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Toyota Project Management Case Study

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Project Management A critical part of planning for any project is risk assessment, and it is the responsibility of the project manager to conduct the assessment and know how to best avoid or manage those risks (Russell & Taylor, 2017, p.369). Russell and Taylor (2017) state that “by recognizing, understanding, and identifying potential problems in advance, and planning for them, the project team and manager can attempt to prevent them” (p.369). In the event that problems do occur, being proactive in the planning phase means that those issues can be more quickly addressed because a plan and stakeholder ownership is already determined. Effective project management also requires engaging the right stakeholders in the planning and execution of the project to ensure alignment to the ultimate goals. Toyota’s plant management team, through the guidance of the project manager, must consider the risks of redesigning the factory for added capacity, the risks along the timeline of the project, and the risks for launching the full new system. Further, a …show more content…
A primary way that Toyota ensures quality, effectiveness and efficiency within all they do is by teaching and empowering their employees to identify problems and opportunities. “W. E. Deming, the international quality expert, emphasized that good employees who are always improving are the key to successful quality management and a company’s ultimate survival” (Russell & Taylor, 2017, p.313). In managing problem solving or a project, this same approach can be employed. If a truly comprehensive set of stakeholders has been gathered, then the right employees from all departments necessary will be able to discuss how each of their respective areas contributes to a high-quality vehicle. They will be able to discuss cross-functionally how changes to the plant will impact quality, and what can be done to ensure it does not

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