The Prize is named for Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo who distinguished himself as one of the world’s leading experts in improving manufacturing processes. Dr. Shingo has been described as an “engineering genius” who helped create and write about many aspects of the revolutionary manufacturing practices which comprise the renowned Toyota Production System.

Dr. Shingo is the author of numerous books including A Study of the Toyota Production System; Revolution in Manufacturing: The SMED System; Zero Quality Control: Source Inspection and the Poka-yoke System; The Sayings of Shigeo Shingo: Key Strategies for Plant Improvement; Non-Stock Production: The Shingo System for Continuous Improvement; and The Shingo Production Management System: Improving Process Functions. He was a genius at understanding exactly why products are manufactured the way they are, and then transforming that understanding into a workable system for low-cost, high-quality production.

In 1988, Utah State University recognized Dr. Shingo for his lifetime accomplishments with an Honorary Doctorate in Business. The Shingo Prize Model was developed as a world-class manufacturing model that incorporates many of Dr. Shingo’s practices as well as exemplary practices from other sources. The Shingo Prize Model, however, is not just a production model. It is an overall systems model that incorporates all aspects of business operations and processes. The model was developed to promote Lean/world-class business practices that result in world-class performance and the ability to compete globally.