Re:Tesla co-founder and CTO JB Straubel stepping down
by pasabagi on Thursday July 25, 2019 @07:42AM
(#20524513)
> Would you have sources about Toyota factories being less automated than their US competitors?
It's kind of a cliche at this point - but a good start is 'The Toyota Way', which talks about developing people. I'd also be interested if you can find an authoritative source. I just have a lot of news articles - a good overview is this one in industryweek (https://www.industryweek.com/operations/tesla-vs-tps-seeking...).
The basic principle is somewhat obvious - automation is efficient, but inflexible. That often leads to machines sitting idle, or the overproduction of unsaleable stock. So it's a kind of poison chalice - it looks like you'll reap huge profits, but if your car doesn't sell well, you're screwed. If you invest in people instead, you can react to changing economic conditions.
It's kind of a cliche at this point - but a good start is 'The Toyota Way', which talks about developing people. I'd also be interested if you can find an authoritative source. I just have a lot of news articles - a good overview is this one in industryweek (https://www.industryweek.com/operations/tesla-vs-tps-seeking...).
The basic principle is somewhat obvious - automation is efficient, but inflexible. That often leads to machines sitting idle, or the overproduction of unsaleable stock. So it's a kind of poison chalice - it looks like you'll reap huge profits, but if your car doesn't sell well, you're screwed. If you invest in people instead, you can react to changing economic conditions.