earticle

영어

The Cannon’s cell production system is recognized as a typical success case of the innovation activities in the manufacturing industry, but it is not relatively well-known than TPS(Toyota Production System) and less than that in the performance of systematic study. Therefore, we need to provide information that is beneficial to the related research activities as well as the production fields through the continuous, systematical, and thoughtful study in the future. In this study, Canon’s cell production system is analyzed with the following three questions based on this background. First, why did Canon want to innovate the existing production system? Second, how did Canon’s innovation progress in successful development process of cell production system? Third, what human resource development system was introduced to develop the workers' ability? Results of the analysis, we can draw the following conclusions. The cell production system of Canon become established successfully by the strong commitment and momentum of Fujio Mitarai, president and Chief Executive Officer, but it was based on the mindset reform and the autonomical ability development of field workers in application of the new production system. Such workers’ adaptability to new production system obtained by the support of human resource development programs such as the cell production methods, and the meister and super meister program. The implications in this study, First, the innovation’s obstacles will inevitably occur due to the resistance of the workers and the unexpected events in the way it is carried out. The success and the headway of innovation will be determined whether to overcome such innovation’s obstacles and to ways of overcoming. Second, when we faced with innovation’s obstacles, we must find the presence of a pilot team, that is said to ‘Goddess of Salvation’ in Canon's Nagahama factory. We must to overcome the obstacles on ways of using the pilot team as the driving force of the self innovation.