Supplier and Customer Relationships in Toyota Manufacturing USA: Proposal of Development of Advanced TPS for Global Production Strategy

Abstract

Toyota Motor Corporation has developed a process to enhance the supplier and customer relationships through their Tier 1 shipping process. The Tier 1 shipping entity is the supplier to the customer producing the completed product. In their system, quality gates are inserted into the process to act as the gates from order through shipment to ensure the correct material is ordered and shipped on the proper dates to sustain Just-in-Time delivery. This paper describes the Toyota Manufacturing USA process to fulfill customer orders and build a successful business relationship.