Jidoka
Stop to fix problems immediately
What Is Jidoka?
Automation with a human touch—machines detect abnormalities and stop, allowing humans to fix the root cause immediately.
Jidoka (自働化), sometimes called autonomation, is one of the two pillars of the Toyota Production System (the other being Just-in-Time). The concept originated with Sakichi Toyoda's automatic loom, which would stop when a thread broke—preventing defective fabric from being produced.
The key principle is: build quality into the process rather than inspecting quality at the end. When an abnormality is detected—by a machine or a person—production stops immediately. This creates urgency to find and fix the root cause rather than letting problems compound.
Jidoka includes andon systems (visual signals for calling help), poka-yoke (mistake-proofing), and the authority of any worker to stop the line when they see a problem. The apparent "inefficiency" of stopping production actually creates huge efficiency gains by preventing defects from flowing downstream and by driving continuous improvement.
- •Designing processes that prevent defects from propagating
- •Empowering workers to stop and fix problems
- •Building quality into the process, not inspecting it in
- •Separating human work from machine work effectively
- •Creating urgency around solving problems at their source
- •When leadership doesn't support stopping to fix problems
- •If stopping production isn't feasible (find other containment)
- •One-off creative work where 'defects' are subjective
- •Punishing workers for stopping the line
- •Not responding quickly when problems are raised
- •Installing sensors without acting on their signals
- •Focusing only on automation, forgetting the 'human touch'
- •Letting problems be 'passed on' to avoid stopping
Standard Example
Implementation: Jidoka on Assembly Line Station 5
Current State:
• Workers pass defective parts to next station
• Quality issues found at final inspection
• Rework rate: 8%
• No real-time visibility of problems
Jidoka Implementation:
1. **Andon System:**
- Yellow light: Worker needs assistance
- Red light: Line stop required
- Team leader must respond within takt time
2. **Standard Work with Built-in Checks:**
- Go/no-go gauges at each station
- Visual standards for appearance checks
- Checklist verification before passing work
3. **Poka-Yoke (Mistake-Proofing):**
- Parts can only be installed one way
- Sensors detect missing components
- Wrong part automatically rejected
Results (After 90 Days):
• Rework rate: 1.2% (from 8%)
• Line stops per shift: Average 3 (down from panic at end)
• Time to detect problems: Immediate (from end of line)
• Worker confidence: Significantly improved
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