Jidoka is a powerful quality control strategy designed to improve product quality by detecting and correcting defects as they occur. This approach is based on the principle of "automation with a human touch" and is used to eliminate defects at the source rather than detecting and correcting them after they have been produced.
Automation with a human touch
One of the key elements of Jidoka is using sensors and other technologies to detect defects in real time. When a defect is detected, the production process is stopped, allowing the defect to be corrected immediately. This helps ensure that the defect does not contaminate other products and allows the organization to identify and correct the root cause of the problem quickly.
Another key aspect of Jidoka is empowering operators to take responsibility for the quality of their products. By allowing operators to stop the production process when a defect is detected, Jidoka encourages them to identify and correct defects actively. This improves the quality of the products and encourages operators to take ownership of their work and be more engaged in the process.
Improving quality
Jidoka also emphasizes the importance of root cause analysis and problem-solving to identify and correct the cause of the defects. This helps to improve the overall quality of the product by reducing the number of defects and increasing the consistency of the product.
Summary
Jidoka is a powerful lean manufacturing strategy that can help organizations improve their products' quality, reduce defects, and increase productivity. By detecting and correcting defects as they occur, Jidoka helps organizations quickly identify and correct the root cause of problems, leading to a more efficient and effective production process.