organizations must take to
industrialists for another 50 years. hours, creating the basic management my factory.” control and Plan-Do-Check-Act.
plants around the world. of lean ideas and methods. help solve consumer problems).
tools of mass production.

Colt’s Armory, Hartford, CT

1500s 1700s 1800s 1900s 1920s 1930s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s

1799 1880s 1902 1983 1998 2007

Automatic Production
of Simple Parts
Marc Brunel devises water-powered
equipment for the Royal Navy in England
that can make simple parts like rope
blocks for ships with no manual labor.
1822
Automatic Production
of Complex Parts
Thomas Blanchard at the Springfield
Armory in the U.S. devises 14 machines to
progressively make gun stocks for rifles
with no manual labor. The parts are moved
from machine to machine around a room.
The first instance of cellular production?
From View of the Entrance to the Arsenal by Canaletto
Moving Disassembly Line
American meat packers in the Midwest
introduce conveyors to steadily move
carcasses past the workers who remove
the meat from the bone. A provocative
example to later innovators who tackled
the much more difficult task of
moving assembly.
Jidoka
Sakichi Toyoda invents a device to detect
broken threads in looms, automatically
stopping production of defective cloth.
With additional refinements, this permits
machines to operate without the need
for workers (often children) to watch
each machine and uncouples workers
from machines to permit multimachine
operation by a single worker.
1913 –1914 Direct Diffusion Learning to See Lean Global Network
Moving Assembly Toyota agrees to a joint-venture Mike Rother and John Shook Organizations around the world
Line with Parts factory with General Motors introduce Toyota’s concept of promoting lean thinking through
1941–1945 1973 —New United Motors
Late 1980s 1996 material and information flow publications, education, and
Fabrication Training Within Industry 1960s Codifying TPS Manufacturing (NUMMI)— Widespread Diffusion Lean Thinking diagrams, now called value-stream research join forces in a new,
Henry Ford’s Highland Park plant
pioneers “flow production” by
The U.S. Dept. of War introduces job Lean Management Fujio Cho, Y. Sugimori, near San Francisco to directly A host of writers (Robert Hall, Jim Womack and Dan Jones provide maps, to a broad audience. non-profit organization to promote
instruction, job methods, job relations, Under the leadership of Eiji Toyoda, and others create the transfer TPS outside of the Richard Schonberger, Norman a simple description of lean principles lean concepts more effectively.
placing fabrication equipment and program development as ways to first Toyota Production Japanese environment. Bodek) and consultants —value, value stream, flow, pull,
the Toyota Motor Company gradually
in process sequence (e.g., a teach millions of workers in war industries. creates a management system with manual for internal use. 1979 (former members of the Toyota and perfection—along with stories
stamping press next to a paint These methods were introduced in Japan a new approach to problem solving, First Academic Autonomous Study Group such of companies beyond Toyota that
booth next to a final assembly 1937 at the end of the war and were eventually leadership, production operations,
1965 Investigations as Yoshiki Iwata and Chihiro are applying them successfully 2007
area for a single part number)
Just-in-Time incorporated in Toyota’s thinking about supplier collaboration, product and Quality as a Key Element MIT launches the Future
Nakao) promote lean methods in North America, Europe, and
Lean as No. 1
and operating the whole standard work. far beyond the Japanese Japan. The final section presents
factory at the rate of the
As Kiichiro Toyoda establishes the process development, and customer of a Management System of the Automobile Program
auto industry. an action plan for any company
For the first time Toyota passes
Toyota Motor Company he has the support. Toyota wins the Deming Prize after a (which became the International General Motors to become the
final assembly line. to follow toward a lean
idea for just-in-time delivery of parts. multiyear campaign to teach every Motor Vehicle Program in 1985) world’s largest motor vehicle
A lack of basic stability in production manager how to solve problems using transformation.
to study new methods of designing producer and moves ahead as the
and in supplier relations thwarts a scientific method based on W. Edwards and producing products in Japan. world’s most consistently successful
actual implementation. Deming’s Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. commercial organization of
Highland Park Ford Plant, Highland Park, Michigan the preceding 50 years.