Talking about Japanese Manufacturing

[aidfing]

Hi all,

I was wondering if I could use this forum to discuss Japanese manufacturing with any interested Japanese industrialists or perhaps if I could be redirected to a more appropriate forum on this topic.

My name is Aidan Finnegan, 25 years old from Ireland with a passion for manufacturing. In particular I am tremendously impressed by the approach adopted by Japanese companies post 1950 in terms of quality and continuous improvement within manufacturing. The reputation of Toyota, Panasonic, Sony etc. are undisputed. I enjoy reading about such companies however, I would much prefer direct communication with real people working in Japanese manufacturing.

I would be very grateful if anyone could assist me with my request. If this is not possible, may I just send greetings from Ireland to all at this forum.

Many thanks

[Glenski]

What exactly did you want to know or talk about?

[aidfing]

Well,

I just wanted to get to know what it is like for an individual working day to day production in Japan. I have obviously done some research in particular with regard to Toyota's Production System (TPS) and how this has influenced the western world in terms of "lean" manufacturing.

However, as I said, I would much prefer a first-hand account of how Japanese companies encourage continuous improvement as well as recounting their approach to maintenance and performance. I recognise that this perhaps mightn't be the ideal setting for such discussion, but I am hoping that I can speak with someone who might be interested in manufacturing.