GA 030 | Teaching Lean the Toyota Way with Tracey and Ernie Richardson

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Today’s episode features our first husband and wife duo, Tracey and Ernie Richardson. This dynamic team are Toyota veterans and are now on the Lean Enterprise Institute faculty, and have their own consulting practice.

With their decades of experience, the three of us definitely did not have a shortage of things to talk about it. From working for Toyota, to Value Stream Mapping, to the overall challenges of pursuing lean, there’s something in this episode for everyone.

To hear the podcast just press the “Play” button at the top of this post. An MP3 version is also available for download here.  

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Tracey and Ernie’s backgrounds, including their years at Toyota (3:19)
• Their favorite continuous improvement quotations (8:09)
• Why the Toyota Production System is not a “quick fix” (14:35)
• The biggest mistakes Tracey and Ernie see companies make at the beginning of their lean journeys (17:50)
• How Tracey and Ernie used Value Stream Mapping or Material Information Flow at Toyota (21:40)
• Practical advice for starting your lean journey (27:31)
• What “Respect for People” means to Tracey (31:43)
• The problem Ernie is currently trying to solve (34:45)
• The best advice Tracey has ever received (36:01)
• Ernie’s personal productivity habit (38:23)
• Tracey and Ernie’s final words of wisdom (51:01)

Podcast Resources

• Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3
• Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com
• Teaching Lean Incorporated
• Lean Enterprise Institute
• Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way
• Managing to Learn: Using the A3 Management Process to Solve Problems, Gain Agreement, Mentor and Lead

What Do You Think?

How do you feel about the Toyota methodologies?

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