Poka – Yoke is a Japanese term meaning error correction. It refers to a process designed to eliminate human error in the production process and improve product quality. Poka – yoke is a very important technique used in the manufacturing or service industry. It focuses on preventing errors and defects from occurring in the first place. In this blog post, we will look at how Poka – Yoke came about, how it is used and what benefits it brings. What is Poka – Yoke? Poka – Yoke is a mechanism used to apply to any process or procedure to prevent human error. The ultimate goal of Poka – Yoke is to reduce or eliminate the likelihood of a worker making a mistake while completing a task or producing a product. Poka – Yoke falls into two categories: warning mechanisms and control mechanisms. A warning mechanism gives warnings to prevent errors and defects from occurring. A control mechanism prevents the error from occurring in the first place by preventing the next step in the process. For example, a system may require a certain type of screw to be used to activate the mechanism. If the correct screw type is not used, it is not possible to activate the mechanism. So, organizations must first eliminate the error or defect to complete the process. Brief History of Poka – Yoke Poka – yoke was developed by Shigeo Shingo, a Japanese engineer working at Toyota in the 1960s. Shingo believed that human error creates defects in processes. For this reason, he developed the poka yoke technique to ensure quality products and eliminate the possibility of human error. Poka-Yoke is a process designed to check that the right conditions exist and its main purpose is to prevent defects. From the beginning to the end of the process, it includes a large number of observation points to ensure the correct conditions. In a situation where defects appear, Poka-Yoke acts as a detective to facilitate the detection and correction of the mistake. This ensures that errors in the process are detected as early as possible, without allowing defects to occur. What are Examples of Poka – Yoke? Cars have poka – yoke applications that provide safety devices to prevent drivers from making mistakes. For example, when a driver parks the car and then gets out without removing the key, the car gives an audible warning that the driver has forgotten the key. The driver alert system is actually designed with a poka – yoke mechanism. Cars have a control mechanism that prevents the car door from locking when the key is in the ignition and the car door is closed, so that the driver does not accidentally lock himself/herself. This is designed to prevent errors that lead to the driver accidentally locking themselves through a poka – yoke. USB and similar ports may have mechanisms to prevent damage to the device if the connection direction is incorrect. These mechanisms only allow the USB cable to be plugged in in the correct direction, if it is plugged in the opposite direction, the connection will not take place. This is an example of Poka-Yoke helping to protect devices and ports. In washing machines, if the door is not fully closed, the machine will not start itself to prevent flooding. This type of automation is designed from the outset to not allow any errors or faulty operations. In this way, it protects users from unforeseen errors and gives a pre-error warning. When is Poka – Yoke Applied? Poka – Yoke is used to prevent potential errors in production processes, operational processes and daily life. Poka – Yoke helps to prevent errors, reduce the possibility of human error and increase process reliability. How to Implement Poka – Yoke in Manufacturing? Poka – Yoke is very easy to implement. You can implement the poke – yoke process in your organization by following the steps below. Identify the Problem and Potential Errors Every human being sometimes makes mistakes. However, if similar errors persist, then there is a problem with human error, equipment or processes. So, identify where the problem occurs. You can use methods such as brainstorming with your team, 5 Cause Analysis, FMEA to identify the current problem and possible errors. Identify the Poka – Yoke Method to Prevent Errors Once you have identified potential errors, you need to develop poka-yokes to prevent these errors from occurring. It is important to choose the most effective poka-yoke control for a given problem. You can integrate a poka-yoke alert that prevents the process from continuing before a critical step in the production process is completed or notifies the operator that the process must continue. Determine Poka – Yoke Type There are three basic types of poka – yoke you can use. Contact: Uses physical properties such as size, shape, etc. to identify bugs. Constant number: This type warns the operator when a certain number of processes or actions have not been performed. Sequence: The sequence of events must be followed for a process or action to continue. Apply the Poka – Yoke Method You need to move to the stage of implementing the Poke – Yoke method. At this stage, you need to make changes to your processes, train employees and provide them with the necessary resources. Measure and Monitor Performance Once you have implemented the poka-yoke methods, you need to monitor them to make sure they are effective. This involves tracking the number of errors that occur and making corrections to the poka-yoke method when necessary. Benefits of Poka – Yoke Poka – Yoke brings many benefits to employees and businesses. It catches errors before they cause problems and reduces defects. This improves quality and customer satisfaction. It prevents errors that lead to delays and rework. This helps to reduce the time required by employees to complete tasks and increase their productivity. Reduces the risk of accidents by ensuring that tasks are performed correctly. This increases safety by preventing injuries and accidents. The method used to identify errors in processes and prevent their repetition eliminates the need for rework by reducing defects. In this way, businesses save costs by preventing waste.
