Here's one for anyone who would accuse me of only reporting good things about Toyota. They aren't perfect, but I assume they would admit that.
From today's WSJ:
Japan's largest car maker in sales has long had a reputation as one of the world's most quality-conscious companies, consistently winning top accolades from such arbiters of quality as J.D. Power and Associates for its ability to make cars that run longer with fewer problems. But the company has been rushing to meet surging demand for its products in markets at home and abroad by building a slew of factories all over the world.
Toyota's senior managers have repeatedly expressed concern over how the company will keep a handle on quality as it produces everything from minicars in Eastern Europe to minivans in Thailand to large pickup trucks in Texas.
It will certainly be interesting to see how Toyota meets this challenge.
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Mark Graban
Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker who has worked in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. His latest book is Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More. He is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. He also published the anthology Practicing Lean that benefits the Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation, where Mark is a board member. Mark is also a Senior Advisor to the technology company KaiNexus.