This denial is likely an incomplete knowledge of the Toyota Way

The current automotive crisis affects all manufacturers, and undermines the leadership had acquired Toyota. The search for solutions focus today on the one hand on the adaptation of supply to a structurally modified request, on the other hand a consolidation of the industrial structure: restructuring, recapitalisations, both manufacturers and equipment suppliers. This emergency has pushed to the second plan issues related to the management: what economic model, what culture business, what relational between manufacturers and suppliers

And yet, at the time of the reconstruction, it is necessary to consider the conditions for sustainability of solutions that will be put in place. In this regard, the question of the relationship between manufacturers and suppliers can be a good manager thread. Schematically, it could distinguish two very contrasting types of relational manufacturers-suppliers before the crisis. On the one hand a model "report force short-termiste", the iron pot type against pot of Earth, builders often taking the role. On the other hand, the model "partnership long-termiste" the best example being that of Toyota. There are certainly a typically Japanese variant, that of the "keiretsu", Lord to vassal, hardly imaginable in a Western context. But outside the Japan Toyota relies, and significantly, on independent Western OEMs, with which he develops relationships of course particularly demanding, but confident, long-term, transparent, learning. At this point most equipment manufacturers rêveraient to develop the same kind of relationship with Western manufacturers.

But the crisis is that reveal what everyone sensed: the pot of Earth model against iron pot is suicidal. They are now manufacturers themselves who are forced to fly to the rescue of their suppliers to avoid for the fabric of equipment suppliers, contributing to 70 in the production of their vehicles, is torn irreversibly.

To rebuild, the temptation will first seek to rebalance the balance of power, and reconstruct by meccano industrial and capital stronger equipment suppliers, while avoiding to make them compelling. Exercise beneficial but difficult balance report force being inherently unstable, except will shared the evolve towards a partnership mode. But only a long-term relationship can allow real cooperation on R & D vehicles draft and trades themselves.

The first difficulty to build a long term client-provider relationship will be... to believe that it is possible: most Western manufacturers officials believe that in the hyperconcurrentiel area of the car, partnership and competitiveness are incompatible. Yet the testimony of Western equipment suppliers working with Toyota is unambiguous on this issue, most now consider Toyota as their priority development targets, none is complaining of a lack of loyalty or even respect for Toyota in its regard.

This denial is likely an incomplete knowledge of the Toyota Way. Western builders have the feeling of having adopted the "lean management", but they use in general than the Toolbox (zero, zero defect...). But the Toyota Way goes well beyond. It is a complete system, a culture of entrepreneurship, built over the years on a consensus around strong and shared values: rule of the long term, competence, accountability of operators, taste of the concrete operational, ethical relations. It is on this basis that Toyota was able to develop and maintain a relationship both partnership and competitive, based on the assessment of the capacity of the supplier and its continued strengthening, rather than on systematic competitive with its equipment suppliers.

This type of relationship, that some call "collaborative sourcing", appears as the application to the relationship customer-supplier of the principles and values of the "lean management", but taken as a complete system, not a Toolbox.

The question that arises is the feasibility: how to switch the culture of an organization as complex as that of a car manufacturer The Toyota system is indeed built on the long term, it has developed in Europe or the United States in "greenfield", and similar references are rare: perhaps Nokia, Scania, Alcoa

The challenge is formidable, but the current crisis may provide an opportunity for a deep questioning of the priorities, values, behaviors. The first condition would be the conviction and the commitment of management teams, existing or new. The second, the agreement of the shareholders, but this issue extends far beyond the limits of this article.