The mission of purchasing is to 'create a purchasing infrastructure, respected and trusted by the public and equipped with competitive ability, through which maximum quality can be purchased at minimum cost for a timely and steady long-term supply'. To fulfill this mission, purchasing divisions coordinate their operations with suppliers and with the various internal functions, from design and production preparation (production engineering) to manufacturing, at each of the different stages-from vehicle development to production preparation, mass production, and spares supply.

In 2009, Toyota's purchasing divisions formulated the 'Toyota Way in Purchasing', which makes a clear statement of common principles and policies to be followed by staff engaged in purchasing operations at all affiliates worldwide. The basis for this was formed by the practices that have been cultivated in Toyota's relations with suppliers since its foundation.

The Purchasing Staff Handbook issued at the time of Toyota's foundation sets out an approach of always keeping the door open to better quality goods and better suppliers, an approach that has lived on through Toyota's basic principle for fair competition based on an open door policy. Toyota believes that realizing its policy of 'mutual benefit based on mutual trust' means that suppliers must run their operations reliably and requires a united approach of supporting each other through good and bad times and overcoming difficulties together.

Since activities to promote local purchasing*began in earnest with the 1984 start of operations at NUMMI, Toyota has contributed to local communities by actively encouraging purchasing from local suppliers. In this way, through its policy of 'promoting localization and contributing to local economic vitality as a good corporate citizen', Toyota has adhered consistently to the approach of 'contributing to the company and to the overall good' which is laid down in the Five Main Principles of Toyoda.

In recent years, enterprises have been called upon to show awareness of social responsibility and the environment in their activities. Toyota has responded in its purchasing activities by taking account of these fundamentals at the levels of safety, quality, production, and cost.

*

Promotion of local purchasing means switching from a system of exporting parts produced and manufactured in Japan to a system where parts are produced and manufactured locally, i.e. in the country or region of vehicle production, or are purchased from producers and manufacturers based in that country or region.