1.
Poka-Yoke
By Amit, Hyderabad, India

2.
What is Poka-Yoke?
 It is a Japanese term which means
“Mistake-Proofing”
 It was originally known as Baka-Yoke,
which means “Fool-Proofing” / “Idiot-
Proofing”
 It is mostly implemented in Manufacturing
Sectors

3.
What is Poka-Yoke?
 It is a Japanese term which means
“Mistake-Proofing”
 It was originally known as Baka-Yoke,
which means “Fool-Proofing” / “Idiot-
Proofing”
 It is mostly implemented in Manufacturing
Sectors

4.
History:
 This concept was first formalised and
adopted by Shigeo Shingo in 1961 as part
of the Toyota Production System
 Shigeo Shingo applied this to prevent
human errors
 He recognised the concept of unavoidable
human errors and defects in the
production

5.
Why Poka-Yoke?
 For operational excellence
 Can prevent errors from occurring in the
first place
 If this is not possible, it performs a
detective function, eliminating defects in
the process as early as possible
 It ensures that proper conditions exist
before actually executing a process step

6.
What is Error?
Error is a deviation from what is Correct,
Right or True.
Previously it was prevented by Scolding,
Retraining or Telling them to be more
careful.
Now it is prevented by Training & Motivation.

7.
How to use Poka-Yoke?
 Define the potential mistakes / errors
 List them which could be transferred to the
next step
 Combine them with other tools such as
Brainstorming

8.
How to use Poka-Yoke?
 Identify Root Causes
 Investigate and analyze them
 Use other tools such as 5 WHYs for this
step

9.
How to use Poka-Yoke?
 Preparation: Completely prepare the
team before they enter into the process
 Encounter: Protect the team who may
misunderstand, ignore or forget their
nature of the job or their role
 Resolution: Remind them of the value of
their input to the continuous improvement
of a service

10.
How to use Poka-Yoke?
 Task: Focus on the common mistakes
made while performing the task by the
team
 Treatment: Focus on social interaction
with them
 Tangible: Address the real, physical
impression and experience for the team

11.
Benefits of Poka-Yoke
 It helps people and processes work right
the first time
 It is used to create a system that prevents
defects from occurring
 It is used as a system to catch defects
 It refers to techniques that make it
impossible to make mistakes
 Its basic concept is to avoid the problems
by correcting the process