When problems do occur the people on the spot are expected to use their skill and initiative to solve them, or, if that is not possible, to summon assistance from the nearest available managers and engineers, and to make this decision quickly and intuitively. It is said that someone who understands the system can walk into a factory, close his or her eyes, and tell by listening and feel if everything is working properly. This ability to sense the state of the system is critical in avoiding major breakdowns and while it may seem magical to an outsider, it develops naturally through increasingly
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