Taiichi Ohno

Taiichi Ohno
Born	February 29, 1912 Dalian, China
Died	May 28, 1990 (Age: 78) Toyota City, Japan

Taiichi Ohno (大野 耐一, Ohno Taiichi, February 29, 1912 - May 28, 1990) was a prominent Japanese businessman. He is considered to be the father of the Toyota Production System, which became Lean Manufacturing in the U.S. He wrote several books about the system, the most popular of which is Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production. Born in Dalian, China, and a graduate of the Nagoya Technical High School (Japan), he was an employee first of the Toyoda family's Toyoda Spinning, moved to the motor company in 1943, and gradually rose through the ranks to become an executive. In what is considered to be a slight, possibly because he spoke publicly about the production system, he was denied the normal executive track and was sent instead to consult with suppliers in his later career.

Ohno's principles influenced areas outside of manufacturing, and have been extended into the service arena. For example, the field of sales process engineering has shown how the concept of Just In Time (JIT) can improve sales, marketing, and customer service processes.

See also

• Shigeo Shingo (新郷 重雄, Shingō Shigeo)
• Just In Time (JIT)
• Lean manufacturing

Published works

• Ohno, Taiichi (1988), Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production, Productivity Press, ISBN 0-915299-14-3
• Ohno, Taiichi (1988), Workplace Management, Productivity Press, ISBN 0-915299-19-4
• Taiichi Ohno's Workplace Management by Taiichi Ohno (2007), Translated by Jon Miller, Gemba Press, ISBN 978-0-9786387-5-7, ISBN 0-9786387-5-1

External links

• Taiichi Ohno documents and sources