This is a “Throwback” to one year ago when I interviewed Dr. Jeff Liker about The Toyota Way 2nd Edition.  This episode is in the top 5 of most listened to episodes since we launched this podcast.

What You’ll Learn This Episode:

• We discuss his newly published second edition of The Toyota Way.
• Dr. Liker and I talk about sustainment of continuous improvement initiatives, specifically, CONTROL vs. LEARNING environments.
• We also discuss how Dr. Liker is using virtual reality to teach The Toyota Way.

About the Guest:

Dr. Jeffrey K. Liker is Professor Emeritus of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan and a professional speaker and advisor through his company Liker Lean Advisors, LLC, a network of associates to teach and consult in the Toyota Way.

He is author of the new second edition of the international best-seller, The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer, McGraw Hill, 2004 and the companion (with David Meier) Toyota Way Fieldbook, Mcgraw Hill, 2005. His book with Jim Morgan, The Toyota Product Development System, Productivity Press, 2006, was the first that details the product development side of Toyota. In 2018, Morgan and Liker published Designing the Future: How Ford, Toyota, and Other World-Class Organizations Use Lean Product Development to Drive Innovation and Transform Their Business.

Authored 3 books focused on the people side of lean: (with David Meier), Toyota Talent: Developing exceptional people the Toyota Way (May, 2007) (with Michael Hoseus) Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way (January, 2008) and The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership (with former Toyota managing officer Gary Convis).

2 additional books in 2011 are The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement (with Jim Franz) and the first inside account of the recall crisis–Toyota under Fire (with Tim Ogden). And in 2016 (with Karyn Ross): The Toyota Way to Service Excellence.

Articles and books have won thirteen Shingo Prizes for Research Excellence and The Toyota Way also won the 2005 Institute of Industrial Engineers Book of the Year Award and 2007 Sloan Industry Studies Book of the Year.

In 2012, Dr. Liker was inducted into the Association of Manufacturing Excellence Hall of Fame and in 2016 inducted into the Shingo Academy.