Nissan's way.

In Fiscal year 2002 Nissan had 12 global product launches. In '03, there were 10. The number for '04: 9. According to Hideotoshi Imazu, senior vice president at Nissan Motor Ltd., who is responsible for manufacturing, between '05 and '07 there will be 28 more. To put it mildly, he has his proverbial plate full. So, how will this be accomplished? Though the continued implementation of the Nissan Production Way (NPW).

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Speaking at the annual 2004 Management Briefing Seminar in Traverse City, Imazu said that there are two "nevers" that serve as the basis of NPW:

1. Never-ending synchronization of our manufacturing with customer needs

2. Never-ending quest to identify problems and put in place solutions

Speaking of the first point, which is Douki-seisan in Japanese, the goal is to coordinate what's produced in manufacturing with the actual customer order, thereby synchronizing all aspects of operations and materials. There is actually an earlier stream of Douki: from product planning through to the start of production. As for the second point, the improvement, Imazu said that they practice Genba kanri, shop-floor management, which essentially means that problems are solved and improvements are made at the actual place where they arise: on the shop floor. Also, there is standardized work, continuous improvements, and skill-development training for operators and supervisors alike.

According to Imazu, one of the effects that the coordination with alliance partner Renault has had on NPW is a concentration on ergonomics. Or, as he simply puts it, by making operations "more human-Friendly." One example is having parts located on the assembly line (which, incidentally, is a height-adjustable conveyor) located in the baseball "strike zone," readily at hand. According to Imazu, by making the performance of the job easier the quality gets better.--GSV