The Creative Idea Suggestion System makes work more fun and interesting.
Toyota Times is showcasing a selection of top submissions from the system's seven-decade history. This time, we focus on two solutions that are easy to replicate in any workplace: the tape-holder tower and the binder clip boot.
A tape holder born through trial and error
“The idea came when our departments were reorganizing and we had to consolidate the office supplies,” recounts Noriko Atarashi of MS Vehicle Development Division No. 2. “MS” stands for “mid-size” models such as the Camry and Crown, and the division combined departments responsible for designing and evaluating bodies, electrical components, and other aspects of these cars. Atarashi is part of the division’s administration team.
Noriko Atarashi, MS Vehicle Development Division No. 2
At the time, the COVID state of emergency was in place, and it coincided with efforts to reduce paper usage, so office supplies were being used less often. When we collected the stock from each department, we ended up with vast quantities of the same items, such as half-used craft tapes and masking tapes.
The problem is that, if you place them all together in one spot, for some reason the newest-looking tapes will get used first (laughs). I thought about how we could get people to pick up the nearly finished rolls, and I figured that if they were stacked, no one would go to the effort of taking those from the bottom.
Atarashi started by making a prototype from a food wrap cylinder, stacking the tapes on top of each other so that the newest ones would be at the bottom. She was convinced that people would indeed take from the top and use up the rolls with the least tape. But Atarashi didn’t stop there.
“With a cylinder, the tape rolls can slide around, making it look messy. To neaten things up, I tried a square shape, but that left no room for your fingers to easily pick up the tape…”
To solve this problem, Atarashi headed to the workshop of the neighboring Body Technology Development Division. A technician she knew suggested a triangular profile sized to fit perfectly within the tape’s inner diameter and even expertly knocked up a prototype. For the materials, they reused some of the excess boards that had turned up in large quantities when the office equipment was sorted.
“Initially, we made the base out of the same material, but it proved too light and unstable, so instead, we used scrap wood to serve as a weight.”
With the technician’s help, the tape-holder tower was finally complete. “What is that? I want one!” came the comments from admin staff in other departments. When Atarashi’s creation was featured in an internal newsletter highlighting kaizen initiatives by operations personnel, people from around the company reached out to say they were borrowing the idea.
“Hearing that makes me really happy.”
Oyaji Kawai, who appeared in our previous article, also brought up the topic of creative ideas for office supplies.
Oyaji Kawai
In my younger days, the company went through some tough times financially. When the pencils we used on the production floor were too short to write with, instead of throwing them out, we would staple the stubs together, tape them up, and keep using them.
It’s not about pinching pennies, but using things that are still useful. In this way, you could make do with four pencils where you’d previously need five. That reduces costs. Creative ideas allowed us to make the most of what was available.
Inspired by a Christmas boot
Next, Atarashi turned her attention to the stacks of assorted binder clips.
At first, she simply dumped them all into a box, where they could be picked from the top as needed. However, this not only made it hard to distinguish different sizes, but also ensured that clips at the bottom would never be used. Atarashi knew there had to be a better way.
Noriko Atarashi, MS Vehicle Development Division No. 2
It happened to be Christmas time, and I came across one of those Santa boots filled with sweets. That was my eureka moment (laughs). I drew up a sketch and that same technician brought it to life. The inside is sloped to prevent bigger clips from getting stuck.
The boot shape allows clips to be replenished from the top and taken from below, ensuring that older ones are kept in circulation. As an extra touch, Atarashi attached a clip to the top of the boot to clearly indicate the size of those in the container.
This storage solution also proved an instant hit with users. Whereas suggestions normally earn a 500-yen reward, Atarashi was pleased to receive 2,000 for each of her ideas.
“Based on my supervisor’s advice, I wrote about the safety aspects and the use of scrap materials, which scored me more points. The fact that other departments eagerly adopted the ideas was also recognized.
I wouldn’t have received the reward without the technician’s help, so I bought some sweets and took them to the workshop as thanks.”
Racking up the points
Although Atarashi’s trusty technician has unfortunately retired, she has since found new colleagues to help with any hands-on work. We asked Atarashi what she thought of the Creative Idea Suggestion System.
“I think it’s wonderful that even such simple things are treated as creative solutions. Since we have such a great system, I’m going to make use of it. Even small ideas are recognized if they are useful in the workplace, and you even get rewards. It’s kind of like collecting loyalty points as a customer (laughs). And as you continue to make suggestions, they naturally start to make a difference in your own work.”
Finally, we asked Atarashi what kaizen meant to her.
“I find it very cathartic. When something that has been on my mind is improved, it feels like a weight lifted off my shoulders.”
