Ford motor company and Toyota Motor Corporation are attributed to have been pioneers of lean manufacturing and mass production of motor vehicles. The aforementioned perfected the two systems of Ford assembly and Toyota production. The Ford system is also known as an automation system and it is symbolic of a mass production system that focuses on work flow. On the other hand, Toyota production system focuses on a practice known as “kanbam” system, which entails a process that comes later on during the production stages and it withdraws all the parts, which will be required for production. This paper is a discussion on Ford assembly system and Toyota production system, it also includes the production environment and the various advantages and disadvantages.
Toyota has two supporting pillars simply stated as “just-in-time and automation”. The Toyota production system has an advantage in that it focuses on eliminating waste completely through production leveling and flattening or smoothing fluctuation. Waste is also managed through making smaller lot sizes and avoiding the continuous flow of a single item in large quantities. A typical example of how the system works is the production of coronas and carinas in an alternating sequence, rather than, production of carinas in the morning and coronas in the afternoon. This is different from the Ford system, which will aim at producing one single quantity of item within one particular time (Clarke, 2006). Toyota’s system has another advantage because customers in the market tend to buy different cars. This system also benefits from rapid changeovers. In case the economy experiences slow growth then, this Toyota system can adapt to the market without the company experiencing major financial impacts that could lead to lay-offs. Focusing on preventing machine problems and process difficulties is another concept highlighted within the Toyota system. As such Toyota has expressed that preventive maintenance is worth pursuing than a healing process. The Toyota production system is one based on responding to the market, and thus, it suppresses overproduction while producing to meet market needs (Womack, Jones & Roos, 2008).
Ford’s mass production system entailed making large lots of a single item that is sending large quantities of an item to the market. Ford reduced the cost of production through implementing a strategy of planned mass production. The advantage of the Ford system is the use of large lot sizes, production of a lot of inventory, and handling of vast quantities of products. Consequently, this system has a disadvantage in that overproduction that can lead to waste occurs. High costs are also experienced since workers and factors of production have to be compensated for and it can backfire in the event of slow economic growth. Overproduction results from the urge of following a strategy of quantity and speed. Ford system strived to eliminate non-valued add wastes (Clarke, 2006).
Henry Ford a rationalist in nature emphasized on standardization and disliked waste of resources during after various stages of production. He wanted full value of labor to be realized whenever raw materials were in use. Under the Ford system, an issue such as the idea of establishing standard was not to be the responsibility of the plant manager, top management, or the federal government. Instead, he perceived that the establishment of standards ought to be through the individual working in production. This system wanted people working under it to make well-made and low-priced products and establish individual standard as individual manufacturers (Womack, Jones & Roos, 2008). Setting up a work flow that ultimately connects the final line of assembly and all other processes of productions lowers the lead time. Synchronization of process is a feature of the Ford system.
- Clarke, C. (2006). Automotive Production Systems and Standardisation: From Ford to the Case of Mercedes-Benz. New York: Springer Science & Business Media.
- Womack, J. P., Jones, D. T., & Roos D. (2008). The Machine that Changed the World. Chicago: Simon and Schuster.
