Toyota introduces ‘Restart Manual’ to resume business operations post coronavirus lockdown

- Industry guide to be followed post the lockdown period

- Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) created by a team of cross functional experts

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has been one of the many car manufacturers in the country to temporarily halt production due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The company’s facility in Bengaluru is likely to restart operations post 20 April. Therefore, Toyota has devised a comprehensive ‘Restart Manual’ as a guide for industries to follow post the lockdown withdrawal. 

A team of cross functional experts have created a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) that would ensure the safest possible restart to manufacturing by securing the workers from any health hazards. This manual is in consonance with the broad Government guidelines that have been issued and will be used by TKM, its suppliers and has also been shared as a reference document with all Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) members. Moreover, TKM also intends to share it with a wider segment of the industry through industry association platforms like CII.

TKM’s Restart Manual is an all-inclusive guide for reorganising and safely resuming business operations to near normalcy after the lockdown is lifted. This initiative will aid the Government, stakeholders and the community at large by creating detailed reference document for the industries to safeguard and ensure the health, well-being and safety of all their employees thereby also enriching the lives of the communities. TKM has already shared the ‘Restart Manual’ with not just Toyota suppliers but also with ACMA, other suppliers in the industry and is planning to share this manual with other industry players as well. 

Speaking about the ‘Restart Manual’, Masakazu Yoshimura, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “Today, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the health and safety of people across the globe. We are witnessing demand, supply, market and liquidity shocks, decline in real GDP growth rates, and so many setbacks. It’s our prime responsibility to ensure health and safety of employees, families and all our stakeholders. We need to safeguard business continuity and economic recovery as well by ensuring ‘Safety and health First’ approach. In this perspective, this ‘Restart Manual’ is prepared not only for our use but also for the benefit of government, industries and stakeholders. I would like to congratulate our TPS (Toyota Production System) experts who have worked hard to create this manual. 

Post COVID-19, we will witness a new normal and change will be inevitable. We must adapt and remember that change is always for the better and can herald tremendous progress. We need to stop jobs that do not fit the needs, change procedures or the way we work and continue to navigate in these turbulent times. Let us work together as “One Team, One Goal” with greater speed and intensity.”