Introduction to Part III
In Chapter 2 we saw that the question “What can we do?” often results in scattershot improvement attempts. The more difficult and focused question is, “What do we need to do?”
How does Toyota determine the answer to that question?
Briefly put, the continuously repeating routine of Toyota’s improvement kata goes like this: (1) in consideration of a vision, direction, or target, and (2) with a firsthand grasp of the current condition, (3) a next target condition on the way to the vision is defined. When we then (4) strive to move step by step toward that target condition, we encounter obstacles that define what we need to work on, and from which we learn (Figure P3-1).
Figure P3-1. The improvement kata in brief 75
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