FORD MOTORS PHILOSOPHY vs TOYOTA MOTORS PHILOSOPHY

FORD MOTORS PHILOSOPHY vs TOYOTA MOTORS PHILOSOPHY Introduction A manufacturing/production system consists of a conversion system, which transforms inputs into output. The way conversion is done depends upon the nature of product/service and the nature of demand for such product/service. Thus the types of production are broadly classified into two categories, the continuous and the intermittent. The first category is appropriate where large scale production is required and the second is suitable where demand is non-uniform and seasonal and the product is not standardized. Ford Motors, as it is poised for mass producing standardized automobiles, naturally embraced the continuous production system. This essay attempts to compare and contrast the production philosophies and systems adopted by Ford Motors during 1930s and Toyota Motor Company during recent times. As Kanigal, Robert [1997] laid the basis for the concept of assembly line, Henry Ford, adopted the concept in1914 with due consideration to Adam Smiths philosophy of division of labour. He over simplified the tasks which led to specialization and business success (William A. Levinson, 2009). On the other hand, Toyota, which emerged as a different socio-industrial system, ironically had its roots in Henry Fords philosophy (James P.Womack, Daniel T.Jones, Daniel Roos, 2007) However, TMC digressed from the traditional Detroit philosophy based on the concept of lean manufacturing and thus carved a niche for itself and grew to such an extent that the American automobile industry shook. Henry Fords Contribution Earlier, cars were a specialized luxury, available only to the elite. Fords mass production scheme made the automobile accessible for the common man even, by virtue of Fords vision, a car for every man. This philosophy got extended to the whole range of consumer products and services which came into the reach of every common man. Henry Fords team nurtured innovation in all the 4 Ps (Product, Process, Position and Paradigm) to happen concurrently. The T-Model, which Ford and his team evolved formed the basis for emergence of an altogether completely new realm of thinking as regards manufacturing, which resulted in elimination of need for skilled labour (Joe Tidd, John Bessant, 2009). Though the basic elements existed earlier, Fords success lay in synthesizing them into a new form. The philosophy encompassed not only assembly operations, but supply chain and logistical aspects also. Features of Ford System of Manufacturing Standardization of products, components, equipment, process, tasks and tasks of control. Time and work study, to identify the optimum conditions for carrying out a particular operation and job analysis, to break up the task into small, highly controllable and reproducible steps. Specialization of functions and tasks within all areas of operation .there was considerable narrowing and re-utilization of individual tasks and an extension of division of labor. Uniform output rates and systematization of the entire manufacturing process. Payments and incentive schemes based on results. Elimination of worker discretion and passing of control to specialists. Concentration of control of work into the hands of management within a bureaucratic hierarchy with extensive reliance on rules and procedures. The Toyota production philosophy The system of production which, though had its roots in that of Ford Motors, has evolved as a distinctive one with unique features such as lean manufacturing, is known as Toyota Production System [TPS]. Sakichi Toyoda, his son, Kiichiro Toyoda and Taiichi are the founders of Toyota Motors. The founders and the engineer, Taiichi Ohno are the ones who appreciated and embraced the concept of Lean Manufacturing, founded on the original concept, being, JIT production (Sorensen, 1956). The founders of Toyota based heavily on the work of Edward Deming and the literature written by Henry Ford. Lean manufacturing (Simon, 1996) concept was even seen during the times of Benjamin Franklin. The business success and opulence of Detroit drove the Toyota team to be inquisitive about witnessing the assembly line and mass production. When the Toyotan delegation visited the US, they were not impressed. The Toyotan philosophy (Shigeo, 1996) aims at rationalizing the design of the manufacturing process and so it envisages elimination of three elements, being overburden [muri], inconsistency [mura] and waste [muda]. This entails that the process is flexible enough to be free from stress as it is supposed to generate waste. The Toyota system identified seven types of wastes, popularly called the Seven Wastes. They are over-production, motion (of operator or machine), waiting (of operator or machine), conveyance, processing itself, inventory (raw material), and correction (rework and scrap) Of the three lapses, i.e. overburden, inconsistency and waste, the latter, muda, seems to dominate the thinking of man as they see the fruitful effects of TPS. Origin of the concept of TPS It is known that Toyota Motor Company has got its inspiration not from the Detroit Philosophy, but rather from their observations made on their visit to the US in 1950s. The Toyota delegation first visited the automotive plants of Ford Motor Company located in Michigan. But they convicted that many methods adopted by the industry leaders were not satisfactory or effective. Some of the lapses they identified were: large amounts of inventory on site, the way the work was performed in various departments uneven pattern, i.e., with intervention of waiting between one operation and another operation resulting in islands of idleness, re-work in huge quantities at the end of the process. Later, the Toyotan delegation visited Piggly-Wiggly, the supermarket and observed how inventory management was carried out. The supermarket maintained scanty amounts of stock sufficient to cater to the customers and its employees for a short duration, stocks were reordered and instantly replenished. This indicated an important dimension, i.e., eliminating the need to maintain huge stocks and it was all done just-in-time. Taking cue from this philosophy, many US businesses made a direct attack on high inventory levels but ended in fiasco. This was because the American businesses did not understand the underlying issues. A principle of maintaining low levels of inventory also implies that proper alignment should be made with the vendors such that they were in a position to supply materials and components just-in-time. A complete delineation with the entire supply chain is necessary. This important aspect was ignored by the American automobile industry. It cannot be achieved overnight. Toyotans admitted that it took 20 years for them to implement JIT programme. Tenets of Toyotan Philosophy CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT Challenge: Work without challenge makes people indolent and lackadaisical and nonchalant. Kaizen: Capabilities, skills, efficiency and the like are not constant. They keep improving over time. Hence benchmarks need to be revised constantly. Innovativeness is a natural propensity. Genchi Genbutsu: Try to find the root cause before making correction of the apparent defects. RESPECT FOR PEOPLE Respect: Others must be respected. There should be mutual understanding and a readiness to accept responsibility to build mutual trust. Team work: Working together to achieve organizational and individual objectives through commitment. LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE Short-term goals are mere derivatives of the long-term ones and the former are dependent on the latter and hence, priority shall be given to pursue/revise long-term goals. THE RIGHT PROCESS PRODUCES THE RIGHT RESULTS Creation of a continuous process flow facilitates inherent problems to be apparent at surface. Lacunae, if any, will come to surface; unevenness in loading of work stations will be indicated. Adopting pull system of production prevents overproduction. Under pull system of production, production scheduling is not done for large scale manufacturing. Master production schedule is made based on the current orders on hand. Once these orders are processed, the production process is stalled and rescheduled upon receiving new orders. Thus, products are pulled out of the system by customers. As long as production goes, care should be taken to avoid unevenness of flow of the process. This requires every material, tool, equipment and labour to be readily available at the respective work station to avoid interruption. Defect to be nipped in the bud. This means that if the job on the assembly line or at a work center is found to be defective, the same cannot be passed to the next work station/center without being rectified of the defect. This gives two-fold advantage; first, all the output that comes out will be defect free and secondly, there is no need to invest on a quality assurance system. Line stopping Where, on an assembly line, if any defect is noticed by the operator[s], he is given discretion to stop the assembly line by means of a switch and hold it till the defect is rectified. Continuous improvement is based on standardization of operations/tasks and employee empowerment. Standardization of operations facilitates fixing benchmarks for employees and thereby provides for comparison of performance against benchmarks. Once they are met by the employees, the benchmarks will be revised. This way, performance and efficiency keep increasing year by year, leading to ever increasing performance and productivity. Visual control system: This system alarms the workers of any lapse or defect that my arise during the production process. When the system identifies a defect, it alarms the workers through visual devices. Using fool-proofed technology: The Toyotan philosophy calls for using equipment of proven technology to ensure a steady and uninterrupted flow of the process as well as to get the output of the desired quality. DEVELOPING PEOPLE AND PARTNERS ADDS VALUE TO THE ORGANIZATION Leaders should be developed from among the employees who relish the philosophy, understand it thoroughly and are willing to share it with others. Exceptional personnel and teams who imbibe and nurture the aspirations of the company should be developed. Network partners and suppliers by sharing expertise should be honored and challenging assignments should be given to help them improve. A SUSTAINED EFFORT TO RESOLVING ROOT PROBLEMS DRIVES ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING A personal involvement in a situation provides a thorough understanding of an issue. Decision making shall be done coolly through consensus, taking into consideration all possible options. Implementation shall be done quickly. This is based on the belief that collective wisdom is always superior to the individuals. Creating an environment in the organization so, that every employee indulges in learning things and improves performance on a sustained basis. This makes the whole organization, a learning organization. How Toyota Is Comparable To And Discernible From Ford Production Philosophy Toyota Relies on piece-meal style of production, i.e., produces only when there is pull from the customer Ford Whereas Ford manufactured in large scale to create stock based on estimated demand Nature of work Toyota Designed the work so, that workers had to be multi- skilled to perform complex tasks. Ford Over simplified complex operations such that workers needed low level skills Standardization Toyota Though was influenced by the writings of Edwards Deming and Henry Ford, was embarrassed on eye-witnessing the assembly lines of Ford Motors facilities in Michigan. Ford Could demonstrate business success through the policy of standardization of products, components, equipment, process and control. Pace of output Toyota production system was continual and produced in small quantities as each customer merited. No pile up of finished goods. Ford Held the policy of turning over at uniform pace to create huge pile up of stocks. Set up time cost Toyota Fundamentally designed for continual flow meriting frequent changeovers and set ups, but this could be offset by the extra costs of blocking capital in the form of huge pile up of stocks, characteristic of Ford Motors. Ford As the scheduling is done for continuous run, changeovers are less frequent and so, low set up time and cost. Workers discretion Toyota Allowed certain amount of discretion to workers on the assembly line such as empowering them to inspect the job for defects and to stall the flow on the assembly line to rectify the defect then and there and then let it go to the next work station to ensure zero defect situation and to eliminate the need of rework division. Ford Eliminated the scope for workers discretion to be used at the work place since each worker on the assembly line had to perform only a single task and the next task had to be done by the next worker. Workers had no authority to stop the flow of work as such, an incidence of defect is allowed to pass till the end of the process and the defective item is sent to rework division. Process design Toyota Focused on three criteria while designing its production system, i.e., overburden, inconsistency, and waste. These words are simple, but have far reaching effects. The last criterion is pivotal for the success of the company. The seven wastes concept indicates a treat amount of insight of the Toyotans and it is unique of Toyota. But, ironically, Toyotan inspiration is rooted in the writings of Edward Deming, who happens to be the American. The fun lies in the fact that American automobile industry did not pay heed to Demings philosophy, but non-Americans exhibited faith in it. Ford Bureaucratized as far as administration/control is concerned. All employees have to observe scalar chain and abide by the rules and procedures Long-term perspective in planning Toyota Ford Both companies look into far future. Developing people Toyota Promotes development of exceptional individuals and teams. Ford Does not focus on developing experts as it has over simplified the tasks, rather, workers might gain efficiency as they do the single task repeatedly. Pay and incentives Toyota Provides ample scope for personnel to grow as it nurtures innovation, employee participation and so on. Ford The policy is to pay and provide incentives based on results. Problem solving Toyota Employees are nurtured in such a culture that they address a problem through the root cause instead of taking a perfunctory look. Ford Employees are not trained along making deeper efforts in addressing problems. They used to leave the problem at perfunctory levels. Summary The world has witnessed a constant transformation as regards the automobile production/operations philosophy. The Fords mass production (produce to stock) philosophy received ample appreciation and was convicted to be the right path by most other manufacturers (1914). This has been evidenced by the way the Big Three, (Ford Motors, General Motors and Chrysler) flourished during early and mid 20th century. But the onset of Toyota production system, which is based on the philosophy of lean manufacturing, started sending tremors into the well complacent American automobile industrys regime. The principle of Toyota Motor Company (TMC) to eliminate wastes and subsequent TMCs success attracted other manufacturers who tried to copy, but in vain. They could not imitate the whole TMCs philosophy as it is.

Fertility Drugs: Are they worth it? :: Pregnancy Reproduction Medical Essays

Fertility Drugs: Are they worth it? Over the past few years there seems to have been an increase in the amount of couples that have used fertility drugs and ended up having nine or more children. The couples' stories have been aired on the news, and when interviewed, many of the couples stated that they only wanted one child, but because one of the spouses was infertile, they were unable to get pregnant. At the advice of their doctor, the couple took fertility drugs, and the result was the rapid expansion of their family. The effectiveness of fertility drugs such as Clomiphene and Bromocriptine are overshadowed by their many, and often very harmful, side effects. Are infertility drugs worth the cost that possible side effects have? Causes and Solutions to Infertility Infertility affects 7.1 percent, or 2.8 million couples, of married people in the United States. It is difficult to assess the overall percentage of infertility that exists in the United States, as many individuals do not know that they are infertile until they attempt to have children. In addition, information on the web is confined to addressing infertility among married couples, thus this web paper discusses studies conducted among married couples. Less than a third of married couples seek help from their doctors, even though almost 90 percent of all cases of infertility have one or more causes than can be treated. Infertility's most common causes include egg quality/production, blocked tubes, and the male-factor. (1). Problems in egg quality/production are the result of poor egg quality, irregular ovulation or failure to ovulate because of hormonal deficiencies or imbalances. A fourth case is polycystic ovarian syndrome, which is a condition in which a hormonal imbalance prevents the egg-containing follicles on the ovaries from maturing and releasing an egg, instead forming sometimes painful ovarian cysts. These problems, especially deteriorating egg quality, are often age-related, and apply most often to women 37 and older. Possible solutions to poor egg quality/production include use of a donor egg, fertility drugs such as Clomiphene and Bromocriptine, and in vitro fertilization (IVF). (1). Blocked fallopian tubes are often the result of scar tissue, adhesions, and damaged tube ends (fibria). Another common cause is endometriosis, which is the growth of endometrial cells (the tissue that lines the uterus) outside the uterus, most often on the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, or the exterior of the uterus.

Toni Morrison

Hannah Campos Professor Gibbons English 2 February 25, 2013 The Future of Language is in Our Hands Toni Morrison’s is a leading figure in American literature who won the Nobel Prize in 1993. She is good at giving different points of views or metaphors in order to show her purpose of writing and produce the tension of beauty. Black history plays a huge role in Morrison’s writing. In her lecture she tells a story happening between a blind woman and a few young men. The young men question her wisdom by asking if the bird in their hand was alive or dead.Her response to that was, â€Å"it is in your hands† meaning that the fate of the bird is in your hands. They could either let the bird live or die. The bird in this story indicates language. Morrison tries to imply that language is diminishing slowly as generation goes on and on. She believes that it is in our hands to revive it for what it truly is. The story involves the racial issues. Morrison shows her strong lov e for Hero language, but at the same time she showed her worry for its situation in the hands of todays society. Morrison feels like language can or will be killed by indifference and be employed to promote violence.In the continuing essay I will talk about Toni Morrison’s style and reason of writing what she writes and also what she means about â€Å"it is in your hands†, language that is. Morrison’s Nobel Lecture best interprets her artistic writing style. The fully poetic language and creative writing is what makes Morrison so outstandingly bold and Campos 2 different. Morrison is good at realizing what the purpose is and prevailing it onto others in a way that is easily persuasive and believable. She has many narrative techniques that she takes in to action.In this lecture she gave, she brings forth all these techniques I just said in the above text. Toni Morrison makes a good point when, in her acceptance speech upon receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature, she says, â€Å"Narrative . . . is . . . one of the principal ways in which we absorb knowledge† (7). The words we use and the way in which we use them is how we, as humans, communicate to each other our thoughts, feelings, and actions and therefore our knowledge of the world and its peoples. Knowledge is power. In this way, our language, too, is powerful. We as the people just need to learn how to use it properly.In her acceptance speech, Morrison tries to communicate the idea that we must be careful with how we use our words. Once again, She analogizes the use of language to the life of a metaphoric bird in a tale of a wise, old, blind woman. Toni Morrison opens her speech by referring to a tale of two young people who, in trying to disprove the credibility of this wise woman, ask the question, â€Å" is the bird I am holding in my hand living or dead? ’†. Of course, being blind, the woman does not know and must say so. However, she adds that, â€Å" What I do know is that it is in your hands. It is in your hands†.In saying this, she tells the youngsters that the fate of the bird’s life is their responsibility. The bird, in this case, represents language. Morrison tries to portray the blind woman as an experienced writer of some sort. Some believe that it is herself. She goes on to say that the bird has either been found dead, been killed, or has the ability (if it Campos 3 is alive) to be killed, much as language, being looked at as a living thing, can live or die; be saved or destroyed. As Morrison would say language is â€Å"susceptible to death, erasure; certainly imperiled and salvageable only by an effort of the will†.That will is the responsibility of those who use it. We have the option to make language something beautiful, useful, and a source of that power of knowledge, or as degrading, offensive, and oppressive. Throughout her speech, Toni Morrison works towards defining and supporting this thesis of resp onsibility. It is our responsibility, as users of words, to make language thrive. We are not aware of the words that come out of our mouths due to lack of thought or attention, we all suffer and we are all at fault. The standards of society are changing and with them the standards and values to which we hold the meaning of our words.Some may say that the values and morals are declining and with that comes a decline in the way in which we as a society express ourselves. Should we be so â€Å"careless† or â€Å"indifferent† with our language, its â€Å"demise† will surely come. Words may, in fact, loose their affect and meaning. Perhaps this gives new meaning to the statement â€Å"language may be the measure of our lives†. Language has many uses, and with it responsibilities, namely â€Å"grappling with meaning, providing guidance, and expressing love†. Where would we be if we, as a culture, abandoned this all? Would we have no meaning, no guidance, no love?All people who use language are capable of this, if not already to blame for this: children, parents, those who hold positions of power. All in all, Morrison tries to use a metaphoric analogy in order to portray her views on the role that language plays today and in the future. She strives to keep in abundant Campos 4 and living in all of our vocabulary. Morrison is very dedicated to her writing. She uses her ethnicity to help her tell her stories using racial issues. In the end, I believe that we all have language in our hands, how we use it is all up to us. It is our responsibility, however, to help future generations use it right.

Metatnarrative in Conrads Heart of Darkness - 1324 Words

C. Patrick Ormos Prof. William Napier LIT-500-Q1098 Gr Studies in Literary Theory 14TW1 3 October 2014 Compose a short two- to three-page paper in which you illustrate how one of the literary theories discussed in Modules Two through Five applies to either James’ The Turn of the Screw or Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. As this is a short paper, be sure to narrow the theoretical focus of your application. For example, if you use narratology, you might choose to apply Chatman’s concepts of how narrative â€Å"records thought and feeling† or Bahktin’s ideas of â€Å"heteroglossia† but not both; if you work on postmodernism, you might focus on Lyotard’s theory of â€Å"metanarratives† or Baudrillard’s theory of â€Å"the simulacrum† but not both. The main†¦show more content†¦Often, this entailed physical rape, as we often see with conquering armies, but it also entailed economic rape, the forcible acquisition of the raw materials of wealth, with an unstated sense that the conquering army has the â€Å"right† to this reward. And in the second part, beginning with â€Å"What redeems it,† we see Lyotard’s concept of a metanarrative and its power to organize meaning. Marlow, a long-time blue-water sailor, tells the tale of his short time as a fresh-water sailor in Africa. (I’m going to guess that he was speaking of the Congo Rivers, referring to West Africa and its forests and elephant herds, and that the Company was probably Belgian.) After being hired by the Company and going through a visit with the doctor, he returns to his Aunt to take tea. She is quoted as saying, â€Å"weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways.† (Conrad 65) Again, another allusion to the metanarrative. As Marlow lands in the Congo and begins his trip overland, we listen to him describe the Africans he sees, â€Å"I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar†¦and all were connected together with a chain†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Conrad 27-8) He describes another group of workers as a group of people who had â€Å"withdrawn to die.† He meets a white man, the bookkeeper, and hears the lament for how a sick African is interrupting his concentration. Slowly, Marlow builds up a picture of Africans being oppressed and killed in a variety