Yesterday was the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., so I hope you enjoyed the day if you're here and celebrating the holiday.
I saw this article and it's great to see Toyota getting involved in the community again, this time in West Virginia:
Toyota helps local food bank fight hunger
From the article:
“While the link between an internationally renowned auto manufacturer and fighting hunger may seem improbable, Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia (TMMWV) has proven otherwise.”
Sure, hospitals are factories… patients are not cars… and food banks are not factories. But, Lean methods and Lean management works.
What! Food Banks dont build cars! ;) Congrats to Toyota folks and the food-bank! https://t.co/CzSKaxUJBn
— Vance B (@vansmac2) November 24, 2016
What were the results of Toyota's assistance?
“TMMWV team members helped the food bank's backpack program increase its efficiency by 600 percent. In addition, two-thirds additional storage was created on the warehouse floor.”
Wow!
As a Toyota employee commented:
“This just goes to show the things we do every day at the plant can be applied anywhere and make a dramatic impact,” Jarrell said in a news release. “More than that, it was incredibly rewarding to watch the food bank staff learn, grow and challenge their assumptions about how best to serve the community.”
Toyota wasn't just fixing the food bank… as we see with community efforts like this, Toyota isn't giving answers, they are developing people and teaching them how to improve.
See past articles and videos about Toyota helping in the community:
Video: Toyota Helps a NYC Food Bank & Hurricane Sandy Victims
Have a great weekend…
Photo by Flickr user RIFoodBank, used under Creative Commons license
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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. He is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. His most recent book is 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. His latest book has been released as an "in-progress" book, titled Measures of Success.