摘要
當大家在談精實生產（Lean Production）時，可能不多人會去探索精實生產的源起。鑒往知來，因為了解歷史，才不會見樹不見林，而做出錯誤的決策，所以是產業經理人的重要素養。基於這樣的想法，本文以文獻探討及筆者的田野調查等方式，深度探討精實生產的源起。先從日本汽車產業的崛起，特別是豐田汽車成為工業生產力標竿企業的沿革，進而探討豐田生產方式。進一步探討豐田生產方式（Toyota Production System，TPS）的發展，因為TPS就是精實生產（Lean Production）的主要內涵－Just-in-Time（JIT）、自働化（Jidoka）、提案改善制度和Total Quality Control（TQC）、Total Quality Management（TQM）、六標準差管理（Six Sigma）、和供應商管理等。也舉出實際案例說明精實生產的卓越與限制。最後全球化的精實生產學習，不僅從美國推廣到世界，也從日本推廣至全世界。從歷史中要學到的過程可能比直接學到它的方法同等重要，過去執行精實生產的成功案例很多，但是失敗案例也不少，究其原因本文應該可以提供歷史殷鑑之效。對源起的歷史回顧可以幫助我們回到原點來理解核心管理理念，也是本文的目的。
並列摘要
When everyone is talking about Lean Production, not many people will explore the origin of it. Learning from history is an important quality for industrial managers. Based on this idea, this article explores the origin of Lean Production in depth by means of literature review and the author's fieldstudy. Starting with the rise of the Japanese automobile industry, especially the history of Toyota Motor becoming a benchmark enterprise in industrial productivity, the paper then discusses the Toyota Production System (TPS). The paper then discussed the development of TPS, because TPS is the main connotation of Lean Production including: Just-in-Time (JIT), Jidoka, suggestion system and Total Quality Control (TQC), Total Quality Management (TQM), Six Sigma, and supplier management, etc. Practical cases are also cited to illustrate the excellence and limitations of Lean Production. Lean Production globalization trend is not only promoted from the United States to the world, but also from Japan to the whole world. Learning TPS development process from the history is as important as learning the TPS methods. There are many successful cases of implementing Lean Production in the past, but there are also many failure cases. This paper should provide important managerial insights from historical lessons.