The Toyota Production System (TPS)

The Toyota Production System bases manufacturing on demand rather than simply on capacity. This way the right parts reach the assembly line just as they are needed, keeping inventories, both of parts and finished goods, to a strict minimum.

By focusing on smaller production lots and producing only what customers require when they require it, Toyota has developed a flexibility and responsiveness that continues to set the standard for the industry.

Its capacity for reacting quickly to new market trends makes TPS an ideal system in today’s rapidly changing global business environment. And it is a big plus for the environment as well:

Toyota Production System...

• eliminates waste
• reduces energy usage
• minimises use of raw materials
• delivers standardised quality

As a result:

• Total energy usage per car across all our European manufacturing plants has been reduced by 44 % since 2001.
• Water usage in Europe has been reduced by 37% since 2001.
• Packaging waste has been reduced through the full use of returnable or recyclable packaging.
• Volatile organic compound emissions per square metre of painted surface were reduced by 21%.

At Toyota, environment and economics always go hand in hand.