Learn how Poka Yoke can help your company prevent problems!

Poka Yoke, despite having a somewhat different name, is used by most companies as a way of correcting a common problem between them. Ready to know what it is?

Several organizations used corrective action behavior for a long time, since they considered this one of the best ways to control and execute the management process within it.

In this way, companies felt safer and the use of investments, whether from which branches they were financial or qualitative were not used, even if this was a process that would cause damage to them.

However, a change in strategies and performance of functions was established by the Toyota Production System around the 1970s, demonstrating to companies that preventive actions are fundamental for the company to be recognized within the market, and establish a competitive positioning.

Thus, the concept of Poka Yoke and all the benefits that the methodology can offer for the performance and result of an organization arise.

In order for you to stay even more aware of the concept of Poka Yoke, what it means and how to apply it, we have separated, in this article, content full of information. Check it out!

• What is Poka Yoke?
• What are the types of Poka Yoke?
• 5 steps to make a Poka Yoke
• Where to apply Poka Yoke?

Follow!

What is Poka Yoke?

Poka Yoke is a lean tool with the objective of ensuring that the emergence of possible errors can be prevented, through the identification of procedures and their generating causes.

When from this tool the causes of errors that cannot yet be solved are identified, knowing more directly about the origin of it is a step to prevent errors during the processes executed, or at least offer palliative measures.

It is very important to remember that Poka Yoke is a tool executed from processes that relate to Lean Manufacturing and its lean system. Therefore, professionals in this area recommend being attentive to the news of the Lean world as a form of specialization and recognition, in addition to offering greater results for organizations regarding risks and waste.

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What are the types of Poka Yoke?

There are today 4 modalities of the Poka Yoke method that are widely used in production processes to avoid errors, namely:

1. Prevention
2. Detection
3. Fixed value
4. Steps.

Prevention Poka Yoke

Prevention Poka Yoke is the first modality proposed for application. Its objective is to eliminate once and for all the cause that generates the error, which can be linked to numerous possibilities.

Some of them are: lack of operational training, excessive manual activities, high turnover of workers on a production line, disorganized work environment, inadequate operating conditions.

Detection Poka Yoke

The detection Poka Yoke has two modalities proposed for application: control and warning.

The control method aims to interrupt the process in the event of an operational error - forcing its immediate resolution by combating its root cause.

The warning Poka Yoke, on the other hand, aims to warn through visual and/or auditory signals the emergence of the error - informing the workers about its origin so that a prior containment analysis is carried out.

Fixed Value Poka Yoke

Fixed Value Poka Yoke serves to ensure that a specific number of movements have been made during the process, such as part separation processes in production lines.

Stage Poka Yoke

Step Poka Yoke prevents failures in the execution order. It determines whether all the steps of an operation are being followed in the correct order. If it is not done in the right steps, it will not be possible to perform the desired operation.

5 steps to make a Poka Yoke

Elaborating a Poka Yoke is fundamental to prevent errors and make a lean production. So, to assist you in this process, I will show you the 5 steps to prepare a good Poka Yoke.

1. Definition

• Create the team, always including those who work directly with the process
• Kaizen blitz is a very effective team activity for this type of task
• If the exact process to be improved is not yet defined, perform Value Flow Mapping (VSM)
• Describe the problem.

1. Measurement

• By mapping the process, identify the step that may be causing the defect
• Analyze the problem with tools such as the Ishikawa Diagram to reach its root cause.

1. Analysis

• Create the Standard Operating Procedure of the process
• Test the POP in the field
• Identify the errors that may occur and cause the defect.

1. Improvement

• Define the type of Poka Yoke to be used: the control is more indicated, because it eliminates the need for the human factor
• Conduct team brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for Poka Yoke devices or procedures that can eliminate or detect the error. You must always remember that Poka Yoke should be as simple and cheap as possible
• Test the solutions found, trying to make it fail and define the best option.

1. Control

• Implement the solution found on a large scale within the organization
• Train personnel in their use
• Create a standard for Poka Yoke with: problem to be solved, action in case of emergency, method and frequency of checking the operation, method of checking the quality in case of stoppage
• Monitor if defects have decreased since the implementation of the tool.

By following these 5 steps, you will surely be able to elaborate your Poka Yoke efficiently, making your process much leaner and error-proof!

Where to apply Poka Yoke?

Maybe you're thinking that you only deal with Poka Yoke who is actively participating in industrial processes, but that's not true.

This tool is much more present in your activities than you think, and I will prove it to you now.

See that? Several common activities use this error-proof technique, and I'm sure we benefit greatly through it.

After all, have you ever thought if there were no security windows asking if we want to save the document before closing? How many times would we have lost important texts, wouldn't we?

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