The Paradox of Legacy and Digital Transformation

Toyota practically wrote the book on continuous improvement. But can the plays that won championships before still win them today? This week, Kevin Austin, Group Vice President, Supply Chain at Toyota North America, tackles one of the hardest leadership challenges: transforming a company built on discipline and proven systems without losing what made it great. In conversation with Zero100 Chief Research Officer Kevin O'Marah (yes, two Kevins), he reveals why TPS is the foundation that makes transformation possible, and what happens when AI meets craftspeople who've spent 30 years building cars.

1. The tension between pride, legacy, and a world that got way more complex (01:20)
2. How to know when digital transformation isn’t working (and you’re the bottleneck) (03:37)
3. Early missteps and why noble missions beat shiny tools (05:37)
4. Fixing friction from forecasting all the way to customer delivery (08:20)
5. When customers can track a $10 pizza but not a $50,000 vehicle (12:37)
6. How TPS creates a stable backbone for experimentation (15:17)
7. When AI meets craftsmanship: Amplifying 30 years of judgment with technology (17:07)
8. What stays Toyota, what must change, and Kevin's north star (22:24)