In the 2016 ASQ World Conference Recap email issued June 1, 2016, the Quality tool of the week is Mistake Proofing, or Poka-Yoke. The full article is available on the ASQ National website click here.
Mistake–Proofing Procedure
- Obtain or create a flowchart of the process. Review each step, thinking about where and when human errors are likely to occur.
- For each potential error, work back through the process to find its source.
- For each error, think of potential ways to make it impossible for the error to occur. Consider:
- Elimination—eliminating the step that causes the error.
- Replacement—replacing the step with an error-proof one.
- Facilitation—making the correct action far easier than the error.
- If you cannot make it impossible for the error to occur, think of ways to detect the error and minimize its effects. Consider inspection method, setting function and regulatory function.
- Choose the best mistake-proofing method or device for each error. Test it, then implement it. Three kinds of inspection methods provide rapid feedback:
- Successive inspection is done at the next step of the process by the next worker.
- Self-inspection means workers check their own work immediately after doing it.
- Source inspection checks, before the process step takes place, that conditions are correct. Often it’s automatic and keeps the process from proceeding until conditions are right.
If you do Poka-Yoke and would be willing to share your experiences at either a section workshop or dinner meeting please contact the Section Leadership Committee.