Mistake Proofing (Poka Yoke)

Many organisations have the goal of achieving zero defects in their products and services, but even those which manage to achieve 100% outgoing quality sometimes struggle to achieve this level of performance economically, due to excessive checking and reworking. It has long been recognised that processes with an element of human involvement are rarely defect-free, since even the most conscientious person will occasionally make a mistake. But fully automated processes can also produce defects - maybe due to equipment failure - and if these are not detected immediately, the consequences and costs can be serious.

Poka Yoke, which is Japanese for 'mistake proofing', is an approach which looks for ways of preventing defects from occurring through careful product or process design, or if this is not feasible, by providing a reliable means of detection. It is an essential ingredient of problem solving and process improvement, and is equally applicable to manufacturing and business processes.

This course considers how mistake proofing can be applied in a wide range of practical situations, and provides guidance on how it can be integrated within a company's improvement programme.

Course Content

Introduction to Mistake Proofing
•The need for Mistake Proofing
•Mistake Proofing and business improvement
•Prevention versus detection
•Sources of errors and defects
•Types of inspection systems

Mistake Proofing Systems
•Types of Mistake Proofing systems
•Simple Mistake Proofing devices
•Mistake Proofing manufacturing & business processes
•The benefits of Mistake Proofing by design
•Link with Design for Assembly techniques
•Examples and case studies

Implementing Mistake Proofing
•Identifying opportunities for Mistake Proofing
•Integration with other improvement approaches
•Implementation Issues