The Prius That Shook.. - VFAQ Prius Site

the group.
"We three members have finally become experts in the
hybrid system, but have absolutely no experience in product
planning. If we want to start a production line to launch a
new car, we need an experienced member. That is why we
invited Oi-kun. He is an expert in completing a product.
He will prepare production jointly with the plants and
coordinate with the sales department. Also, building a
prototype prior to mass-production is completely different
from building a couple for a Motor Show. We will ask him to
supervise in that area. After all, he would probably not have
enough time to catch up on the hybrid system." Uchiyamada
tried to put everyone at ease with a little joke.
Immediately after joining the group, Oi noticed
something different about the group. The three others
seemed to be constantly sharing the same new information
even if they never discussed about it. Oi thought that it was
because the three had worked closely for two years, but later
noticed that that was not the case. In fact, the three had
been exchanging the newest information through E-mail.
Back then, the Intranet had not yet been established
within Toyota, and many engineers used only specialized
computers and were still unfamiliar with personal computers.
"How impressive. These guys are developing a car for the
21 st century, and are so ahead of us. They each
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