Genchi Genbutsu (現地現物) means "Go and see for yourself" and it is an integral part of the Toyota Production System. The Toyota Production System (TPS) (トヨタ生産方式) is the philosophy which organizes manufacturing and logistics at Toyota, including the interaction with suppliers and customers. ...

Application

The notion is that rather than simply hear or read about a problem and make a suggestion for improvement, one should actually go to its direct location and experience the situation first hand. All too often an issue is raised on a conference call, in a meeting, in the board room or even over email. Then, from the remote location, a solution is created (by a team or sometimes an individual) that will somehow alleviate the circumstances. It is as if a doctor in New York is called for a consult from a fellow colleague in Seattle and by simply listening to a description of the patient and the presented symptoms he correctly diagnoses the medical problem and prescribes the proper course of treatment and medication. Even if he was sent X-rays, cat scans and lab results, an accurate conclusion is highly unlikely. Thus, Genchi Genbutsu says that the only course of action to take is for the doctor in New York to fly to Seattle so that he can examine the patient himself.

References

• Jeffrey Liker. The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles From The World's Greatest Manufacturer. McGraw Hill, 2003.
• Jeffrey Liker, David Meier. The Toyota Way Fieldbook. McGraw Hill, 2005.