9/1/10 HOW I FALL IN LOVE WITH TOYOTA.....

In 1996/98 I was sent to do my MURP in Denver, Colorado. I took the bus to school. Drped at the Park n Ride, then hoped over to the train to down town UCD City Campus. Taking a train in the US in early morning is always interesting. Everybody seem to have their Mug of Coffee. While in the afternoon or evening, everyone seem to be 'by themselves', with their books. Those observation had made me feel out of place for not reading while waiting and or riding the bus and the train. Thus I began to take books either from the Library or any second hand bookstores. When my kids join me in the bus or train, I have to silent and discipline them by giving them something to read or play with. Normally the bus and train route maps and those little advertisement phamplets would be the best.

(2) I use to observe this saying being printed on the bus or train wall: Sell Honda, Ride RTD. RTD is the short form for Regional Transport Department. In fact all Public buses and train in Colorado are owned by the Government. Nonetheless, the operation of the buses and train are privatised. All services are inter-connected. Travelling schedule are well coordinated, and for two years, I was there, I have never experienced any delay except in Winter where the snow sometimes block the road.

(3) I was wondering, how dare the American (RTD) could say: Sell Honda, Ride RTD! Later I found out, Honda has a real big stake in the American Automotive System. But, since I began to acquire the reading habit, one day I came accross a statement by Toyota: Beat Honda! At that stage, Toyota was on the journey to beat Honda to be the no 1 car in the USA. Toyota camry entered the American market in the massive way in that mid 1990s. If not mistaken a Camry sell at U$15,000.00 each in 1996, as compared to the New Blue Bird Beetle VW at U$200,000.00 with at least 2-3 years delivering que. Sometimes when a Young Blonde 'Minah Salleh' drove by our campus street, I wish I was driving with her! VW Beetle is my dream car sometimes ago!

(4) Then, if not mistaken in 2007, the news that Toyota is now the No. 1 (nambawan, as the Pigin Papua saying) car in the World, not only in the US, recollect my encounter of those words: (1) Sell Honda: Ride RTD, and (2) Beat Honda! in the 1996/98.

(5) Toyoda the founder of Toyota, was a very stuborn (as the American see it), but determine and highly nationalistic, as I would say, stayed firm with his view that Toyota must be strictly Japanese. He wanted Toyota = Japanese. Genuinely Japanese. Design, built, and manage the Japanese Way, despite even he got bad pressure from the Japanese MITI (after being pressured by the American). He believe in home grown technology and management system. He is right, he won, though probably five or seven generation later!

(6) I believe Toyoda is right. Now any CEO and or Chairman of Toyota need to subscribe to Toyoda principle of management: Toyota = Japanese. Toyoda family would never allowed anybody to deffer from such view point. Though never being said, I believe, that was how Toyoda develop true Japanese ownership among the corporate citizen, true Toyota at all level struggle to be the best! Toyota emphasis, at all level, the long term survival of the Corporation. They sacrifice alots to ensure the survival and the growth of the Corporation. They know, good Toyota mean good 'Toyota Family' and better Japan. That how they work, that their spirit.

(7) Various books are now being written on Toyota. I begin to look for Japanese Management Books as an alternative to do better thing the better way, apart from all those Peter Drucker, the MIT and Harvard publication that used to dominate my reading.

(8) I believe now I'm at a 'distant in love' with Toyota: Toyota Leader, Toyota Culture, Toyota Way, No 1 Toyota, Extremely Toyota, and Toyota Kata (kata apa?).

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

27 January, 2010