Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Business Columnists
Here is an article about the upcoming Toyota San Antonio plant and its leader, “T.J. Tajima.” Is it unique to have a guy from purchasing in charge of a Toyota factory? Is he a typical “manufacturing guy?”
“He's risen through the ranks through purchasing, most recently as general manager of global purchasing for the mother company, Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan. His degree is in economics from Keio University in Tokyo, not exactly the training you'd expect for an assembly line.”
“Even though I'm not an engineer, I've visited 3,000 plants,” says Mr. Tajima. “I know kaizen [Japanese for continuous improvement] when I see it.”
Toyota talks a lot about their role in society and their role in the environment. It's one argument for on-site suppliers — not just reducing the waste of time and inventory, but also the waste of pollution and energy usage:
Without on-site production, parts would travel up to 2,000 miles to San Antonio. A lot of things can happen to them during such a long haul. And those 18-wheelers produce emissions by the cloud-load – a key concern for Toyota, says Mr. Tajima.
“We really believe that the true meaning for our company's existence is better quality, better performance, better reliability and being kinder to Earth, which means fuel efficiency and lower pollution, not only with the product but in the process of making it,” he says. “Otherwise, we're just like everyone else.”
Please scroll down (or click) to post a comment. Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Let’s work together to build a culture of continuous improvement and psychological safety. If you're a leader looking to create lasting change—not just projects—I help organizations:
- Engage people at all levels in sustainable improvement
- Shift from fear of mistakes to learning from them
- Apply Lean thinking in practical, people-centered ways
Interested in coaching or a keynote talk? Let’s start a conversation.
