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What is Poka-Yoke and How Will It Help Your Bottom Line? Society of Manufacturing Engineers Release date: September 2, 2008
New SME DVD Reveals How This Lean Process Can Help Your Shop Eliminate Mistakes
DEARBORN, Mich., September 2, 2008 - "What is poka-yoke and how will it help my bottom line?" you might ask. Poka-yoke is the Japanese term for mistake-proofing or setting up measures to prevent mistakes and the negative impact they can have on your shop's bottom line.
SME member Jeff Fuchs, a lean consultant and author of SME's new DVD "Poka-Yoke: Mistake-Proofing" knows the answer. He builds his company's - Neovista Consulting, LLC - bottom line by helping other companies change people, processes, organization and technology for better business results.
Fuchs explains, "Whether it's your check engine light, a smoke detector, or child-proof caps, poka-yoke is all around us. It can make life safer, easier and can improve your business processes."
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers announced today the release of "Poka-Yoke: Mistake-Proofing." Currently available to purchase at www.sme.org/store, the DVD's purpose is to help manufacturers come as close to perfection as possible. Part of the Shingo Prize-winning Manufacturing Insights Video Series, it measures and evaluates the modern and practical methods for getting quality right the first time.
And if necessity is the mother of invention, poka-yoke is an effective solution for mistakes that are bound to happen when an operator completes repetitive tasks - an idea derived from Shigeo Shingo's pillars of zero quality control.
Fuchs notes that poka-yoke is a must-have element in every competitive business. "Mistake-proofing is one of the cornerstones of lean production. It creates stable, repeatable processes that are high quality and low waste. But whether you are on a lean journey or not, isn't that the kind of rock-solid foundation you want at the base of all your business processes?"
Through more than 30 informative minutes, viewers are not only introduced to such poka-yoke practitioners as Fuchs, but also effective processes and tools such as andon lights, sensors and counter-measures, which go as far as shutting down production lines when errors occur.
Viewers are given an inside look at companies such as Saline Plastics, ConMed Linvatec, and ESYS Engineered Systems. They will see how they are using mistake-proofing to help reduce costs, increase quality and accelerate customer delivery time. In particular, the DVD reveals how Saline Plastics uses the process to build customized automobile instrument panels for Ford Motor Company.
For ConMed Linvatec, a global leader of minimally invasive medical devices, surgical implants and other products, poka-yoke is more than a helpful process...it's a requirement.
ConMed's Continuous Improvement Champion Bill Mazurek says, "About 80 percent of our products go through a sterile environment. As a result, we have to maintain a certain particle level. An opened door, for example, could alter this level where you could end up with fibers or particles inside a sterile package." Mazurek adds that ConMed is using poka-yoke methods to maintain this clean environment with good results. "Our back orders are down by about 50 percent today. Ninety-eight percent of our product ships within 24 hours. In days past, it was in the low 90 percent range. Our scrap rate is reduced by 20 to 25 percent in some areas as a result of our mistake-proofing activities."
To request a copy for press review, contact publications@sme.org.
Product Information:
Released by Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 2008; Author Jeff Fuchs; Poka-Yoke, Mistake-Proofing; UPC 898544001719, Order Code: DV08PUB8. Order online at: www.sme.org/store, or call 800.733.4763 (outside the U.S. & Canada, call 313.425.4500). Send purchase order, check, or mail order request to: Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Resource Center, P.O. Box 6028, Dearborn, MI 48121 or fax to 313.425.3401.
SME News Feed: To receive the latest up-to-the-minute SME news, subscribe to RSS.
About SME:
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world's leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Through its member programs, publications, expositions and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Michigan, SME influences more than half a million manufacturing practitioners and executives annually. The Society has members in more than 70 countries and is supported by a network of hundreds of technical communities and chapters worldwide.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact SME Public Relations by phone (313) 271-1500, e-mail communications@sme.org, or Fax: (313) 425-3403
Company Information:
Name: Society of Manufacturing Engineers
Address: 1 SME Dr., P.O. Box 930
City: Dearborn
State: MI
ZIP: 48121
Country: USA
Phone: 313-271-1500
FAX: 313-271-2861
http://www.sme.org
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