Poka-yoke, a Japanese term meaning "mistake-proofing" or "error prevention", is a concept and set of techniques used to eliminate defects and errors in any process by preventing, correcting, or drawing attention to human mistakes.
Developed by a Japanese industrial engineer in the 1960s, Poka-yoke focuses on designing processes and products to either eliminate the possibility of mistakes or to make them immediately apparent for easy correction. This is achieved through various techniques and devices. In manufacturing, Poka-yoke can involve interlocks, safety guards, or sensor-based systems to ensure parts are assembled correctly. In service areas, examples include checklists, data validation, or automated processes to minimize errors in tasks like medication dispensing or food preparation.
Poka-yoke is a lean manufacturing tool and a general principle for preventing errors in various industries and processes. It can be used in both control and warning approaches. Control poka-yoke prevents errors from occurring in the first place, while warning poka-yoke alerts operators when an error is about to happen.
Poka Yoke offers numerous benefits by preventing errors and defects, leading to improvements in quality, efficiency, and safety. It reduces costs by minimizing rework, scrap, and customer complaints. By making it harder to do things wrong, poka yoke also reduces training time and improves employee morale.
