The article overview Sobek, II, D.K., Liker, J.K. & Ward, A.C. (1998). Another look at how Toyota integrates product development. Harvard Business Review , 76(4), 36-49. The present article deals with peculiarities of product development in Toyota. Sobek et al. (1998) also compares Toyota’s strategies with strategies used at US companies. The authors reveal the most effective strategies that can be used to improve the process of product development. Sobek et al. (1998) claim that Toyota combines functional and project-based structures. At that, Toyota manages to create the necessary balance which is beneficial for the process of product development. Thus, the authors argue that engineers in Toyota work in certain groups on different projects without ignoring their primary functions. Sobek et al. (1998) state that the secret of their success lies in proper communication. Thus, the groups use written and oral communication. Again, Toyota has created the balance between two forms of communication. The authors also note that one of the advantages of strategies used by Toyota is precise supervision. One of the greatest achievements of the company, in the author’s opinion, is a specific type of supervision. Thus, chief engineers encourage engineers to find solutions rather than simply provide their strict instructions. Importantly, chief engineers at Toyota do not have much control over engineers, i.e. they cannot simply reject this or that solution, though they have a great authority so their opinion matters. This leads to effective communication between supervisors and engineers. Moreover, chief engineers do not stop developing their technical expertise, so their authority is sound. Another advantage of strategies used in Toyota is the use of flexible standards. Thus, the company has particular standards which enable every engineer to check whether everything is done right. However, the checklists are often up-dated which makes the standards always up-to-date. Besides, Sobek et al. (1998) note that the company pays much attention to consumer’s needs. Thus, the company’s employees have to sell cars for some time to acknowledge what consumers may need. Finally, the authors also conclude that the strategies used at Toyota can be effective for this company only, in other words, these strategies can be inapplicable for other settings. Nonetheless, the researchers also note that some techniques can be effectively used by US car manufacturers. Key points One of the major findings of the article is that many of strategies used at Toyota can be used at US companies. The researchers compare Toyota’ strategies and techniques used at American companies. The authors reveal advantages of strategies used at Toyota. For instance, the authors point out that communication between project groups is essential in the process of product development. The authors note that Toyota incorporates written and oral communication really effectively. Thus, engineers work out really precise reports where major issues and recommendations are highlighted. The reports are distributed among people involved. If the issue is two complex, a meeting is arranged, where the issue is discussed in detail. Admittedly,