What lies behind the concept of Monozukuri?

What does "Monozukuri" mean?

Monozukuri is a Japanese term made up of the word "mono", meaning things, and the word "tsukuri", meaning to make or produce. It is commonly used to describe the manufacturing activities of the manufacturing industry. In reality, Monozukuri has a far broader meaning, and understanding its nuances is well worth the effort.

The notion of Monozukuri cannot be translated literally, and its meaning depends on each person's sensibility. Historically, the concept refers to a work ethic rooted in deep knowledge, diverse skills, and great passion. It is accompanied by a strong ambition to achieve perfection — an aspiration deeply respected in Japanese society. It also encompasses the notions of pride in craftsmanship and respect for the materials used.

Historical note: This notion is culturally very ancient, tracing back to the making of traditional automaton dolls and samurai swords.

The hunt for the 3Ms: muri, mura, muda

In the late 1990s, the concept of Monozukuri was designated to embody the spirit and history of Japanese manufacturing industry, and came to refer to a Lean Management approach in which the customer is placed at the centre of all concerns. In this context, the goal became achieving excellence by eliminating the 3Ms:

• Mura (variability, irregularity) and

This approach is notably applied by the Toyota Production System, in which the methods and tools of Lean Management were first developed. The company upholds the following philosophy: "Monozukuri ha Hitozukuri kara", which could be translated as:

"Building goods begins with building people."

In this phrase, the term Monozukuri is accompanied by the notion of Hitozukuri, which refers to a passion for developing people. These two terms complement each other, and this phrase can, once again, carry several meanings. It describes the close intertwining of people development and the improvement of techniques through the pursuit of performance. Together, these two notions encapsulate the very concept of Lean.

The Pillars of Monozukuri

It is often stated that the concept of Monozukuri rests on three pillars:

• Product and Development

This phase refers to the design phase, during which it is imperative to minimise costs as much as possible by standardising processes and optimising transparency and teamwork.

The aim of this stage is to eliminate as much production-related waste as possible by optimising the production flow. Lean tools are particularly useful during this stage, and the digital transformation of businesses may be recommended in order to achieve the desired objectives.

The objective here, once again, is to reduce the overall costs associated with supply chain activities.

How to Adopt Monozukuri?

Since Monozukuri is closely linked to Lean Management, adopting it means familiarising yourself with the Lean Management methods and tools that could improve your organisation's performance. Among the most widely used are the 5S method and the Six Sigma method.

Some companies have embraced Monozukuri, adapting it to their own production environments to improve their processes. For example, Nissan enabled the deployment of this method in the automotive industry. Renault also adopted the Japanese approach, with the objective of optimising the value chain. The goal was to reduce the overall cost of a vehicle whilst improving quality.

To achieve their objective, and with the help of Lean tools, the company worked across the entire value creation chain, from the design of the vehicle through to delivery to the end customer.