A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Since becoming dean of the University of Kentucky’s College of Engineering last September, I have been privileged to be part of an international community comprised of devoted alumni and generous friends of the college. As I learn more about our college, the dedication and quality of our faculty, staff, students and alumni continually impresses me. This publication is our way of connecting you to their inspiring stories. In this edition, you will read about two of our faculty members who are leading the way in engineering—one who has forged and sustained a collaborative research partnership with Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky for 20 years and another who is using MRIs of mouse hearts to learn more about potential cardiac diseases associated with pediatric obesity. Additionally, you will meet a graduate student who was awarded a prestigious NASA fellowship for his research into turbulence and two entrepreneurial alumni who have built a launching pad for new technology startup companies right here in Lexington. The UK College of Engineering came into existence through the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862. For nearly 150 years, we have trained the next generation of engineers. The stories in this publication demonstrate that our reputation for excellence is as strong as it has ever been, and I hope that excites you as much as it excites me. Sincerely,
John Y. Walz, Dean
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING SPRING 2013 EDITORIAL BOARD Jeff Snow Lisa Atkinson Kelly Hahn Julie Martinez CREATIVE DIRECTOR Julie Martinez WRITER Kelly Hahn GRAPHIC DESIGN Aaron Camenisch PHOTOGRAPHY Aaron Camenisch CORRESPONDENCE AND CHANGE OF ADDRESS University of Kentucky College of Engineering 251 Ralph G. Anderson Building Lexington, KY 40506-0503 859-257-9395
TABLE OF CONTENTS DEAN JOHN WALZ page 4 The new dean and his wife share breakfast and talk about his take on leadership, education and what it means to bleed blue.
BRANDON FORNWALT page 8 One of UK’s newest faculty members is fighting pediatric obesity by studying mouse hearts using a state-of-the-art 7- tesla MRI.
MARK MILLER page 12 A top graduate student is using his education and research opportunities to tackle one of the last unsolved physical phenomena.
BRIAN RANEY & NICK SUCH page 16 Two alumni use their education and connections from their years at UK to launch a high-tech startup accelerator program in Lexington.
KOZO SAITO page 20 A distinguished professor uses his experience with Toyota to write the first company-sanctioned book on the Toyota Production System.
FRONT COVER Pictured on the front cover is “Bowman,” the newest member of the UK family. Located in the Alumni Wildcat Plaza on Avenue of Champions across from Memorial Coliseum, Bowman serves as a friendly ambassador to students and employees as well as visitors.
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DEAN JOHN WALZ AN INTERVIEW WITH THE NEW DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
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n September 1, 2012, John Y. Walz became the 10th dean of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering. Dean Walz most recently served as professor and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where his department’s achievements were recognized by the university with an Exemplary Department Award in 2010. Previously, Dean Walz was a professor and chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Yale University and was on the chemical engineering faculty at Tulane University. Prior to obtaining his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1992, Walz spent six years as an engineer at Shell Oil Company. We sat down with Dean Walz and discussed the strengths of the college, getting acclimated to Lexington and the approach he is taking to his new job. UK: In your seven months as dean, what has stood out to you as the college’s top strengths and opportunities? JW: First, we have an outstanding student body, particularly in the area of undergraduate students. In 2007, our total enrollment was only 1,686. This fall, our total enrollment was 2,729, an increase of over 1,000 students in just five years. This fall, we brought in a college record 778 freshmen engineering majors. We are also attracting high-caliber undergraduate students. Of the 155 National Merit Scholars at UK, 49 are majoring in engineering (31%) and our ACT
composite was 28.3. The academic excellence of our students rose under former dean Tom Lester’s leadership and is only going to get better. Second, we continue to expand our collaborative partnerships. We have a top-notch hospital nearby, as well as ongoing research efforts with the College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy. Away from campus, we have numerous ties with leaders in the manufacturing, energy and agricultural industries. One such partnership is the Bluegrass Economic Advancement Movement, also known as the BEAM Initiative, initiated by the mayors of Lou-
DR. JOHN Y. WALZ DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY www.engr.uky.edu
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Dean Walz and his wife, Moira, enjoy breakfast at Shakespeare & Co, located in scenic downtown Lexington. Owned by UK engineering alumnus Ed Saad, the restaurant is the first of an international chain to be built in the United States.
isville and Lexington to identify educational, economic and policy initiatives that support the development of advanced manufacturing. UK is going to play a big role in this initiative through the expertise of our faculty who can make the necessary research breakthroughs and simultaneously engage students in multi-disciplinary collaboration. UK: What do you like about Lexington? 6
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JW: Without a doubt, Lexington has excellent restaurants, so we’ve enjoyed visiting great restaurants and sampling new cuisine here in Lexington. We’ve gone to the opera house and I have taken my daughter to the children’s theater a couple of times. I enjoy beautiful scenery, so we have taken drives in the countryside and spent time at Shaker Village. My family and I have only been here for seven months, so we’re looking forward to discovering more of
what makes this area great, but so far, this is a great place to live. UK: You worked as a process engineer before returning to school to earn your Ph.D. What led you to work in academia? JW: When I got my Ph.D., I wasn’t sure if I wanted to work in industry or work in academia. I had worked for Shell and had an offer to go back there, but decided to give
teaching a shot and took a position at Tulane University. Things started clicking when I got my first grant award and realized that I could get my research funded. The more I taught classes, I discovered that I liked teaching and the positive reviews from students communicated to me that I was actually decent at it. So the combination of being able to secure grant money, enjoying teaching and possessing skills that made my teaching effective sold me on remaining within academia. UK: What are some of your core beliefs about leadership?
JW: My goal is to surround myself with great people, set the expectations I have for them and then trust them to do their jobs. Basically, I try to not get in their way. Then, I do what is within my power to reward them in ways that recognize the great job they are doing. I also believe I need to lead by example. So if I’m asking people to work hard, I need to make sure I am willing to work just as hard, if not harder. UK: Have you had a moment when you realized, “These people are really serious about their basketball!”? Do you think you will ever “bleed blue”?
JW: Not long after I got here, for several days I saw people camped out in tents along Avenue of Champions. I asked Tom Lester if they were camping out for season tickets. He grinned and said, “No, they are there waiting for tickets to the first practice.” I couldn’t believe it. That’s when I realized that the passion for basketball here is at a different level than anything I had ever seen before. Will I ever “bleed blue”? Well, I probably won’t camp out for Big Blue Madness, but I’ve been to a few games and plan to attend more. It’s exciting to be part of a winning tradition.
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BRANDON FORNWALT BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCHER RECEIVES NIH DIRECTOR’S EARLY INDEPENDENCE AWARD
The first mouse heart images produced by UK’s $3.2 million 7-tesla MRI. The machine enables Dr. Brandon Fornwalt and his collaborators to see a mouse’s heartbeat—which beats 500 times per minute—at 40 frames per minute. 8
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iven the numerous challenges facing our world, there is plenty of opportunity to make a positive impact and help people. Fortunately, field engineers are well compensated and engineering faculty are often free to explore their research interests on their way to achieving tenure. For Dr. Brandon Fornwalt, a passion for discovering innovative ways to make a difference gripped him long before he settled on a formal career path.
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I’VE LEARNED THAT LIFE ISN’T AS PLANNED OUT AS I THINK IT’S GOING TO BE.
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The assistant professor, who holds a joint appointment with the Department of Pediatric Cardiology in the College of Medicine and the Center for Biomedical Engineering, graduated from the University of South Carolina with degrees in mathematics and marine science and a visceral desire to make a positive contribution to the world. What he didn’t have was a clear vision for applying mathematics to systemic social issues. That’s when Fornwalt slammed the brakes on his vocational planning and made the counter-intuitive move to volunteer full time at a free medical clinic for a year. “Many of the patients were impoverished and had conditions rarely seen in modern medicine because they lacked basic health care,” he recalls. “Most had no health insurance at all. The pharmacy received free prescription drugs but there wasn’t a system for organizing what came in or out.” Enter Fornwalt’s background in mathematics. He quickly developed a computer-based tracking system that improved the workflow and significantly increased the amount of free medicine given to the clinic.
BRANDON FORNWALT M.D./PH.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSOR UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY www.engr.uky.edu
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Fornwalt and Dr. David K. Powell, assistant professor of anatomy & neurobiology, work together to image mouse hearts as part of Fornwalt’s research into pediatric obesity. The mouse pictured was the first to be imaged in the 7-tesla MRI.
Later, Fornwalt and his wife, Fiona, decided to join the Peace Corps. They enlisted, trained, received an assignment and prepared for departure. Then September 11, 2001 changed everything. The Peace Corps brought nearly everyone back to the U.S. With volunteers coming home, there was nowhere to send the Fornwalts. Time dragged with no 10
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immediate change on the horizon. Serendipitously, that is how Brandon Fornwalt ended up in medical school. “I’ve learned that life isn’t as planned out as I think it’s going to be,” he chuckles. “I had fallen in love with medicine working at the free clinic and enrolled in medical school at the last minute.” Fornwalt is an M.D./Ph.D.—a fully licensed medical doctor
primarily focused on research. At weekly patient care conferences with pediatric cardiologists, Fornwalt brings an engineering perspective to the discussion; when consulting with biomedical engineers, his training as a clinician is close at hand. “For a while, I tried extremely hard to be a top researcher and a top clinician; eventually, I felt that trying to be good at both was impossible. I made a difficult
No, it isn’t the Peace Corps and Fornwalt admits to occasionally wondering what might have been; however, he is thoroughly satisfied that his research at UK, particularly exploring cardiovascular effects of pediatric obesity, is making inroads toward saving lives.
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“I’m working on something that affects one in five kids,” he smiles. “There aren’t many things that affect one in five kids.”
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Not bad considering a mouse’s heart beats 500 times per minute and is only seven millimeters long.
Institutes of Health Director’s Early Independence Award. The award will entitle Fornwalt to $1.96 million over five years to continue his research. He is the first faculty member from the University of Kentucky to win the prestigious award.
The other focus of Fornwalt’s research is pediatric heart failure—specifically, the problem of dyssynchrony, a condition where different parts of the heart contract at a different pace, resulting in an inefficient output of blood. In October, his research earned him a National
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Hired by UK in 2011, Fornwalt’s joint appointment with the College of Medicine and the College of Engineering allows him to do just that. Now, the guy whose classmates brought him EKGs in the middle of the night simply because he loved reading them has access to a $3.2 million 7-tesla MRI. The magnet—one of seven of its kind in the U.S.—uses no radiation and allows Fornwalt to see a mouse’s heartbeat at 40 frames a minute.
“One aspect of my research is understanding pediatric obesity and the cardiovascular complications of obesity in children,” he says, referring to images of mouse hearts on a nearby monitor. “For that project we feed mice a high fat diet and watch for changes in their hearts over time. We are using the knowledge gained from the mouse models to understand what is going on in kids who are obese.”
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decision to focus on research but also resolved to do research in a clinical department where I could still be involved with patient care,” he explains.
Director of the National Institute of Health, Dr. Francis S. Collins, presents Dr. Fornwalt with a National Institute of Health Director’s Early Independence Award. Dr. Fornwalt is the first faculty member from the University of Kentucky to receive the award. www.engr.uky.edu
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MARK MILLER GRADUATE STUDENT’S TURBULENCE RESEARCH LANDS NASA GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP
UK is home to several wind tunnels that are used for various research projects by students and faculty. Students at UK have an opportunity to use these large scale wind tunnels to study various aspects of fluid motion in a controlled setting. 12
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urbulence. Seasoned and infrequent air travelers alike are familiar with the sudden jostle, followed by the captain’s tinny voice confirming what everyone on board suspects: “We’re going through some turbulence.” Turbulence is an inevitable and widely accepted trade-off for the freedom to get somewhere exceptionally fast—a given aspect of life in the air. Few people question why, but not graduate student Mark Miller.
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PEOPLE HAVE BEEN STUDYING TURBULENCE SINCE THE EARLY 1900S AND IT REMAINS AN UNSOLVED DILEMMA. IT’S CONSIDERED ONE OF THE LAST UNSOLVED PROBLEMS IN MAJOR PHYSICAL PHENOMENA.
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Miller is currently working on a NASA EPSCoR funded project conducting experimental investigation of blowing effects on turbulent flow over a rough surface. Using a wind tunnel, Miller is examining the fundamentals of how flow transpiration through a surface modifies the turbulence flowing over it. His research has applications for modeling adverse effects upon the exterior of spacecraft returning to the earth’s atmosphere. Last spring, his efforts were rewarded with a NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship. According to NASA, the NSTRF is a national award given to a select group of future technological leaders, “to provide the nation with a pipeline of highly skilled engineers and technologists to improve America’s technological competitiveness.” Through such programs, NASA hopes to gain access to students like Miller who are interested in creating new technologies that will benefit aerospace research. Miller spent last summer interning at NASA Ames in Mountain View, Calif., and will work for NASA again this summer as a part of his fellowship.
MARK MILLER GRADUATE STUDENT, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY www.engr.uky.edu
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Mark Miller and a fellow student prepare probes inside of a wind tunnel in the Fluids Lab. In addition to research opportunities at UK, Miller has also conducted research at NASA Ames in Mountain View, Calif.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have worked at Ames. The scientists and engineers encouraged innovative and creative thinking as ways to tackle technically challenging problems,” he says. A fixture in the UK College of Engineering since arriving on campus in the fall of 2007, Miller applied his education to student organizations competing in engineering competitions while earning his bachelor’s degree 14
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in mechanical engineering. He was a part of the Design/Build/ Fly team and during his senior year Miller was team lead for the Solar Car Team that placed fifth nationally in the Formula Sun Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Just as gifted inside the classroom as outside of it, Miller was chosen by former dean Thomas Lester to participate in his engineering leadership class—an experience that exposed him to industry
leaders and esteemed alumni and culminated in a trip to Washington D.C. Given Miller’s potential, it was a testament to UK’s ability to attract high-quality graduate students when Miller chose to enroll in a graduate program directed by assistant professor Sean Bailey after graduating in August 2011. “Mark continues to impress me with his maturity and knowledge of engineering fundamentals, and even in this early stage
RETURNING THE FAVOR Kevin Wieman had just received his diploma in the mail when he became a member of the Fellows Society and the Quadrangle Society. He graduated knowing a pledge to support the College of Engineering was the first thing he would do after accepting a job offer. That’s exactly what he did. He credits a range of mentors who influenced him during his college career for preparing him for his future. Becoming a Fellow, he deemed, was the first opportunity he had to return the favor to his UK family. of his graduate studies I am able to rely on him to conduct quality experiments that I can trust,” says Bailey. “He has proven himself to be an excellent experimentalist with a good instinct for performing research.” In turn, Miller cites his faculty advisors such as Bailey, Alexandre Martin and Suzanne Weaver Smith, as great mentors. “I could never have made it this far without the support of my advisers and funding through NASA. It is incredible to me what is possible when you dedicate not only your time, but are provided tons of great assistance from co-workers and advisers.”
Kevin’s gift supports the activities of the UK Solar Car Team. He was a member of the team for over two years, serving as the business manager during his senior year. He spent many hours soliciting sponsors knowing that in addition to the many technical challenges that come with being on the team, the financial challenges are just as daunting. Giving to the Solar Car Team is his way to reward a team that performs well and works hard. A fourth generation Wildcat, Kevin came to UK to preserve a family tradition. Thanks to his generosity, many more engineering students will experience the triumphs of teamwork and success.
www.engr.uky.edu
BRIAN RANEY & NICK SUCH
ALUMNI ENTREPRENEURS MAKING A BUSINESS OUT OF LAUNCHING BUSINESSES
Audience members listen to a business pitch at 5 Across, an informal gathering of entrepreneurs, investors and service providers in Lexington. Five teams pitch their idea to a panel of judges for the chance to win $500. 16
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hen Main Street passersby stroll past Awesome Inc’s storefront, some see the spacious wooden floor and assume the place offers dance lessons. Others misconstrue the “Inc” to mean the proprietors are tattoo artists. Still others peer inside, shake their heads and ultimately cross the street to Dunkin’ Donuts, where the wares are more obvious.
In fact, Awesome Inc’s 5,000 sq. foot building is currently home to 20 different companies, ranging from startup technology and software companies to, yes, a dance studio called Premiere Dance. Tenants of the generous co-working space pay $200/month for a desk, a Main Street address and access to the printer, conference room, Wi-Fi and even a ping pong table, available for settling debates.
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STARTING A COMPANY IS A PATHWAY THAT CHANGES EVERY TIME. IT’S HARD TO NAVIGATE AND OFTEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE IN THE DARK.
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In addition to leasing affordable co-working space, Awesome Inc also runs Team Alpha, an internship program that allows volunteers to get involved in entrepreneurial ventures while managing the logistics of Awesome Inc’s local and regional events. Last year’s MobileX conference brought 200 mobile technology investors, developers and enthusiasts together for networking and brainstorming. As remarkable as these facets of Awesome Inc are, co-founders Nick Such and Brian Raney are quick to point out that Awesome Inc’s core business isn’t renting space, overseeing interns or staging events. “Everything we do ultimately supports our startup accelerator program,” says Nick, who graduated from UK in 2009 with a degree in mechanical engineering. “We mentor teams of two or three people involved in web or mobile technology and cram 12 months of work into three months.”
BRIAN RANEY & NICK SUCH FOUNDERS AWESOME INC www.engr.uky.edu
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Raney. “It is more important to build something and get it out there. Produce a minimally viable product and let users start testing it. Business plans might be good for companies that have been around and have years of data to rely on, but not startups.”
Raney (right) earned a master’s degree in economics after completing a computer science degree. Such (left) earned a bachelor’s degree in mechnical engineering and developed his entrepreneurial sense while leading the UK Solar Car Team to its highest finish of 2nd place in 2009.
The goal is to launch a new startup company that is able to survive and thrive in harsh economic conditions. Last year’s class contained three teams. The 2013 class will feature six. “Starting a company is a pathway that changes every time,” adds Raney, a 2005 computer science graduate. “It’s hard to navigate and often you feel like you’re in the dark. The Awesome Inc Accelerator program gives participants access to our roster of 40-60 mentors—business leaders, industry experts, angel investors and others who can provide direction.” 18
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Because Awesome Inc receives equity stakes in the nascent companies, Brian, Nick and co-founders Luke Murray, Nathan Fort and Rachel Cunningham have a vested interest in making sure their protégés succeed. Toward that end, the entrepreneurs find they often have to “explode” long-held myths about startups—like the need for a business plan. “There are notions that if you’re going to start a company, you have to write a business plan; but when startups try to write a 50-60 page business plan, they usually end up being little more than creative writing,” explains
The idea for Awesome Inc originated in part from a 2008 trip Raney and Murray took to Boulder, Colo., where they attended TechStars Demo Day. Raney says then Lexington Vice-Mayor Jim Gray sponsored the trip, which put the two in contact with TechStars founder and CEO David Coen. TechStars invented the accelerator model Awesome Inc now employs. “We saw TechStars accelerator model and decided we could do that here. This space came available in April 2009 and we decided to pull the trigger on opening Awesome Inc as a shared working space, using the accelerator model to launch startups.” Beyond the co-working space stands Awesome Inc’s “Wall of Inspiration.” It features framed photos of innovators and entrepreneurs who have created value for the world through a business, such as Larry Page (Google) and Blake Mycoskie (TOMS Shoes). Many of the
The multi-purpose space of Awesome Inc includes collaborative office space and is also used for a dance studio, art gallery, event venue and creative laboratory.
pictures are signed, and the founders hope to have them all autographed one day…although they recognize that having Apple founder Steve Jobs on the wall will ostensibly prevent them from achieving that goal. On a different wall, near the entrance, hang the plaques of inductees into the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, another Awesome Inc creation. Several members are alumni
from the UK College of Engineering, such as former UK president Lee Todd, Davis Marksbury, William T. Young and Ralph G. Anderson. John Schnatter, founder and CEO of Papa John’s International, was inducted in 2010 and attended the ceremonies in 2011. “I used to stand in the atrium of the Ralph G. Anderson Building and look at the UK College of Engineering Hall of Distinction
plaques almost every time I came in the building,” Such recalls. “That was some of the inspiration for the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.” Given his and Raney’s passion and proven talent for entrepreneurship and engineering, no one familiar with the two would be surprised if they were one day enshrined in both.
www.engr.uky.edu
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KOZO SAITO RESPECTED PROFESSOR’S NEW BOOK GIVES INSIGHTS INTO TOYOTA’S SUCCESS
Dr. Saito’s book, Seeds of Collaboration, is the first Toyota-sanctioned book on the Toyota Production System. The first printing, performed by Larkspur Press of Monterey, Ky., was intentionally limited to approximately 100 hand-bound volumes. 20
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hether analyzing Toyota’s supply chain management, culture, history or philosophy, authors have long been intrigued by the inner workings of the internationally renown automotive manufacturer. Despite the best-seller status of books like University of Michigan professor Jeffrey Liker’s, The Toyota Way, former president of Toyota Motor Corporation Fujio Cho believed something integral was missing from the popular literature.
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WHOEVER HOLDS THIS BOOK SEES AND FEELS ITS UNIQUENESS. THAT IS HOW WE SEE TPS—EACH EMPLOYEE, EACH CUSTOMER, IS UNIQUE AND WORTHY OF RESPECT.
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“Cho-san was not happy with the books written about Toyota because they were all beautifying. The authors had no direct experience with the Toyota Production System (TPS), so they could not convey the essence of it,” says Kozo Saito, Director of IR4TD where UK’s Lean Systems Program is housed. “Because we have had direct experience with TPS over nearly two decades, Cho-san considered us ‘owners’ he could trust to capture that essence.” Saito’s recently released book Seeds of Collaboration: Seeking the Essence of the Toyota Production System communicates the organic nature of TPS in a way its creators would recognize and affirm. The book, dedicated to Mr. Cho in commemoration of his 52 years at Toyota Motor Corporation, marks the first time Toyota has ever officially collaborated on a publication with someone outside the company. Akinori Saito, president of Toyota Production System Support Center, Inc., (TSSC) and vice president of Operations Management Development Division (OMDD), supplied contributions for Toyota, as did several others from both UK and Toyota.
DR. KOZO SAITO TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY PROFESSOR IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY www.engr.uky.edu
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Kozo Saito has been a faculty member in the UK College of Engineering since 1986. He is the Tennessee Valley Authority Professor in Mechanical Engineering as well as the Director of the Institute of Research for Technology Development (IR4TD). His research has focused on automobile surface coating and inspection, lean manufacturing and nano-technology.
“In 1993, Cho-san initiated this Lean Systems Program,” Saito explains. “Without him, we would not be here, so we wanted to thank him for his help.” The limited first printing of Seeds of Collaboration underscores Saito’s desire to create a book that reflects the philosophy of TPS—inside and out. Larkspur Press in Monterey, Ky., binds each volume by hand and envelops them in an intricate eggshell white cover. “This first printing is not for the 22
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masses,” clarifies Saito. “Each book is expensive (around $80), but very special. The people at Larkspur put their minds and hearts into each one, working by hand. Whoever holds this book sees and feels its uniqueness. That is how we see TPS—each employee, each customer, is unique and worthy of respect. We believe that if we wrote about TPS, the actual book should reflect what we believe.” According to Seeds of Collaboration, the principles of TPS extend beyond making vehicles.
Whether reflecting upon the wise sayings uttered by Toyota’s most iconic figures or pondering ways in which the TPS ethos challenges “business as usual” in the U.S., readers are encouraged to contemplate their own life and mission. At its root, Seeds of Collaboration doesn’t attempt to impart information as much as it endeavors to foster personal growth and human potential—one of the many ways in which the book faithfully espouses the essence of the Toyota Production System.
SEEDS OF WISDOM GOROKU One of the unique features of Seeds of Collaboration is the “Collection of Goroku”—sayings given at various times by the three founders of TPS. “By putting the original sayings in the book, we are inviting the reader to interpret wisdom that has endured over time and apply it,” says Saito. We chose two challenging sayings from the Collection of Goroku attributed to Mr. Cho and asked Saito to provide commentary.
GOROKU: “When I hear that a production line never stops and there are no mistakes or problems, I would say that is because they have not challenged themselves.” - Fujio Cho
work have? Is the work really necessary? If management lets subordinates do unnecessary work, they are wasting subordinates’ precious lives.” - Fujio Cho
COMMENTARY:
COMMENTARY:
One of the important principles of TPS is kaizen—continuous improvement. But how do we begin? We need to identify the problem. If we don’t identify the problem, we can’t improve. Problems are identified and found by people with keen insight, well-developed eyes and motivation to make the current system better. If there isn’t an interest in making things better, there will be no kaizen.
One of Toyota’s emphases is only making ordered products in a timely manner. If an order doesn’t come, they don’t make it. Don’t make any unnecessary things. Toyota is guided by their principle of respect for people. They only ask the worker to produce what the customer wants, which respects their time and effort.
GOROKU: “When we do any kind of work, we must think carefully about what value the work adds. What purpose does the
Saito explains, “The Goroku make you think and they may make you uncomfortable. We didn’t write this for the reader as much as we wrote it to convey truths that will be accessible to those who want to know and practice them.” www.engr.uky.edu
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University of Kentucky College of Engineering 251 Ralph G. Anderson Building Lexington, KY 40506-0503
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