RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Establishing operational stability—developing human infrastructure
JF Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery
JO J NeuroIntervent Surg
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.
SP 379
OP 384
DO 10.1136/jnis.2010.002212
VO 2
IS 4
A1 Max A Gomez
A1 Ernest J Byers
A1 Preston Stingley
A1 Robert M Sheridan
A1 Joshua A Hirsch
YR 2010
UL http://jnis.bmj.com/content/2/4/379.abstract
AB Over the past year, Toyota has come under harsh scrutiny as a result of several recalls. These well publicized mishaps have not only done damage to Toyota's otherwise sterling reputation for quality but have also called into question the assertions from a phalanx of followers that Toyota's production system (generically referred to as TPS or Lean) is the best method by which to structure one's systems of operation. In this article, we discuss how Toyota, faced with the pressure to grow its business, did not appropriately cadence this growth with the continued development and maintenance of the process capabilities (vis a vis the development of human infrastructure) needed to adequately support that growth. We draw parallels between the pressure Toyota faced to grow its business and the pressure neurointerventional practices face to grow theirs, and offer a methodology to support that growth without sacrificing quality.