Let's face it: Toyota has had a rough year in terms of production and parts availability. First, the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan forced the company to cut back production, and now that they've recovered, flooding in Thailand began disrupting parts suppliers from making shipments to factories around the world.
However, if there's any proof that Toyota has learned how to recover from its first round of production disruptions, it's this latest round of flooding. The Japanese automaker's manufacturing plans are already back on track after only weeks, and they're even prepared to offer overtime at some factories in order to keep up with consumer demand. More specifically, Toyota factories in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico are now operating at 15 percent above their normal production capacity.
Previously, Toyota plants around the world were running at about ten percent under their typical production capacities, so there is quite a bit of catching up to do. Some are even claiming that this overtime could continue right into December, and possibly into the New Year too. Toyota knows the value of operating at full production capacity and isn't taking it for granted.
That, however, isn't to say that Toyota is preparing to movie parts production elsewhere. Rather, Toyota's president Akio Toyodo says "Toyota is not considering shrinking its operations here. If anything we hope to expand."1
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Source: 1http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2011/11/16/toyota-remains-loyal-to-flood-hit-thailand/
1http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-13/toyota-s-north-american-assembly-pace-picks-up-after-floods.html
