1980年,美国汽车行业的主管们惊讶地发现,其全球汽车制造领头羊的地位已被日本所取代。日本汽车制造商是如何在价格与质量两个方面同时击败美国同行的?他们又是如何在短时间内推出新车型的呢?带着各种疑问,主管们前往日本进行访问。令他们感到意外的是,日本汽车制造业的成功并非缘于工业政策或政府补贴,而在于商业创新。日本人发明了一套新的生产体系,并以“精益制造”而闻名于世。 In 1980, executives in the U.S. auto industry were surprised to find that its global leader in automotive manufacturing was replaced by Japan. How do Japanese car makers beat their American counterparts both in terms of price and quality? How are new models introduced in a short time? With questions, executives head for Japan. What surprised them was that the success of Japan’s automobile manufacturing industry was not due to industrial policies or government subsidies but to business innovation. The Japanese invented a new production system and is known for its lean manufacturing.