This case study depicts how Toyota began their process of improving their warehouse operation in one short week.

1. Success Summary - Automotive
Lean Manufacturing
Babbleware gets consideration
Lean manufacturing techniques have been embraced
by many manufacturers around the world. Toyota is An executive discovered Babbleware and asked his
the undisputed champion of this approach and has operational team to look into it as a potential
been a world leader in lean techniques for decades. candidate for the project. He wanted the team to
Always looking to improve on their stellar record, learn and validate if Babbleware’s claims of high
they wanted to improve the operational performance speed operational innovation, non-disruptive change,
of a Toyota Tsusho America (TAI) after-market parts and the ability to work with existing systems without
distribution facility to better serve it’s international the need for costly upgrades could actually be
customers. This facility is one of 5 international accomplished in their environment.
distribution centers that have Continent-level
responsibility for Toyota parts distribution.
After consulting with the Babbleware team the client
began an evaluation of Babbleware’s proposed
solution. Babbleware claimed that its patent-pending
Operational business problems
technology could work with the company’s existing
systems, would require no costly changes or
TAI wanted to improve upon their accuracy level of upgrades, and could leverage wireless technology
99.6%. Most companies would consider that and mobile computing and printing to improve their
performance exceptional, but anything short of six operation. Company executives were presented with
sigma wasn’t going to be considered success. They a “Proof of Concept” (POC) proposal by Babbleware
also felt that productivity was impacted by their and approved the project.
accuracy goals for their distribution centers.
Business growth plans called for continued, increased
throughput and Babbleware delivered…
the DC was
already pressed to
keep up. The prototype was scheduled for a one- week period
using BabbleWare’s Innovate in a Week approach.
At the conclusion of the prototype Toy would have
TAI found that designed, developed, deployed AND measured the
their existing effects of a custom Enterprise App for their picking
business systems operation with the assistance of BabbleWare.
did not meet their
need to constantly
improve their On Monday a temporary wireless network was set
operation. The change to the existing system was too up. It took a little over a day, including: server, access
large and took too long. To change the existing points, mobile computers and mobile printers. In the
system would have cost more money and had early afternoon of Tuesday the work toward building
tremendous risk. Integrating a new application the custom Enterprise App for Picking began.
would be of equal cost and risk, but now IT would
have to weld the two solutions together. None of 90 minutes later…the Enterprise App for Picking was
these options are unique to Toyota and none of them published and available. Immediately one worker
were appealing, either. The company continued to and supervisor were on the floor picking. Instead of
consider alternatives. being handed a ream of pick labels, they walked onto
the warehouse floor with nothing but a mobile
computer and mobile printer.

2. Success Summary - Automotive
facility: Receiving, Storage/Putaway, Picking,
Merging, and Loading.
…rapid results Once the full project commenced, BabbleWare
worked closely and quickly with TAI to publish
Results were dramatic and immediate. They began Enterprise Apps for all 5 Enterprise Apps that fit
picking as directed by the Enterprise App. Print-on- TAI’s needs like a glove. Within the first three weeks
demand pick labels were applied only when the pick an Enterprise App for each of the major processes
had been validated. Training was immediate and the was designed, developed, deployed and measured.
benefits apparent. The next day, all 16 workers had Work continued as new processes were added. A
used the Enterprise App to pick; offering many Physical Inventory was upcoming and with less than
suggestions that improved the process with each 3 business days notice, the joint team created a new
“tweak” through the rest of the week. Enterprise App for Physical Inventory that cut their
count time in half while increasing the accuracy of
4 days later, after hundreds of hours of picking and
the count itself.
thousands of line items, TAI stopped to measure.
They were excited to see that during the week with
the Enterprise App, they had made no picking errors.
They were amazed to discover, as a side benefit, that Each company is unique
their workers also increased their productivity by
nearly 290%. Not only were they much more
accurate (their goal), they were now also Babbleware’s non-invasive, non-disruptive strategy
substantially faster. Business volumes could to improve operations helped this leader in lean
continue to increase and they wouldn’t have to hire increase its lead and business advantage over its
proportionally more workers. competitors with relatively minimal cost and
virtually no risk. The success achieved from
Babbleware helps the company postpone a facility
Based upon the success of the Innovate in a Week
expansion and the added productivity eliminated a
program, Company executives immediately approved need to expand headcount to support increased
converting the prototype project into full operational
volume. These improvements have positioned the
production. Furthermore, they expanded the scope company to expand Babbleware to the company’s
of the project to cover the facilities entire operation.
global operations.
TAI acquired a one year SaaS license for the
BabbleWare software as well as more professional
For more info : call 1-414-412-5089 ; e-mail
services to create Enterprise Apps for their entire
info@babblewareinc.com , twitter: BabbleWareInc