By Kathy G.
It’s ironic that this James Surowiecki piece about Toyota’s success came out this week, given the fact that the the latest financial report from Toyota (via Megan McArdle ) shows a substantial decline in profits. The decline is being blamed on “a stronger yen and soaring raw-materials costs.” Truck sales in the U.S. have also been down.
Whatever problems Toyota is currently having, Surowiecki points out that Toyota has “long been the auto industry’s most profitable and innovative firm” and that this year it may become the sales leader, as well. What have been the secrets to Toyota’s success? Surowiecki points to innovation, and in particular, Toyota’s vision of “innovation as an incremental process, in which the goal is not to make huge, sudden leaps but, rather, to make things better on a daily basis.”
Crucial this philosophy is
the idea that innovation is the province of an elect ...
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Goats From: knowourworld.webloged.net Post Date: 2008-11-10 16:58:03
The Future of Kaizen at Toyota is Epic
Despite is vaunted Toyota Production System, culture of kaizen and a line up of fuel-efficient vehicles Toyota Motors is being hit hard by the crisis affecting the automotive manufacturers. In addition to slowing demand due to high gasoline prices and a weakening economy, the strong yen has particularly hurt Toyota. The nasty downward spike in the chart above hits the top line first, folks. Newspapers report that Toyota’s bottom line for ... more
It's kinda foggy and rainy here. So with that in mind, here's a few automotive-related items to occupy your time on just such days:
Canada Fines Company for Advocating Carpooling ( here )
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Detroit Is Tanking, But Toyota's in Trouble, Too ( here )
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Futuristic Green Transit: 10 Vehicles for 2010 ( here )
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At a time when U.S. automakers are telling taxpayers and lawmakers that they are on the brink of financial collapse, Japan’s biggest automaker is still investing in its business.
Toyota pins hopes on economical IQ small car.
Toyota’s top brass pledges that this year more money will pour into research and development for the cars of the future. Toyota isn’t just trying to survive this economic downturn; it’s planning its success well into the fut... more
My friend Lee is ridiculously gorgeous. She is tall, and very slender,
long-legged and narrow-hipped, absolutely lovely with a cloud of blonde hair,
and just generally--gorgeous. Gorgeous was a word that was kind of invented for
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as she is in real life. And you are lucky to have met her, because she is funny and warm, confident
and hilarious and fun. You can’t imagine her ever having a moment of
self-doubt, because w... more
Priced Out From: sarahweinman.com Post Date: 2008-03-04 13:30:00
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So did USA TODAY’s Carol Memmott
As did Jerome Weeks
James Mustich conducts a Q&A for the B&N Review
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Our latest review is of Roberto Bolano’s Nazi Literature in the Americas, the fourth Reading the World 2008 title to be reviewed on Three Percent. This was highly anticipated and totally lives up to the hype. ... more
from my publisher:
“Unfortunately the royalty statements reflect sell-in (which was great) rather than sell-thru (which has not been as great), so the next time you receive a statement, you may see a lower number, depending on returns.”
glossary:
sell-in — total number of books sent to bookstores
sell-thru — total number of books sold by bookstores to consumers
i figured something was amiss.
the thing about blogs is that it’s easier to post... more
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