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Top 25 Poka Yoke Examples to Improve Quality and Efficiency

Updated on December 15, 2022
Poka yoke reduces costs in factories
Poka yoke reduces costs in factories | Source

Defects contribute greatly to the cost of production because they lead to rework or scrapping of the manufactured product.

By using poka-yoke or mistake-proofing, the inherent cost of defects will be greatly reduced.

As a kaizen tool, poke-yoke aims at preventing process or product errors from occurring in the first place so as reduce the need for reworking of defective parts.

Importance of a zero-defects culture

At the very core of the Kaizen lean philosophy is the elimination of waste which is defined as any activity that consumes resources but does not add value to a product.

In Kaizen, there are generally 7 broad categories of waste that a lean thinking organization aims at eliminating or reducing. These are transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, over-production, over-processing and defects.

The reduction or elimination of defects is important to any business because it reduces costs while at the same time increasing customer satisfaction levels. Defect elimination leads to reduced rework, scrap, warranty and inspection costs.

These costs tend to increase the further down the value stream the errors are found. For example, the cost of an error captured at the raw materials receiving section is far less than the cost of an error caught at the point of sale.

Benefits of Poka-Yoke

Poka-yoke is a very important tool to achieve a defect free production environment. The benefits of achieving a zero-defect environment in the organization are:

Quality processes resulting in quality products. It is very hard for a process that is not of high quality to result in quality products or services. All processes must be capable of achieving value for the customer and this is possible through elimination of waste.

Effective teams who work in a coordinated manner so as to deliver value to the customer. Such teams look at the system as a whole and know their what roles they have to play so as to achieve the overall organization goals

Problem solving culture where there is no blaming when problems occur, but a concerted effort to resolve the real issues. This culture allows constant learning to take place within an organization because there is no finger-pointing when a problem occurs.

Solving the root cause guarantees that it will not recur in the future. This is achieved by conducting a root cause analysis to get to the real reason why a problem occurred.

First time quality is an important principle because it ensures that every effort is made to achieve quality within process. This is in contrast to a culture that continuously pushes out parts irrespective of the quality because there will be a reworking if bad parts are produced

Waste elimination is at the heart of lean thinking because product quality improves and delivery times and costs are reduced. Waste in lean thinking is defined as an action or activity that consumes resources but does not add value to the customer

Continuous improvement of the solutions. This incremental improvement takes a cyclical pattern of problem identification, problem analysis, solution implementation and improvement.

The origin and meaning of poka-yoke

Developed by Shigeo Shingo over 30 years ago, Poka Yoke is a technique that guarantees process and product quality and negates the need for 100% final inspection.

Shigeo Shingo is considered the father of the quality movement for his seminal work on the development of the popular lean manufacturing tools of Just-In-Time, which consequently gave rise to the Toyota Production System.

His influence in his home land of Japan and the Western industrial thinking makes him the most respected contributor to the quality movement in the world.

Dr Shigeo Shingo developed the ‘zero defects’ approach to manufacturing by using poka-yoke which improved the product quality in many industries in Japan.

Shigeo Shingo also introduced the Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) concept which tremendously reduced the time required to change-over from one product type to the next in a manufacturing firm.

If the processes that are used to manufacture products are so reliable that there are no defects, there will be no use for final inspection. Capturing defects after they have already occurred means that the company has already incurred production costs and any rework will just add further costs to the products.

The poka-yoke system developed by Toyota experts is an approach that focuses on controlling the process conditions so that defects do not occur. The main tenet of this system is that no process should produce, accept or pass defective parts to the next process.

In-process inspection is more effective than final inspection because every stage in the manufacturing process checks for, and prevents errors before passing to the subsequent process.

By carrying out successive self-checks within the process, the ultimate end product will have little or no errors which will negate the need for 100 % final inspection before delivery to the customer.

Types of poka-yoke

There are three ways in which you can mistake-proof a process using poka-yoke:

  • Contact method where a sensor determines the presence of a part in a process and if the part is missing, it prevents the process from continuing. The sensors could be physical sensors or energy sensors such infrared.
  • Fixed-value method is a form of poka-yoke that uses a sensor to determine whether a process is complete by the number of parts that have been used or the number of process steps taken. If the right number of steps or parts have not been used, this indicates an error and the process is stopped. This method is also known as the counting method of mistake proofing.
  • Motion-step method uses a sensor to determine whether all the prerequisite process steps have been undertaken. If a step in the process has been missed, a signal is sent to the subsequent process to stop. This forces a correction of the problem before the process can continue and is a very effective error-proofing technique.

As can be seen from the methods highlighted above, the main advantage of mistake-proofing in process is that the final product will be of high quality as the mistakes were corrected long before they could reach the final customer. This reduces the cost of rework and inspection at the point of dispatch.

Poka Yoke Examples

  1. Using color-coded labels to identify different parts or materials
  2. Using different sized holes or slots to ensure that parts can only be assembled in the correct orientation
  3. Using a set of nested containers of different sizes to ensure that components are picked in the correct order
  4. Using sensors to detect the presence or absence of parts or materials at different stages of the production process
  5. Using RFID tags to track the location and movement of parts or materials
  6. Using checklists or visual aids to help operators verify that they have completed all necessary steps in a process
  7. Using error-proofing devices, such as spring-loaded pins or mechanical stops, to prevent incorrect assembly or installation
  8. Using special tools, such as torque wrenches or alignment jigs, to ensure that parts are tightened or assembled to the correct specification
  9. Using automated inspection systems to detect defects or deviations from specifications
  10. Using automatic shut-off or warning mechanisms to prevent the use of incorrect or expired materials
  11. Using standardized procedures or instructions to guide operators through the steps of a process
  12. Using process control charts or other statistical tools to monitor the quality of output and identify potential problems
  13. Using mistake-proof packaging or labeling to prevent the wrong product from being shipped to a customer
  14. Using visual indicators, such as red-yellow-green lights, to signal the status of a process or equipment
  15. Using standardized work instructions or job aids to help operators perform tasks accurately and consistently
  16. Using automatic reorder systems to ensure that necessary materials are available when needed
  17. Using electronic data entry systems to prevent transcription errors or incorrect data entry
  18. Using visual cues, such as color-coded markings or arrows, to guide operators through a process
  19. Using automatic feedback systems to monitor the performance of equipment or processes and make adjustments as needed
  20. Using first-in first-out (FIFO) storage systems to prevent the use of outdated materials
  21. Using automatic data backup systems to prevent the loss of important information
  22. Using standardized templates or forms to ensure that all necessary information is collected and recorded accurately
  23. Using automatic shut-off valves or sensors to prevent the release of hazardous materials
  24. Using locks, guards, or other physical barriers to prevent unauthorized access to equipment or materials
  25. Using automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) systems, such as barcode scanners, to track the movement of parts or materials
  26. Using fail-safe or fail-secure mechanisms to prevent equipment from operating in an unsafe or unintended manner
  27. Using automatic shut-off or alarm systems to prevent the overloading or overheating of equipment
  28. Using automatic sorting or routing systems to ensure that parts or materials are routed to the correct destination
  29. Using standardized test procedures or protocols to ensure that products or processes are tested consistently and accurately
  30. Using standardized maintenance procedures or schedules to prevent equipment from failing or operating improperly
  31. Using automatic dispensing systems to prevent the incorrect mixing or dilution of chemicals or other materials
  32. Using automatic lubrication systems to ensure that equipment is properly lubricated and maintained
  33. Using automatic temperature control systems to prevent the overheating or freezing of materials or equipment
  34. Using automatic shut-off systems to prevent the overfilling or spilling of containers or tanks
  35. Using automatic feed systems to prevent the underfeeding or overfeeding of materials to equipment
  36. Using automatic stop or pause mechanisms to prevent the continuation of a process in the event of a malfunction or problem
  37. Using automatic water level control systems to prevent the overfilling or underfilling of tanks or reservoirs
  38. Using automatic fire suppression systems to prevent


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