Year 12 Business Class 

Question: What product did Toyota make at its inception? 

The Year 12 Business class was offered a new Toyota, by the guest speaker, if they could guess the correct answer…and without Googling it. Unfortunately, no one left MECS in a new vehicle that day, and the answer, if you’re interested, is a powered loom. 

Currently the students are learning about the topic ‘Reviewing Performance’ where they explore the need for change within organisations, how change can be proactive or reactive, and key performance indicators to evaluate change. It was instructive to have Joel Cormack, from the head office of Toyota, speak about changes to Toyota’s operations, due to the Australian Government’s new vehicle efficiency standards. Students learned that as change is in Toyota’s DNA, this legislative requirement, which commences in July 2025, is all within Toyota’s capability. Throughout the presentation students also learned a few Japanese words for change such as kaizen, which means ongoing change, kaikaku which translates as transformation, and kakushin which is change outside of the box. 

One fun fact we gleaned is that Toyota is building a city near Mt Fuji, called Woven City, which aims to foster human centred innovation, by bringing 2000 people together to research, test and solve mobility challenges. Now that is impressive kakushin. 

Sharon Payze 

Year 12 Business Teacher