At the recent Clinton Global Initiative meeting in Chicago, Toyota Motor Corp. announced the launch of a program that will teach its Lean-based Toyota Production System (TPS) guidelines to schools, hospitals and non-profits across the United States.

Operating out of the Toyota Production System Support Center in Erlanger, Ky. USA, the program is intended to help non-profit entities and other cash-strapped institutions boost productivity and achieve greater efficiencies in order to get a higher return on their investments.

Toyota cited some earlier examples of the application of TPS guidelines in non-manufacturing organizations, including a reduction of meal service wait times from more than an hour to just 18 minutes at the Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in New York City. In addition, just-in-time supply lines under TPS were implemented at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, which reduced waste and is expected to save the hospital $391,000 per year.

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