What makes the Reyes relationship with TMMTX so special is its role in the innovative process known as parts "kitting." TMMTX is the first Toyota truck assembly plant to adopt the kitting process, which is currently used at its most advanced passenger-car factories. Kits, or sets of parts, can be delivered to a specific installation point, or mounted inside the truck as it travels down the assembly line delivering parts to more than one installation point.

Reyes Plant Manager, Mark Goss, likens the system to the prep-cook area inside an upscale restaurant, which cooks specific components, such as steamed vegetables for a larger platter.

"The turnaround time from when we receive the order, to when the part is installed, will be 57 minutes once the factory is fully up to speed," said Goss. "During pre-production prototype build, we were told that some of our plastic parts were still warm…sort of like fresh cookies out of the oven."

The Reyes plastic parts are manufactured per specific katashiki order, packed into a hanging plastic sleeve - similar to a closet organizer - and delivered to the main factory with other kits on an hourly basis. The empty kit sleeves are returned to be used for the next batch of parts. As with the Avanzar model, freight delivery costs and packaging are eliminated. And since parts are manufactured in small batches, quality issues can be quickly detected and corrected.

"Quality has always been the number one concern in the TPS system," said T.J. Tajima, TMMTX President. "However, Toyota's global corporate commitment to the environment is seen as an equally important component. Our innovative on-site supplier network was instituted to improve vehicle quality and reduce environmental impact. The fact that this new system also reduces time, raises efficiency and is significantly more cost-effective, are satisfying bonuses."

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