TOYOTA CONNECT
Kaizen, which means “continuous improvement” in Japanese, is a long-term approach to work that systematically seeks to achieve small, incremental improvements in processes, efficiency and quality. Few people in SA understand
this better than Thabang Mokoena, Manager: Dealer Parts Kaizen, who was sent to Japan for an intensive induction into the principles of this philosophy, which he says has positively impacted all aspects of his life.
WHAT’S THE KAIZEN PHILOSOPHY ALL ABOUT? It’s about continually striving for excellence, but not perfection. Excellence is about being the best you can be, while perfection implies that there’s nothing further to achieve, which can’t be true, because there’ll always be ways of making our customers happier. Basically, Kaizen requires us always to think a few steps ahead, weigh options and work towards the best outcome.
WHAT ROLE DO YOU PLAY IN THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURING PROCESS? I look after the dealer parts operations, with projects like Dealer Parts Operations Kaizen (DPOK) and Dealer Order Kaizen. The operations at the dealerships can only support our overall operations and targets if they’re running as efficiently as possible.
HOW WERE YOU SELECTED TO UNDERGO THE KAIZEN TRAINING? I’ve been on the DPOK project for some time. When I moved from the Dealer Development Department to the Parts Operations Department, this more direct exposure helped me
better understand the parts business. My GM, Brendan Moore, and the TMC co-ordinator at the time, Shunsuke Goto, gave me the opportunity to do the DPOK Promoter course in Japan, which they thought would equip me with the skills required to undertake the project more efficiently. I’m glad they gave me that responsibility.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE VISITING JAPAN? To be honest, I didn’t see as much of it as I’d have liked. The main aim of the visit was the training. What I did experience was quite amazing: the people, the sights and especially the food. The training took three days, but in all, I spent five days in Nagoya.
“I REALISED
THAT THE BEST WAY TO GET STAFF TO CO- OPERATE WAS BY SHOWING THEM THE BENEFITS OF THE NEW PROCESSES.”
WHAT SPECIFICALLY DID THEY TEACH YOU? DPOK enhances parts operations by optimising dealer inventory, storage conditions, handling customer special order parts and managing ETA information from TSAM to the dealer, and from the dealer to the customer. I then had to implement these Kaizen activities at a pilot dealer, bringing it up to a standard satisfactory for TMC.
WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED IN TEACHING THE KAIZEN PHILOSOPHY TO OTHERS?Most of the staff have been working in the dealer environment for years and are pretty set in the way they operate, so – as a relative outsider with less experience than they had – I met some resistance. I realised that the best way to get them to co-operate was by showing them the benefits of the new processes. Once that was demonstrated, they not only bought into them, but began thinking about how they could improve their own processes. In the long run, the teachings should
be used as a springboard for dealers to implement their own Kaizen activities. They should be able to develop better processes to maximise efficiency and profits, supporting TSAM and providing the best possible customer experience.
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS? I’ve only been at Toyota for six years, with just over a year in the Parts Operations Department. I still have a lot to learn there, as well as from the dealer network and other Toyota distributors. As I gain more knowledge, I want to add more value to the business through DPOK, particularly in the wider roll-out and future projects.
MEET SA’S MASTER OF KAIZEN
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IS AT THE HEART OF TOYOTA’S VALUES. ONE MANAGER, THABANG MOKOENA, HAS STARTED IMPLEMENTING THE JAPANESE PHILOSOPHY DRIVING THIS SPIRIT IN SA
20
WORDS: KIBO NGOWI. IMAGES: JUSTIN BARLOW
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101
