Although not completely rigorous, the term Lean Production Systems is used here in this lab as a way to generalize Toyota’s approach to organizing and managing production and organizations as a whole. There may be several models that materialize Toyota’s vision and strategy in different ways, both in its initial version with the TPS (Toyota Production System) and the more current version called Toyota Way. In these models we also include the Shingo model as a way to seek excellence in organizations. The LPS Lab aims to develop knowledge in terms of how companies and other organizations can transform their operation and management into a new culture of continuously seeking perfection and excellence. This lab is focused in finding tools and techniques to materialize the principles that are assumed in most excellence models. Those principles cover the whole spectrum of the socio-technical nature of organizations, from the technical side to the social science side, including principles such as Pull Flow, focus on process or quality first, as well as, lead with humility, respect for people and follow long-term philosophy.

Lean Production Systems Lab leader: José Dinis Carvalho