A labor shortage grips the nation.
Georgia is in a particularly difficult spot. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that there are only 66 workers for every 100 open jobs. That means 34% of openings will go unfilled for the foreseeable future.
According to MHEDA’s 2026 Business Trends Report, the growing talent gap is likely to exacerbate this challenge.
Manufacturing is one of the industries suffering the most, with almost 77% of manufacturing managers reporting the skilled labor shortage as their most significant business challenge, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.
However, Toyota Lean Management (TLM) may offer the solution your business needs.
The values of the Toyota Production System and lean manufacturing are widely recognized as one of the best methodologies for optimizing your operation. Often, we think of optimization in terms of production, but it also helps solve your labor woes.
Read on to learn how Toyota lean principles extend beyond the production line and into your labor force.
“Monozukuri was hitozukuri” is an old Japanese saying that means “Making things is about making people.”
That mentality resides at the heart of the Toyota lean methodology. It is the secret to resolving a manufacturing labor shortage. Even with heavy investment in warehouse automation, your business cannot operate without people.
Consequently, developing your team members is even more important than improving your infrastructure.
Kaizen is a mindset of continual improvement.
Perfection is an admirable goal, but it’s also a myth. No process can ever be perfect. So, there is always room for improvement. The same is true for your workforce. No matter how seasoned, every single one of your associates has room to grow.
Investing in the professional development of your team members is essential.
Approaching training as a genuine opportunity to improve one's skills is one of the best investments you can make in your business. Workers who receive ongoing training are more competent, more efficient, and have higher job satisfaction rates.
Skilled, efficient employees waste less time and effort. Additionally, improved job satisfaction reduces turnover, helping you maintain a consistent team.
Kaizen reduces waste at all levels of your workforce.
In fact, Kaizen places a strong emphasis on eliminating waste.
The point of improving worker competency and efficiency is not to pile them with more work. It's to eliminate wasted time and effort. Indeed, muri is the concept of overburdening your staff, and this describes a kind of waste that must be eliminated whenever possible.
When you overload a pallet rack, it will bend and buckle.
The same is true of your associates. Overburdened workers burn out, improving the likelihood that they'll quit and leave you with a more serious labor crisis. However, kaizen principles improve associate efficiency, allowing them to work at a reasonable, sustainable pace while still accomplishing more. Your team completes more tasks in the same timespan, while your workers don't wear out.
Using Kaizen to avoid muri is the definition of a win-win.
Quality, effective training is a vital part of solving your manufacturing labor shortage.
However, not all training needs to involve a classroom and PowerPoint slides. Genchi genbutsu means “Go and see.” The Toyota Way frequently discusses this as a means of identifying opportunities for improvement. In general terms, this process directs managers to:
However, the concept of genchi genbutsu is also a strong teaching tool for your team.
Learning is often most successful when introduced in smaller, relevant chunks. Sending team members to go and see how other teams solve similar challenges provides an opportunity for teamwork and micro-training. It helps your associates gradually improve, avoids lengthy training sessions, and reinforces the respect you have for them.
Provide opportunities for in-person, micro-trainings whenever you can.
Genchi genbutsu assumes associates know where to go to learn new best practices.
That's one of your vital roles in this process. Management must stay apprised of good examples of Kaizen and alert their staff. Associates learn best when they have the opportunity to see for themselves, and they can only find those opportunities with your help.
Bear in mind, sharing best practices is more than telling team members to copy another team’s process.
Kaizen teaches us that no process is perfect. Consequently, associates should be encouraged to add their own knowledge and experience to what they've learned as they implement new techniques. This continues the cycle of improvement and allows each team to learn from the others.
Ultimately, you'll find your team's efficiency grows quickly, allowing you to accomplish more despite breaks for training opportunities.
The beautiful thing about incremental improvement is that it’s relatively quick and inexpensive to implement.
Consequently, the benefits of Kaizen emerge rapidly. Shortly after adopting Toyota lean principles, you'll begin to notice improved efficiency in your team with less turnover. This is the first step to alleviating your labor shortage challenges, and it will only improve with time.
However, Toyota Lean Management is as much a mindset as it is a process.
Adopting that mindset and getting started can be a challenge. Our TLM experts have the solution. We can help you develop and execute a lean management plan in your facility, allowing your team to comfortably shoulder their workload even when understaffed. Let us help you conquer your labor shortage.
To learn more about Toyota Lean Management and how it can help solve labor woes, contact us online or visit one of our locations:
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Jacksonville
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Further Reading
Toyota’s Lean Management Program Explained (with Real Life Examples)
Labor Shortage Problem? Why Automation is a People-First Solution
Manufacturing Optimization: Are You Investing in the Wrong Area?