From radical to ubiquitous: modern vehicle manufacturing owes it all to TPS

The lean manufacturing techniques perfected by Toyota have shaped automotive production strategies over the past few decades. Applications of what has become known as the Toyota Production System (TPS) touch almost all aspects of vehicle and parts operations, from supplier management and product development to line production and even sales. The full implications of this production philosophy were thoroughly explored in the book 'The Machine that Changed the World', published in 1991. While considerable developments have emerged since then, the fundamental strategy remains the same.