Jidoka

自働化

Jidoka

Have you ever had a problem with a process that frustrates you EVERY time you do it? You think to yourself: When will I EVER have the time to fix this?

Well, the Lean philosophy answer is NOW! It's called Jidoka.

When an abnormality or problem occurs - stop the process immediately.

Ask for help (this can be a red light on the manufacturing line or a noise used to summons help from a leader). The signal is often called an andon. 

Once help arrives, the goal is to solve the problem forever - not just provide a quick fix.  The method for getting to the root of the problem is called 5 Whys.

5 Whys Example

Problem: The delivery of a product is late.

1. Why is the delivery late?
   The shipment arrived at the warehouse later than expected.
2. Why did the shipment arrive late?
   The truck broke down on the way to the warehouse.
3. Why did the truck break down?
   The truck had not been properly maintained.
4. Why was the truck not properly maintained?
   The maintenance schedule was not followed.
5. Why was the maintenance schedule not followed?
   There was a lack of oversight and responsibility for vehicle maintenance.

Root Cause: Improve oversight of the maintenance schedule to ensure all vehicles are serviced on time.

Conclusion

Stopping the process to solve a problem before it happens again can feel counterintuitive. But it works. Where have you applied Jidoka? In your car? Your kitchen? How can you use this concept to improve your work?

We'd love to hear from you at lean@trippnt.com.