Monozukuri (Making Things)
By Patricia Pringle
An Invitation to Join a Global Monozukuri Working Group
What’s in a word?
Joe, an engineer who works for a large Japanese manufacturing company, called me a couple of months ago. “Tanaka just came into my office and told me I have been selected to participate in the company’s Global Monozukuri Working Group. He says it’s an initiative to improve communication and transfer processes among the design centers and the factories. It is a good thing, I think. I have been talking with Tanaka about some of my ideas, and this could be my chance to share them across the company. It is going to be a lot of work, and it means going to lots of meetings, but I think it could be worth it. But what on earth is monozukuri?” “Hmm,” I replied. “Did you ask Tanaka? What did he say?”
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