People Pillars: Re-structuring the Toyota Production System (TPS) House Based on Inadequacies Revealed During the Automotive Recall Crisis

Toyota has long been recognized as a leader in lean manufacturing and production quality through a dedicated practice of continuous process improvements and waste elimination techniques hallmarked within their Toyota Production System (TPS) and the ‘Toyota Way’ principles. Toyota's long list of successes and quality achievements has inspired companies within all industry sectors, not just automotive, to seek application of the coveted TPS into their process models in hopes of achieving the rewards that lean production promises. However, a recent series of automotive recall announcements associated with Toyota quality control have led many industry experts and students to reflect on possible inadequacies of the TPS House model. This article seeks to identify potential structural shortcomings and possible deficiencies of the TPS House in light of the root causes of recall crisis and suggest potential re‐structuring to better achieve continuous improvement.