Il metodo di produzione di Toyota migliora la freschezza del calamaro surgelato
In the heart of Touni Town, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, there is Kamaishi Hikari Foods – a seafood processing company with the mission to restore and thrive the disaster-stricken seafood industry of Kamaishi. Established in 2011, the company caught the attention of Toyota Motor East Japan (TMEJ) in 2018, marking the beginning of a unique mutual learning initiative.
The aim of this initiative was not for Toyota to implement unilateral kaizen activities, but for both parties to learn from each other. TMEJ, established in response to President Akio Toyoda's idea to create a future for the Tohoku region by working with local people, was eager to share the Toyota Production System (TPS) – a methodology that emphasizes continuous improvement and standardization – with other industries.
Kamaishi Hikari Foods, one of the first to show interest in this initiative, was visited by Shigeki Tomoyama, Executive Fellow at Toyota. Tomoyama, who built his career as a "kaizen person" in the Operations Management Development Division, offered suggestions such as using a chute to dispose of the guts, bringing lines closer together to make work easier, and deciding how long knives can be used for to maintain their sharpness.
The launch of this initiative at Kamaishi Hikari Foods led to dramatic changes on-site, such as standardizing procedures, improving safety, and increasing productivity. Kaizen through TPS achieved solid results and had intangible effects such as greater pride and motivation among employees.
Attitudes at Kamaishi Hikari Foods remained unchanged even after the project ended. The words, "Kaizen, keizoku, doryoku" (improve, continue, strive), displayed throughout the factory, stood as a testament to the company's commitment to continuous improvement.
Toyota promotes the spread of TPS among other industries to contribute to society and to be seen as an indispensable part of it. The initiative in Kamaishi was not just about regional revitalization, but also about sharing knowledge for overcoming industrial challenges.
In an effort to improve the working environment, music ranging from J-POP to Japanese enka and Western music is now played at Kamaishi Hikari Foods. With 51 employees, the company continues to strive for improvement, maintaining the principles of TPS and the spirit of mutual learning.
President Sato of Kamaishi Hikari Foods wants to offer economic security and pride to the people of Kamaishi through the seafood industry. The mutual learning initiative with Toyota has been instrumental in achieving this goal, demonstrating the power of collaboration and knowledge sharing for regional revitalization.
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