Ford's Heritage Project

摘要

In 1982, Philip Caldwell, then head of Ford, visited Eiji Toyoda, then head of Toyota Motor Corp. At dinner Toyoda toasted Caldwell by saying, "There is no secret how we learned what we do, Mr. Caldwell. We learned it at the Rouge." In 1917, Henry Ford had built a vertically integrated industrial complex on the Rouge River in Dearborn, MI, that both systemized and showcased concepts such as continuous flow and small inventories, principles that today form the foundation of lean manufacturing.