Toyota is Dead? Part 2
In Part 1 (Toyota is Dead? Part 1) I quoted a recent blog in BusinessWeek that suggested because Toyota had it’s FIRST quarterly loss in 70 years they needed to “…rethink supply chain technology…” A sub-heading in the same post reads, “The Limits of Lean: Why Technology Is Now a Must”.
Huh?
Anyhow…read my prior post for my opinion about this conclusion. Whatever anyone’s opinions numbers ultimately tell the story. Today Toyota announced a return to profitability in the latest quarter. I doubt new supply chain technology had anything to do with the return to (quarterly) profitability, just as a lack of technology had nothing to do with the previous (quarterly) loss. Both the recent loss and recent-er gain were driven by unique events (government programs helped this quarter, while crashing auto sales hurt the previous quarter).
Einstein famously said… ‘make things as simple as possible, but not simpler’. As humans and Americans in particular we’re constantly pinning ‘simpler than possible’ conclusions and solutions on problems that are warranted by the facts on the ground (i.e., when in doubt, computerize something).
‘Sick Sigma’? Is quality a waste of time?
“…why are companies that embraced Six Sigma..doing no better in this downturn than the companies that ignored it?”
Six Sigma mystique takes beating in downturn, Reuters, April 29, 20090
