The Origin of Obeya
Obeya (meaning “Big Room”) originated in the 1990s when Takeshi Uchiyamada, the
chief engineer for a new Toyota product, was tasked with developing a revolutionary
new car that would achieve nothing less than 1.5 times the fuel economy of Toyota’s
best small cars while on an extremely tight time line.1 Mr. Uchiyamada needed support
in the technical area to develop the advanced hybrid technology that would be required.
He knew that no single person at Toyota had all the skills and knowledge required, and
realized he needed a huge level of collaboration, communication, and speedy decision-
making to deliver this product as required.
The first groundbreaking thing he did had nothing to do with engine technology. He
knew his top priority needed to be effectively integrating all the tasks required from the
project technical experts while, at the same time, keeping the conditions of satisfaction
(CoS) without compromising on targets for performance, cost, and schedule. This was
the concept behind the “Obeya management system.” This groundbreaking, innovative
approach was designed around meeting every 2 to 3 days with all the required technical
experts in one big room. This room visually and clearly tracked progress and priorities,
with all project information posted on the walls. This information was available to
everyone on the team at any time. This project, which eventually launched as the
Toyota Prius, went on to revolutionize the car industry, raising the bar for fuel economy
1
Medina, R., & Olivencia, S. (2018, December 4). Where the true strength of obeya lies. [Online]. Planet
Lean. https://planet-lean.com/obeya-tool-discovery/
1
and leaving competitors behind. The Obeya system was a major contributor to the
Prius’ success. Now a development staple at Toyota, it continues to evolve.
