General Introduction of Toyota Motor Corporation: Toyota Motor Corporation : a multinational automaker headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan.

In 2010, Toyota employed 317,734 people worldwide, and was the world's largest automobile manufacturer by production. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 as a spinoff from his father's company Toyota Industries to create automobiles. Three years earlier, in 1934, while still a department of Toyota Industries, it created its first product, the Type A engine, and, in 1936, its first passenger car, the Toyota AA. Toyota Motor Corporation group companies are Toyota (including the Scion brand), Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino Motors along with several "nonautomotive" companies.TMC is part of the Toyota Group one of the largest conglomerates in the world.

Product Classification Of Toyota Motor Corporation: Cars & Yaris Mini vans Hybrids & Prius Evs Cross overs & SUVs Trucks RAV4 Corolla 3rd Gen Prius Innova Matrix Camry hybrid Venza Camry Prius Sienna Prius Plugin Hybrid Land Cruiser Etios High lander Hybrid Sequoia

High Lander

Tacoma

Tundra

Electric technology Toyota is one of the largest companies to push hybrid vehicles in the market and the first to commercially mass-produce and sell such vehicles, an example being the Toyota Prius. The company eventually began providing this option on the main smaller cars such as Camry and later with the Lexus divisions, producing some hybrid luxury vehicles. It labeled such technology in Toyota cars as "Hybrid Synergy Drive" and in Lexus versions as "Lexus Hybrid Drive." The Prius has become the top selling hybrid car in America. Toyota, as a brand, now has four hybrid vehicles in its lineup: the Prius, Auris, Highlander, andCamry. The popular minivan Toyota Sienna is scheduled to join the hybrid lineup by 2010, and by 2030 Toyota plans to offer its entire lineup of cars, trucks, and SUVs with a Hybrid Synergy Drive option (Toyota has said it plans to make a hybrid-electric system available on every vehicle it sells worldwide sometime in the 2010s).

Worldwide sales of hybrid vehicles produced by Toyota reached 1.0 million vehicles by May 31, 2007, and the 2.0 million mark was reached by August 31, 2009, with hybrids sold in 50 countries.Toyota's hybrid sales are led by the Prius, with worldwide cumulative sales of 1.43 million by August 2009.Toyota's CEO has committed to eventually making every car of the company a hybrid vehicle.Lexus also has their own hybrid lineup, consisting of theGS 450h, RX 400h, and launched in 2007, the LS 600h/LS 600h L. Toyota have already said they've halved the incremental cost of electric hybrids and see cost parity in the future (even without incentives). Hybrids are viewed by some automobile makers as a core segment of the future vehicle market. Plug-in hybrids Toyota is currently testing its "Toyota Plug-in HV" in Japan, the United States, and Europe. Like GM's Volt, it uses a lithium-ion battery pack, but unlike the Volt, it can run on the gasoline or electric engine alone. The PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) could have a lower environmental impact than existing hybrids. On June 5, 2008, A123Systems announced that its Hymotion plug-in hybrid conversion kits for the Prius would be installed by six dealers, including four Toyota dealerships: Westboro Toyota in Boston, Fitzgerald Toyota in Washington D.C., Toyota of Hollywood in Los Angeles, and Madison Wisconsin-based Smart Motors. In April 2011, Toyota announced that the New Plug-In Prius will be arriving by 2012. All-electric vehicles Toyota is speeding up the development of vehicles that run only on electricity with the aim of mass-producing them in the early part of this decade. Road tests for the current prototype, called "e-com", had ended in 2006.Toyota has made many concept electric vehicles, including the FT-EV and FT-EV II. In May 2010, Toyota launched a collaboration with Tesla Motors to create electric vehicles. Toyota agreed to purchase US$50 million of Tesla common stock subsequent to the closing of Tesla's planned initial public offering. Tesla will buy Toyota's recently closed NUMMI factory for US$42 million. Toyota plans to release an electric version of the RAV4 by 2012 using components from Tesla and the platform of the RAV4. Cars As of 2009, Toyota officially lists approximately 70 different models sold under its namesake brand, including sedans, coupes, vans, trucks, hybrids, and crossovers.Many of these models are produced as passenger sedans, which range from the subcompact Toyota Yaris, to compact Corolla, to mid-sizeCamry, and full-size Avalon. Vans include the Previa/Estima, Sienna, and others. Several small cars, such as the xB and tC, are sold under the Scionbrand.

SUVs and crossovers Toyota crossovers range from the compact Matrix and RAV4, to midsize Venza and Kluger/Highlander. Toyota SUVs range from the midsize 4Runner to fullsize Land Cruiser. Other SUVs include the Land Cruiser Prado and FJ Cruiser. Pickup trucks Toyota first entered the pickup truck market in 1947 with the SB that was only sold in Japan and limited Asian markets. It was followed in 1954 by the RK(renamed in 1959 as the Stout) and in 1968 by the compact Hilux. With continued refinement, the Hilux (simply known as the Pickup in some markets) became famous for being extremely durable and reliable, and many of these trucks from as early as the late 1970s are still on the road today, some with over 300,000 miles. Extended and crew cab versions of these small haulers would eventually be added, and Toyota continues to produce them today under various names depending on the market. Riding on the success of the compact pickups in the US, Toyota decided to attempt to enter the traditionally domestic-dominated full-size pickup market, introducing the T100 for the 1993 US model year, with production ending in 1998. While having a bed at the traditional full-size length of 8 feet, the suspension and engine characteristics were still similar to that of a compact pickup. It proved to be as economical and reliable as any typical Toyota pickup, but sales never became what Toyota brass had hoped for. It was criticized as being too small to appeal to the traditional American full-size pickup buyer. Another popular full-size truck essential, a V8 engine, was never available. Additionally, the truck was at first only available as a regular cab, though Toyota addressed this shortcoming and added the Xtracab version in mid-1995. In 1999 for the 2000 model year, Toyota replaced the T100 with the larger Tundra. The Tundra addressed criticisms that the T100 did not have the look and feel of a legit American-style fullsize pickup. It also added the V8 engine that the T100 was criticized for not having. However, the Tundra still came up short in towing capacity as well as still feeling slightly carlike. These concerns were addressed with an even larger 2007 redesign. A stronger V6 and a second V8 engine among other things were added to the option list. As of early 2010, the Tundra has captured 16 percent of the full-size half-ton market in the US. The all-new Tundra is assembled in San Antonio, Texas, US. Toyota assembled around 150,000 Standard and Double Cabs, and only 70,000 Crew Max's in 2007. The smaller Tacoma (which traces its roots back to the original Hilux) is also now produced at the company's San Antonio facility. Outside the United States, Toyota produces the Hilux in Standard and double cab, gasoline and diesel engine, 2WD and 4WD versions. The BBC's Top Gear TV show featured 2 episodes of a Hilux that was deemed "virtually indestructible". Luxury-type vehicles As of 2009, the company sells nine luxury-branded models under its Lexus division, ranging from the LS sedan to RX crossover and LX SUV. Luxury-type sedans produced under the Toyota brand include the Century, Crown Royal, and Crown Athlete. A limited-edition model produced for the Emperor of Japan is the Century Royal. Product Line - Filling :

Line filling refers to the type of product line extension to introduce new version of existing product in the market." Here is what Toyota has done with regard to product filling. Some of the Famous product filling work that has been carried out by Toyota are illustrated here. Toyota Innova Toyota Innova comes in 23 versions with 2 engine , 1 transmission options, and different specifications and features. Of the 23 versions major changes can be found in the following 2 versions. Toyota Innova 2012 2.5 E MS 8 STR BS-III Toyota Innova 2012 2.5 E MS 8 STR BS-IV

Manufactured by Toyota Kirloskar Motor, a JV between Kirloskar and Toyota . Toyota Innova was launched in India in March 2005. In the process Toyota Innova replaced the ageing Toyota Qualis. Toyota Innova is essentially a MUV but it also carries with it the elegance of a sedan. Toyota Innova comes in both petrol and diesel engine. The petrol engine has Toyota VVT-I, while diesel engine has D4D. Interiors On the top-line models, the tasteful two-tone dash has a matt finish on top, wooden inserts on the sides of the central console and switches and knobs of fairly high quality. The light colours do look good. An electronically adjustable air-con is absent. The space is what one immediately notices and its a lot of it. To add to this legroom, seat height and the seats themselves are top-class. Even the tallest drivers can get comfortable behind the wheel. The seats offer good support and are well padded and bolstered. The cubby holes and bottle holders are placed keeping in mind convenience of the people sitting inside. the The Innova also has the most useable and comfortable rear seats in the class, and the split seat reclines individually. The legroom offers comfort even on long rides. Drivetrain With a 1.5-tonne kerb weight to haul, the Innova needs less power than heavier competition like the Scorpio and Tavera, and the 102bhp and 20.39kgm of twist from the 2.5-litre common rail turbo-diesel cope well. The relatively short gear ratios are perfectly matched to the engine's power and torque characteristics, and complement the superb driveability. As a result, ambling in city traffic is a breeze and you never feel a lack of power or the need to downshift. At highway speeds, the Innova cruises comfortably but the shorter gearing does have its drawbacks. Up the pace to 120kph, and there is a distinct drone which does get intrusive. The long-throw gearbox is UV-derived but its light, direct and better than on many cars. The short gearing and driveability mean you're always in a high gear, which help it edge its rivals in the city, with 10.3kpl.

Handling & Safety It's only on really rough roads that the Innovas soft front suspension pitches a bit. Ground clearance is sufficient for most roads but the Innova hasn't the ride height for serious offroading, the 2WD configuration being another limiting factor. The Innova comes with ABS and they do make a difference for halting when at high speeds. The high ground clearance of Toyota Innova ensures excellent drivability on rough and bumpy roads. Innova offers you unparalleled road comfort and durability, because it comes equipped with a newly designed rear 4-link suspension. The front suspension is a coil-spring double wishbone, which enhances the riding comfort. Advanced technology used in the engineering of Toyota Innova ensures good performance and mileage. Toyota Innova is packed with a range of advanced safety features. The car comes equipped with Load Sensing Proportion Valve (LSPV), which provides good braking performance. Other safety features of the MUV include Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), dual front SRS airbags, side door impact beams, 3-point seatbelts for every row, child protector locks, etc. The vehicle is also equipped with Theft Deterrent System. Overall Evaluation Toyota Innova is available in both petrol and diesel models. Its variants include E, G, V and VM. The MUV was priced at Rs 6.82 lakhs when it was launched. It is available in spectacular colors like White, Super White II, Silver Metallic, Beige Mica Metallic, Black Mica, Dark Red Mica Metallic, Light Green Mica Metallic and Champagne Mica Metallic. After the success of the Toyota Qualis, the Innova has sustained the success of Toyota Kirloskar Motors in India. The car is not only fun to drive but an apt option for large/joint families.

Toyota Fortuner: Toyota Fortuner Versions Toyota Fortuner comes in following 3 versions with 1 engine and 2 transmission options specifications and features: Toyota Fortuner 2012 4x2 MT Toyota Fortuner 2012 4x2 AT Toyota Fortuner 2012 4x4 MT

Discontinued Toyota Fortuner Versions: Toyota Fortuner 3.0 (Limited Edition), Toyota Fortuner 3.0 MT

Toyota finally gives the Fortuner a nip-and-tuck giving it a much needed fresh lease of life. After being launched in 2009, the Fortuner is now looking leaner and definitely more aggressive. At a first glance what stands out are the clear lens headlamps. According to Toyota, their customers had been asking for this ever since the Fortuners launch. It always looked like a mini Prado but now with chrome nose job it looks more like the big daddy of all SUVs the Toyota Landcruiser. The worlds number one carmaker wanted its segment leader to retain a lot of its old school SUV looks with a lot more aggression. The air duct vent or the bonnet scoop has been given a silicon job and now has the in your face menacing looks. For all those who love to flaunt their machine, no puns intended, this is another reason which adds to your showoff list. Highlights: - The Fortuner now comes in three trim levels the 4x4, the 4x2 automatic and the 4x2 manual. Also, all three versions come with a 3.0 litre engine. Both 4x4 and 4x2 manual get 5speed gearbox while the automatic is mated with a 4-speed gear. - The Fortuner gets a 2DIN 6-inch LCD touch screen music system with auxiliary, Bluetooth connectivity and of course iPhone compatible - The old school butch looks of the Fortuner has become more aggressive with chrome, clear lens headlamps and the bonnet scoop now bigger and in your face - The Fortuner automatic 4-speed gear box feels sluggish and being tall geared there is a huge lag. But for tackling city traffic the automatic gear box is a boon. - The Fortuner 4x2 manual is a lot more responsive and it definitely peppier as it is lighter than the 4x4 version by 90kg. Pros: Spruced up interiors and exteriors Cons: Dumpy ride quality, 4-speed auto Dumpy ride quality, 4-speed auto Dumpy ride quality, 4-speed auto a on a Etios version name to know on-road price in your city, specifications and features. Toyota Etios J Toyota Etios G Toyota Etios G SP Toyota Etios VX

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd., showcased the Etios which turned out to be a headturner at the Auto Expo held in New Delhi in January 2010. While the car was not a production model, people at the Expo got a fairly clear picture of what the car would look like once it arrived by the year end and also about what they could expect on it. Toyota displayed both, the hatch and the sedan models, at the Auto Expo. With the introduction of the Etios Toyota will enter the under 7 lakh, mass volume segment. Toyota Kirloskar aims to sell 70000 units of the Etios in India per annum and it will also expand its dealership network to 150 by the end of 2010 from its existing 97 dealers, at the time

of the Auto Expo in January 2010. The sedan has undergone 2,00,000 km of real world testing in India and hence priority has been given to mileage, space, style and price. Design The Etios was originally called the EFC, or the Entry Family Car. Etios means Spirit and Principle which Toyota intends to give to its customers in India. More than 2000 engineers in India and Japan have worked in close collaboration for four years to ensure the perfect blend of local design sensibilities and unmatched global quality standards are integrated into the Etios. The chief engineer of Product Planning at Toyota Mr. Yoshinori Noritake said, "In the process of development of Etios, I have visited many Indian cities and homes to understand the market and interact with customers. The Etios concept will cater to the basic needs of this market highest standards of quality at competitive prices. Toyota's new compact cars have been designed to offer innovative styling, roomy interiors, superior ride comfort and best in class mileage at competitive prices. The design concept of 'Bold Simplicity' represents the pursuit of the perfect combination of functionality and affordable luxury. The Etios incorporates advanced technology and superior quality features that have been developed by Toyota, specifically for India, by leveraging the world class innovation that Toyota is globally renowned for. Powertrain Toyota Etios has been developed on a new platform and has a completely new engine which is not present in any Toyota car so far. The sedan which will be the first version to be launched in the country will offer a 1.5l DOHC petrol engine. The engine delivers 90ps @ 5600rpm and also produces a torque of 132Nm@3000rpm. The car is light and weighs only a 930 kgs and is the lightest in the segment when compared to the Tata Indigo Manza, the Swift Dzire and the Mahindra Logan. The sedan will get a 5-speed manual transmission and the engine is so built, that it suits the Indian Road condition. Toyota Etios has been developed on a new platform and has a completely new engine which is not present in any Toyota car so far. This new engine, according to the ARAI, will deliver a mileage of 17.6 kpl and it will certainly be something to look forward to since its a made in India, for India car. Interiors The car is launched in the J, G, V and Vx models (Vx being the top-end model). The VX variant will get a 2DIN DVD Mp3 system which is the first of its kind entertainment system offered in its segment. The VX features audio controls on the steering wheel and a USB and Aux-In facility as well. Some of the other features also include a 13-litre cooled glove box. The J variant has a dual tone - black and grey upholstery and the VX has dual tone black and red upholstery. The low spec J and G variants come with all black upholstery. The sedan also gets a boot space of 595 ltrs which makes it easier to pack in all the goodies for that much needed

vacation. The Etios design concept is all about a balance of form and function. It is thoughtfully designed to provied ample legroom & headroom. This is visible in the car as it has a flat floor for the rear - with no transmission tunnel hump, so three people can sit comfortably and move within the cabin with ease. The sedan also gets a centrally mounted instrument cluster. The J variant is so basic that it doesnt even come with the electric assist power streering. The G, V and VX comes with electric power assist steering.

Safety The J and G variants will come with 175/65 R14 wheels while the V and VX will be based on 185/60 R15 tyres with 12 spoke alloys. Safety features in the car includes Airbags, ABS with EBD optional on G trim while on the other these safety features will be standard on V and VX trim. The suspension of the sedan will boast of MacPherson struts in the front and a torsion beam at the rear. The safety of the car is enhanced by the front ventilated discs and brake drums at the rear. Conclusion The sedan will be available in a range of colours Symphony silver, Serene bluish silver, Celestial black, Harmony beige, Vermillion red and White colours. The J trim though will be available only in Symphony Silver and white. Bookings are now open at Rs. 50000 and deliveries of the sedan will begin in Jan 2011. Toyota states that they are keenly studying the possibility of a diesel engine in the Etios but we have a strong feeling that the 87 bhp 1.4 L diesel engine will makes it way under the hood of the sedan and will be launched in a few months. The diesel version of the sedan will be out by March 2011 and will cost Rs. 50,000-60,000 more than the petrol variant. PRODUCT LINE STRETCHING The definition of product line stretching is essentially, introducing new products into a product line. This means that company produce more products in different ranges; from higher end to lower end products. For example, Toyota is generally a company that produces durable (questionable) and low-price cars. The way Toyota is product line stretching is by creating a new higher end brand, Lexus. This model has increased Toyota's sales and allowed them access to different markets. Also, they are able to access new customers who are looking for a higher end trustworthy car. Lastly, Toyota has been able to scare-off competitors and improve their reputation. Product line stretching has allowedToyota to reach new segments and customers that have increased their sales and reputation. Product line stretching is now always effective for companies to use.

Toyota: Developing Strategies for Growth In order to have a successful strategy for growth, businesses must first find, evaluate and select a strategy to capture a potential market. Since it entered to American car market in 1967, Toyota has developed a diverse business portfolio with its existing line of cars as well as brands such as Lexus and Scion. It became a successful car manufacturer by having an effective marketing process that allowed it to attract customers and expand its product range to other market segments. When Toyota and other Japanese carmakers entered the American market, they were not considered a threat to the American auto industry because it was believed their cars had no appeal to American consumers. However, in the 1970s, due to problems such as the 1973 Oil Embargo, environmental regulations, and quality control issues with American cars (Ford Pinto), a good number of American car owners began searching for alternatives to their gas guzzling, poorly made American cars. In response to these changes, Toyota and other Japanese carmakers aggressively marketed their cars to Americans as being fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly, and having better build quality than American cars. In addition, Toyota marketed their cars as being hip and fun with memorable slogans like, you asked for it, you got it, Toyota, and with commercials involving young Toyota drivers jumping in the air. As a result, the Japaneses marketing campaign along with continuing problems from the Big Three auto manufacturers, allowed import cars to make up about 20 percent of the US car market by 1980. After successfully gaining a sizable market share in the US, Toyota decided to create the Lexus brand in 1989 to target the luxury-car market segment, which was dominated by MercedesBenz and BMW. They decided to create a new brand because of their reputation at the time for being a company that only offered fun and fuel-efficient compact cars and because the introduction of luxury models into their existing lineup would dilute the Toyota brand. Therefore, Toyota marketing strategy was to market Lexus as a separate company with almost no references to Toyota, a heavy emphasis towards quality customer service and it had a separate dealership network from Toyota. This marketing strategy has allowed Lexus to become one of the best selling luxury cars in the US by 2000 and it encouraged Nissan to sell luxury cars with the Infiniti brand. Despite the successes of both Toyota and Lexus, it began to face a new problem: age. Presently, Toyotas new customer base is 47 years old, which is higher than the industry average of 45 and placed Toyotas average customer base with the likes of Buick, Mercury, and Lincoln. In response to their aging customer base, Toyota formed a study group called Project Genesis to develop a marketing campaign to attract younger buyers to Toyota. The result of Project Genesis was the introduction of sportier and youthful models to the US: the Celica, MR2 Spyder and Echo in 2000. Unfortunately, Project Genesis was a failure because it had a dull marketing campaign that failed to create a common theme for the different cars, sales for each of the models did not reach Toyotas expectations and the entire study group failed to realize that Toyota had developed a reputation for making generic cars. As a result, Toyota Motor Sales USA has decided to phase out the Celica and MR2 Spyder by 2005.

Although Project Genesis proved to be a failure, Toyota made another attempt to capture the youth market by creating a third brand called Scion in 2003. Unlike Lexus, which was created to sell luxury cars, Scions purpose is eventually attract American youth into becoming Toyota customers by first introducing them to relatively cheaper and radically designed cars. Scion currently has three cars in its lineup: the xA and xB, rebadged Japanese-only cars whose design does not fit the Toyota and Lexus brand philosophy, and the tC, a newly designed car based on the preferences of American youths. In addition, Toyota focuses mainly on the youth market by advertising through youth-oriented media (Rolling Stone, MTV, late-night programming), creating a flashy website to highlight their brand philosophy, and sponsoring live concerts. Not only does it specifically target the young buyers, but they also simplified their sales tactics by offering no-haggle pricing, which means that Scion dealers will not be allowed to negotiate prices or pressure a potential customer into buying, and giving their customers a high degree of vehicle customization. Because of these marketing tactics, Toyota was not only able to bring in younger customers but it also encouraged Honda and Nissan to consider introducing youthoriented cars into their lineup. Toyotas successes are due largely to its ability to identify growth opportunities and develop market strategies to capture them. First, they achieved greater market penetration by marketing their cars as fuel-efficient, well-built alternatives to the gas-guzzling, problem-prone American cars, which eventually allowed them and other Japanese companies to take a sizable market share away from the Big Three carmakers. Second, Toyota was also able to identify new opportunities for market development and spent time on product development to tap into these markets. The results of Toyotas product development were the creation of Lexus and Scion, brands that both offer a unique lineup of cars, a unique brand philosophy, and services that target the luxury and youth market. Third, in spite of their successes in capturing new markets and achieving greater market penetration, Toyota occasionally downsizes their products such as the Celica and MR2. To sum up, Toyota is a great case study on how a company should develop, identify, and evaluate market opportunities and how to develop the right products and marketing tactics to capture such markets. Analysis of Marketing Strategies of Toyota Corolla Introduction: A strategy consists of a well thought out series of tactics tomake a marketing plan more effective. Marketing strategies serve as the fundamental underpinning of marketing plans designed to fill market needs and reach marketing objectives. Plans and objectives are generally tested for measurable results. A marketing strategy often integrates an organization's marketing goals, policies, and action sequences (tactics) into a cohesive whole. Similarly, the various strands of the strategy ,which might include advertising, promotion and public relation can be orchestrated. Many companies cascade a strategy throughout an organization, by creating strategy tactics that then become strategy goals for the next level or group. Each one group is expected to take that strategy goal and develop a set of tactics to achieve that goal.

This project is about the marketing strategies of Toyota corolla for its CKD 1.3 L version

Function of Marketing Department Arrange the events of the government institutes Prepare the potential customer list Make region performance report Provide selling skills to dealers employees Contact with the Govt. institutes Contacts with the banks for leasing Establish the new dealership network Monitor the sale at dealers Target Market Potential Customer Present Customer Pricing Strategies Product line Pricing Promotional Strategies Advertising Public Relation and Community Building Show exercises Personal Selling Direct Marketing Swot Analysis Strength Brand image Market Leadership Easy availability of spare parts Dealership network Suitable for rural area Weakness Always charge the premium price Management Control by local partner Opportunity Switching diesel market toward petrol and CNG market Failure of competitor model Unacceptability of competitor model Price increase in 1000cc Threat Government reducing the excise duty on imported car IR interest rate Higher

Reduction in Diesel prices Entrance of the new Firms

ALL-ROUND MODERNISATION AT TOYOTA: Since the 1970s, Toyota has been represented by its own subsidiary in Germany. The secondlargest automotive manufacturer in the world operates a high-bay warehouse at its Cologne site which has been running almost without modification since its installation in 1988. The warehouse, although state-of-the-art at the time of its conception, was beginning to show signs of age, it was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain spare parts, and age-related malfunctions were building up. Hence it was decided that a radical modernisation of the entire facility should be carried out by MLOG Logistics, of Neuenstadt. The high-bay warehouse, installed some twenty years ago by Mehne GmbH, has a capacity of 7,500 to 11,000 storage locations across three aisles depending on pallet type. Whilst this is still adequate for the clients current requirements, the potential to optimise the availability and efficiency of the facility provided sufficient justification for refurbishment. MLOG Logistics evolved out of Mehne GmbH, and is today a leading supplier of automated warehouse equipment and material flow control systems. In addition, the company is a sought-after refurbishment specialist and thus was commissioned to undertake the modernisation project. The entire refurbishment, comprising the storage and retrieval machines, conveyors and control system, was completed within six months during on-going operation of the facility. Legendary quality standards Toyota products enjoy a good reputation throughout the world. Models such as the compact Auris, the cute Aygo or the new Prius provide excellent customer satisfaction and generally fare extremely well in the motor-trade breakdown statistics league tables. These high quality standards have established Toyotas production process as a recognised management benchmark across many industries worldwide. Approaches such as Kaizen, Total Quality Management or Total Productive Manufacturing have their origin at Toyota, at least in part, and have set the industry standard. What they have in common is the concept of preventative maintenance, which is geared to the 100 % availability of the production and distribution facilities, as well as preventing plant-related scrap. During the modernisation of the Cologne warehouse, special attention was paid to the reliability and integration of the most modern diagnostic and servicing tools. At the same time, productivity and efficiency increases were harnessed such that the throughput in the order picking area increased by roughly 15%. Excluding sources of defects All in all, the MLOG specialists converted three storage and retrieval machines through the exchange of the original S5 controls with modern S7 modules, renewing the positioning systems for the chassis and lifting units as well as the drive technology. The positioning systems have an additional status signal which enables automatic detection of any contamination of the optics, thus ensuring that cleaning of the system can be carried out in

good time. By conversion to frequency controlled drive systems, the risk of a breakdown due to wear has been considerably reduced. Each storage and retrieval machine is also equipped with camera systems which have a recording function to provide continuous video monitoring, thus enabling any operational errors to be detected. Finally a completely new WLAN communications technology was installed on each storage and retrieval machine. MLOG also converted the conveying control system to the S7 standard. The shuttle car strategy and operation in the order picking area was optimised resulting in some structural modifications. Amongst other things, the control panel was moved a few metres in order to obtain a better overview and the controls on the individual shuttle cars were consolidated. Safety mats were installed around the order picking stations, which trigger an emergency stop if a shuttle car should enter the zone, the location of any malfunction being automatically registered via a new system display. Communication of the system elements and connection of the control systems to the new data concentrator and central WMS were achieved via a modern bus system and a TCP/IP-based Ethernet. Real-time monitoring of the facility will in future be carried out via new visual display software. Finally a VPN connection via the Toyota Ethernet enables remote maintenance, with multiple security protocols included. Just-in-time modernisation The automotive industry is considered to be the originator of the just-in-time principle, which requires the precise co-ordination of all sub-assembly and component suppliers and MLOG Logistics were required to adhere to this principle in the modernisation of the facility such that the entire modernisation process was completed in about six months. During March and April 2008, and within a few weeks of the start date, all of the storage and retrieval machines were converted. Official acceptance of the entire facility took place in August 2008 with all work having been undertaken at the weekends so that ongoing operations were not affected. Each Monday morning the facility started up on time stated Uwe Gilke, MLOGs project manager. In order to guarantee smooth operation he and his team along with the Toyota engineers, Udo Weidenbrck and Georg Fleischer, agreed a precise programme which laid down the requirements to ensure that the modernisation of the Cologne facility fully complied with the renowned Toyota slogan: Nothing is impossible not even the complete refurbishment of a twenty year old high-bay warehouse during ongoing operation!