A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business. — Henry Ford, innovating automaker - Jeffrey K. Liker

We have to change the culture from one in which people simply do their own job in their own function to make their own numbers look good (a vertical focus) to one in which people are focused horizontally on the customer and on improving value streams that deliver value across functions.

TPS starts with the customer. Always ask, “What value are we adding from the customer’s perspective?” Because the only thing that adds value in any type of process — be it a manufacturing, service, or development process — is the physical or information transformation of that product, service, or activity into something the customer wants.

One Toyota executive stated the sentiment well, “Team members are the only appreciating asset we have. Everything else starts depreciating from the moment we buy it.