TPS Interviews-1: Samet Yakışık

Making statements will be right before the interview. We talk to each other as adding san after name in Toyota Boshoku. This means that Mr. and also Mrs. in Japanese. TPS means Toyota Production System and you can think OMD, Operation Management Development as Continuous Improvement Department.

Hello, I am Samet Yakışık and I was born in 1988, Karabük. I graduated from Kocaeli University Mechanical Engineering Department. After I attended to Mechatronics Engineering master program of same university but I can’t say that I graduated due to not completing of thesis yet. I started to my business life at Yılport Port Operators, Inc between 2011 and 2012. I have worked at Toyota Boshoku Turkey(TBT) since 2012. I firstly started to my job at engineering department and I made Corolla and C-HR projects’ line setup studies in this department. After, I took charge in different positions at Manufacturing and TPS(OMD) Departments since 2016. I work as Production Manager in Seat Manufacturing Department now.

1) You have been working at Toyota Boshoku Turkey for 10 years. You worked as Production and Operation Management Development(OMD) Assistant Manager(chief) and you are currently working as Production Manager. What is Toyota Production System and what is the strongest way of it from your aspect?

TPS means, above all, doing what you want to do on strong foundations in a systematic way for me. The rules and boundaries are clearly defined. Therefore, it provides convenience to the practitioner. However, during the application, it also provides the opportunity for creativity within the limits of one’s mind, which creates the opportunity for development and it gives to people the feeling of being able to enjoy what they have accomplished, rather than just following the rules.

Construction on the strong foundations and although it has a heavy load, it is the most important point that it has given this load to the installed systems, not to those who apply it. In my opinion, although TPS tries to eliminate the mistake, its strongest aspect is that it always prioritizes respect for its biggest stakeholder by looking for the fault in the system, not in the person, when mistake occurs. Continuous improvement culture is also one of the most important parts of system. TPS develops product and process and also provides the people’s self-development and keeping up with the system because of targeting the work with optimum sources. Hitozukuri and Monozukuri are 2 Japanese words we hear a lot lately. This actually shows very clearly TPS’s focus and strong points. Hitozukuri, that is, human development, aims to develop human and reach optimum line and production conditions with her/him.

2) TPS has many tools. 5S, kanban, yamazumi, standardization, jidouka, JIT, MIF, QCC, A3 report. What is your focus tool and what kind of studies you are doing about this issue?

Of course, every tool is important but I want to say standardization. Because it has very important place in the beginning of the process and also sometimes in the end. You can not start doing kaizen in a place where doesn’t have standards – You know that standardization is the foundation of TPS House – or you can not keep your kaizen if you can’t standardize and you can not transfer other steps and other processes. Therefore this issue is the most important issue for me although it is always in the background. When you standardize, relevant subject is no longer dependent on people. After everybody can continue from that point whoever comes. Otherwise the subject exist with person and when s/he left the next person starts from the beginning. And this is time and source loss wherever you look.

3) You got trainings about TPS from Ogawa san in Japan. It must be a very nice feeling. I hope that I can also get😊 Is there any valuable information or moment that you can share with us from the trainings?

I don’t suppose that I can tell the feeling of that environment. I hope that you can also get chance as soon as possible😊 Telling his all knowledge with stories in that age without any ego although he is the one of the best TPS experts and more important thing is that he did with smiling eyes was the most impressive thing for me. We felt that excitement when we listen. There are many lessons that we can learn from that excitement, especially in this hard period. 

4) Industry 4.0 is a current and popular topic. Before a big investment, it is thought well, assessed and after action is taken in Japan culture. What is your opinion about Industry 4.0? Is there any current topic that is worked on as Seat Department?     

Industry 4.0 is very, very board term. There is digitalization in the basis. Our works are generally creating digital environment on the way to Industry 4.0. Safety Tightening System and Real Time Andon projects on seat lines can be examples. Next step is processing data coming from the line making some decisions automatically through interpreting processed data. I support Industry 4.0 as someone who is innovative and study on these subjects in my personal life also. Although Japan culture is tradition-bound there is continuous improvement in its DNA. Change, new world requires this idea and I think that Japan companies will not be against to change. On the contrary, they will act in the ahead of change with other companies. This topic is also thought in Toyota Boshoku Global and also necessary investments are provided.

5) We know that you make TPS exams to your line leaders and assess their knowledge level as an old OMD member. What do you do for strengthen TPS level of your line leaders and team?

“Back to origin” statement was the most influential word for me in the TPS sessions which done with Ogawa san. TPS is the core of our company. We should always adhere to it and we should know the best. I always recommend to not moving away from this core to members worked together and I do my best for remembering this idea and telling my knowledge. In this direction, I also personally give TPS trainings and also I support to other trainings done in the factory. I do oral and written exams in the unexpected moments. I am sorry that I will continue doing exams😊 If I also look from my perspective, I worked with friends who are leaders now, I got a lot of help from them, we succeed many things together before 10 years ago when I started to this company as an engineer. I think that I get chance for teaching my knowledge now. I have some kind of debt. Yes, I can be their manager but besides managing in this position, I can say that my biggest aim and wish is developing them.

6) “Respect for people” culture is the most important and most core part of Toyota group. Can you tell the positive effects of this culture in our business life?

Things don’t always go as planned. Although our aim is to take quick action and find solutions, there are cases where we cannot succeed. Two-person and job relationships are developed in the environment which there are people who respect themselves. Somebody holds your hand in your hard time and you walk together. You don’t feel alone in the unsuccessful situations as you share the success. I made many mistakes in my 10 years experience, it developed me much but the best thing is I always felt someone next to me, I have felt over and over again that I am respected and loved. It is priceless.

7) Contribution of management is very important for being successful in the lean manufacturing implementations. Can you give information about activeness of our top management in the studies for being example?

Absolutely right. This is very important in terms of both the employee’s ability to do his/her job safely and the budget required for the resources they will allocate. Of course, it has vital importance for the work of the TPS group to be met and accepted in the field. We have probably experienced one of the periods when this support is the most since the day I started working here

8) Toyota group companies’ existence in Turkey is a very big chance for the deploying of lean manufacturing for our country but technical visit and benchmark demand from the companies and also training demand from the universities are very less. What do you think of this situation’s reason or what is our lack?

I think that this is mostly relevant with us. Until recent years, both the feedbacks of external auditors/consultants and our biggest self-criticism were that we were too introverted. In other words, we study as a closed box(closed box is a Turkish term means that closed to outside). This can be know-how protecting idea and it can also be a lack of need due to self-sufficiency. Of course, the situation is totally different. Mind is over mind and not only TPS, everyone includes human resources ets. needs each other in the changing world. The low demands of other companies may be caused by that they think that they cannot reach this closed structure or especially for the universities, it can be caused by general lack of our country, too much theoretical progress.

9) There are hundreds companies who implement lean manufacturing. What advices would you give them to improve themselves in lean manufacturing?

My prior advice is to believe. Because they will have to repeat the same thing over and over again in order to reach the truth and be sure of the situation. Getting bored and giving up will be easy when you don’t believe. After they absolutely should examine the good examples, take a good training, and provide a comprehensive training environment for the employees who are interested in this topic. Because if you do this job unconsciously it will be loss. On the contrary, when it is done consciously, it will provide both cost gain for the companies and confidence to the employees with the sense of achievement.

10) Finally, what advices would you give to students who want to build a career in production sector and in which areas would you suggest they improve themselves?

Production has a very dynamic structure especially in a TPS based factory. Besides, it is a field that blue collar works and labours mostly. Therefore my prior advice is that they should develop themselves in the human relationship(this is not valid only for the business life). Respect to human, respect to labour and helping to people who produce as a job should be in the main aims. Besides, they should be very dynamic for catching the flow and learn to multitask at the same time.