I also highly recommend listening to this entertaining episode. To answer what someone else asked in the thread, the reason other plants trying to copy NUMMI f

I also highly recommend listening to this entertaining episode. To answer what someone else asked in the thread, the reason other plants trying to copy NUMMI failed is that the GM managers could only copy the things they saw of the Toyota system. The lines on the floor, the equipment, etc. They did not and could not (in time) copy the mentality and attitude of the workers and management, to believe that quality was paramount and that stopping the line was ok in the name of improvement. The attitude sank everything, and is hugely revealing. All the best tech in the world will not save you from the wrong attitude.