TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA
Cultural alignment: respect for people and continuous improvement A supply chain transformation is only as strong as the people executing it. At Toyota, the cultural framework – the“ Toyota Way” – is built on two pillars: respect for people and continuous improvement. In an industry known for volatility, TMNA’ s commitment to its workforce is singular; the company has famously never had a layoff in North America.
This builds an“ incredible bank of trust,” according to Chris. Team members feel secure enough to take risks and fail during the transformation.
This culture has allowed employees who have been with the company for decades to transition from traditional roles into high-tech positions, such as digital product owners.
Ryan says that the leadership is intentional about giving people“ time to think”. The organisation actively debates how much time should be allocated for employees to pursue continuous improvement outside their daily tasks.“ You’ ve got your job to do, but at the same time, you should also have time available to think, to improve, right? That’ s fundamental to who we are and how we operate,” he adds.
24 toyota. com