There are five generally recognized manufacturing systems with Toyota Production System (TPS) being the most recent manufacturing system design. The TPS is functionally and operationally different from any other manufacturing system. The TPS uses less of everything when compared to the common functional job shop manufacturing system. In addition, the implementation of TPS by a manufacturer results in fewer defects; and therefore, an increase in quality. The fundamentals of the TPS are: manufacturing and assembly cells, pull system methodology, 100% good quality, on-time delivery every time, respect for people, and maximum utilization of non-depreciable resources—people and raw materials. The Toyota Production System uses its cellular manufacturing subsystem for increased productivity. The cellular manufacturing subsystem is flexible while designed to sproduce superior quality products, on-time, at the lowest possible cost, and on a continuous basis. This article reports the applied research utilized to convert a U.S. furniture manufacturer into a TPS factory.
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