Question 1

True or false: Ohno credited the layout of American supermarkets as the inspiration for the kanban system.

Accepted Answer

True. He observed how stores restocked shelves based on customer demand, leading to the pull-based kanban method.

Question 2

True or false: Ohno was a trained engineer who never worked on the factory floor before designing Just-in-Time.

Accepted Answer

False. He actually spent years on the shop floor as a supervisor, which gave him deep insight into waste and workflow.

Question 3

True or false: Taiichi Ohno invented the Toyota Production System entirely on his own without any external influences.

Accepted Answer

False. Ohno built on earlier ideas from Henry Ford, statistical process control, and American supermarkets, adapting them to Toyota’s needs.

Question 4

True or false: Ohno wrote a book titled 'Toyota Production System' in 1978, but it was initially rejected by publishers.

Accepted Answer

True. Many publishers thought it was too technical, but it later became a foundational text for Lean manufacturing.

Question 5

True or false: Ohno deliberately kept the Toyota Production System undocumented to prevent competitors from copying it.

Accepted Answer

False. He actively wrote books and taught extensively, aiming to spread Lean principles across Japan and beyond.

Question 6

True or false: Ohno once argued that reducing inventory to zero was always the best strategy for any factory.

Accepted Answer

False. He advocated for minimal inventory, not zero, recognizing that some buffer is needed to avoid disruptions.

Question 7

True or false: Ohno’s first name 'Taiichi' is actually a pseudonym he adopted after World War II to avoid scrutiny.

Accepted Answer

False. His real name was Taiichi Ohno from birth; no evidence supports it being a pseudonym.

Question 8

True or false: Taiichi Ohno once used a broomstick to demonstrate the concept of one-piece flow to skeptical workers.

Accepted Answer

True. He physically showed how moving one broomstick at a time was faster than moving a bundle, illustrating reduced waste.

Taiichi Ohno Trivia Questions