Poka Yoke is a way of making sure you don’t make mistakes or errors when you do something. It is a way of making processes or products that stop, fix, or show you the mistakes as they happen. Poka Yoke was made by Shigeo Shingo, who worked at Toyota, a car company.

Poka Yoke can help you avoid mistakes and errors in anything you do. Some examples of Poka Yoke are:

• A car that makes you press the brake before you change gears.

• A SIM card that fits only one way in your phone.

• A computer program that shows you the wrong words when you type.

Before you use poka yoke, you should ask yourself these questions:

• What is the mistake that you want to avoid and why is it important to avoid it?

• Why does the mistake happen and how can you find out the reasons?

• How can you stop or catch the mistake using one of these ways: making sure something fits only one way, setting a limit or a target, or following a sequence of steps?

• How can you test your idea to see if it works well?

• How can you put your idea into practice and check if it is working well?

• When should you use poka yoke in your process or situation?

• What are the good and bad things about using poka yoke?

These questions can help you use poka yoke well and make your processes and systems better.

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Hoshin Kanri is a strategic framework for implementing Lean principles and practices across the enterprise. It translates to “policy management” or “compass management” in Japanese. It enables the organization to align its functions and activities with its strategic objectives, both vertically and horizontally. It also fosters the development of organizational capability through the strategic delegation of responsibility. Hoshin Kanri follows a 7-step process that consists of developing a strategic plan, defining key objectives, cascading the objectives into annual goals, deploying the goals throughout the organization, executing the plan, reviewing the progress monthly and annually, and applying continuous improvement tools such as catchball and PDCA. Hoshin Kanri ensures that everyone in the organization is aware of the goals and how to contribute to them, and that the organization can enhance its performance and competitiveness. 

Before using Hoshin Kanri, you might want to ask yourself and your team some questions, such as:

• What is our vision and mission? What are our long-term dreams and how do we want to make them come true?

• What are our breakthrough objectives? What are the most important goals that we need to achieve in the next few years to get closer to our vision and mission?

• What are our annual objectives? What are the specific and measurable goals that we need to achieve this year to support our breakthrough objectives?

• How can we deploy our objectives throughout the organization? How can we share our goals with different people and groups and make sure they understand how their work contributes to the overall strategy?

• How can we execute our objectives? What are the tasks and projects that we need to work on to reach our goals and how can we use tools like catchball and PDCA to monitor and adjust our progress?

• How can we perform monthly reviews? How can we measure and evaluate our performance against our objectives and identify any gaps or issues that need to be addressed?

• How can we perform annual reviews? How can we conduct a comprehensive assessment of our achievements and challenges and learn from our successes and failures?

By asking these questions, you can prepare yourself and your team for using Hoshin Kanri effectively.

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Andon is a way of telling people what is happening in a place where things are made. It uses different colors of lights to show if everything is okay or if there is a problem. For example, green means everything is good, yellow means someone needs help, and red means something is wrong and needs to be fixed. Andon helps people work better and make good things. 

Before using Andon, you might want to ask yourself and your team some questions, such as:

• Why do you want to use Andon in making things?

• What kinds of problems do you need to show by Andon?

• How will you make the Andon system (rope, light, sign) easy and clear for the workers?

• How will you teach and help the workers to use the Andon system and fix the problems?

• How will you check and make the Andon system better?

By asking these questions, you can prepare yourself and your team for using Andon effectively.

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Kanban is a way of doing your work better. Kanban helps you see your work, do your work, and make your work better.

Kanban came from a car company called Toyota in Japan. They wanted to make cars faster and better by using less stuff. They used cards to tell each other what they needed and when they needed it. The word “kanban” means “card” in Japanese.

Kanban uses a board with cards to show your work and how you do it. Each card is something you need to do, like a homework or a project. The cards are moved on the board as you do them.

A kanban board usually has three parts: To Do, Doing, and Done. But you can change the board to fit your work and how you do it. For example, you can add more parts for different steps or things you need to do, like Plan, Write, Check, etc.

A good thing about kanban is that it helps you focus on one thing at a time. This means you don’t have too many things to do at once, which can make you confused or stressed. You can decide how many things you can do at each part of the board and stick to it. For example, if you can only do 3 things at Doing, then you have to finish one of them before you start a new one.

Before using kanban, you should ask yourself and your team some questions to make sure that kanban is used in the right way. Some of these questions are:

1. Why do you want to use kanban? How will it help you do your work better and make your customers or people who need your work happy?

2. How do you do your work now? How do you know if you are doing it well or not?

3. What are the things you need to do to finish your work? How do you show and tell them to others?

4. Who are the people in your team? What do they do and how do they work together?

5. What are the rules and expectations for your work? How do you show and tell them to others?

6. What are the problems or difficulties of your work? How do you find and fix them?

7. How will you make and use your kanban board? What will you use to make it, like paper, cards, magnets, etc.?

8. How will you decide how many things you can do at each part of your board? How will you follow this decision?

9. How will you watch and check your work on the board? What will you use to measure and see how fast and well you are doing it?

10. How will you ask for and give feedback on your work? How often and how will you get and use feedback?

11. How will you make your work better with others? How often and how will you look at and change your work?

By asking these questions, you can make sure that kanban is used in the right way to make your work better and easier.

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PDCA is a way of making your work better by trying new things and seeing what works. It has four steps that you can remember by the letters PDCA. They are:

• Plan: This means you think of a problem you want to solve or a goal you want to achieve. You also think of a way to solve the problem or achieve the goal. You write down your plan and what you expect to happen. For example, if you want to get better grades in math, you can plan to study more every day and do more practice problems.

• Do: This means you do what you planned to do. You follow your plan and see what happens. You also record what you do and what happens. For example, if you planned to study more math every day, you do that and see if your grades improve.

• Check: This means you look at what happened and compare it to what you expected to happen. You see if your plan worked or not. You also look for any problems or mistakes that happened. For example, if you planned to get better grades in math by studying more, you check your test scores and see if they are higher or lower than before.

• Act: This means you act on what you learned from checking. You decide what to do next based on your results. You can either keep doing what you did, change something in your plan, or try something new. You also think of ways to make your work better and easier. For example, if you got better grades in math by studying more, you can act by continuing to study more or finding a study partner or a tutor.

Plan

This means you ask yourself what you want to fix or do better. You also ask yourself how you will fix it or do it better. Some questions to ask are: 

• What is the thing I want to fix or do better? 

• Why is it important? How do I do it now? 

• How can I do it differently? 

• What do I think will happen? 

• How will I know if it works?

Do

This means you do what you planned to do. You follow your plan and see what happens. You also write down what you do and what happens. Some questions to ask are: 

• Who will try a new way or a new thing? 

• How will they try it safely and carefully? 

• How will they write down what they do and what happens?

Check 

This means you look at what happened and compare it to what you thought would happen. You see if your plan worked or not. You also look for any problems or mistakes that happened. Some questions to ask are: 

• What did I learn from trying a new way or a new thing? 

• Did it fix the thing or make it better? 

• Did it cause any new problems or mistakes? 

• How does it compare to the old way of doing things?

Act

This means you act on what you learned from checking. You decide what to do next based on your results. You can either keep doing what you did, change something in your plan, or try something new. You also think of ways to make your work better and easier. Some questions to ask are: 

• What should I do next based on what I learned? 

• Should I keep doing it, change it, or stop it? 

• How can I make it better or easier? 

• How can I share what I learned with others?

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The 5S comes from the Japanese words Seiri (Sort), Seiton (Set in order), Seiso (Shine), Seiketsu (Standardize), and Shitsuke (Sustain)

5S is good for you because it can make your work better in many ways, like:

• Less Waste: 5S can help you save things and not do things wrong by getting rid of things you don’t need. For example, if you have a lot of paper and pencils, you can use only what you need and recycle the rest.

• More Space: 5S can help you have more room for your work by taking away things that are not for your work. For example, if you have toys or clothes on your desk, you can put them in another place.

• Better Maintenance: 5S can help you look after your things and make them work well by cleaning them and checking them often. For example, if you have a bike or a computer, you can wipe them and see if they are working well.

• Safer Work: 5S can help you avoid getting hurt or hurting others by taking away things that are dangerous or in the way. For example, if you have sharp or heavy things on the floor, you can put them in a safe place.

• Happier Workers: 5S can help you feel good and want to work more by making your work place nice and neat. For example, if you have a colorful and clean desk, you can feel happy and pay attention to your work.

• Higher Quality: 5S can help you make your work better by making it easy to see and fix problems. For example, if you have a clear and organized paper, you can see if there are any mistakes and correct them.

Sort

This means you ask yourself what things you need and what things you don’t need for your work. Some questions to ask are: 

• What do I use this thing for? 

• When was the last time I used it? 

• Do I use it a lot or a little? 

• Does anyone else use it?

Set In Order

This means you ask yourself where to put the things you need and how to name them. Some questions to ask are: 

• Where is a good place to put this thing? 

• How can I make it easy to see and get? 

• What word or picture can I use to name it?

Shine

This means you ask yourself how to make your work area clean and look at it often. Some questions to ask are: 

• How can I make this thing or place clean? 

• What do I need to make it clean? 

• How often do I need to make it clean? 

• What problems or breaks do I need to find and fix?

Standardize

This means you ask yourself how to make some rules or steps for doing the 5S system. Some questions to ask are: 

How can I write down or draw the rules or steps for 5S? 

Where can I put them so everyone can see them? 

How can I make sure everyone does them?

Sustain

This means you ask yourself how to keep doing the 5S system and make it better over time. Some questions to ask are: 

How can I look at my work area often and see if there is anything I can make better? 

How can I ask for help from other people and learn from their ideas? 

How can I be happy about my work and want to do more?

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• Gemba is a word that means “where things happen”. For example, if you are making a cake, the gemba is the kitchen. If you are playing soccer, the gemba is the field. Gemba is important because it helps you see what is really going on and how you can make things better. You can go to the gemba and watch, ask questions, and learn. This is called a gemba walk. A gemba walk can help you find problems and solve them. 

Common mistakes while doing Gemba Walks

A gemba walk is when you go and see how things are done and how you can make them better. Sometimes, people make mistakes when they do Gemba walks. Here are some mistakes to avoid:

• Don’t blame the people who do the work. They are not the problem. The problem is how the work is done. You should watch and learn how the work is done and how it can be easier and faster.

• Don’t change anything right away. You should think carefully before you change anything. You should also write down what you want to change and why. You should also talk to the people who do the work and ask them what they think.

• Don’t keep secrets about why you do Gemba walks. You should tell the people who do the work what you are doing and why. You should also tell them how they can help you and how gemba walks can make things better for everyone.

• Don’t do Gemba walks at the same time and place every time. You should go and see different things at different times. You should also go and see different places where things are done. This will help you see the whole picture and how everything works together.

A Gemba walk is when you go and see how things are done and how you can make them better. You should do gemba walks often and regularly to see the changes and improvements. How often you do Gemba walks may depend on what you want to achieve and how your team works.

 Before you start a Gemba walk, you should think about these questions:

• What do you want to see and learn from your Gemba walk?

• Where do you want to go and who do you want to talk to?

• What do you want to ask and what do you want to know?

• How will you tell the people what you are doing and why?

• How will you write down what you see and learn during the Gemba walk?

• How will you share what you found and learned after the Gemba walk?

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Jidoka means making machines smarter and safer. Jidoka means that machines can stop by themselves when something goes wrong. It also means that workers can fix the problem and stop it from happening again. Jidoka helps to make things better and faster.

Jidoka was made by Sakichi Toyoda, who made a machine that could stop when a thread broke. This saved time and materials and let one worker use many machines. Jidoka is one of the main ideas of the Toyota Production System, which is a way of making things with less waste.

Jidoka has four main parts:

1. Finding the problem. The machine or the worker can tell when something is wrong, such as a mistake, a break, or an error.

2. Stopping the work. The machine or the worker can stop the work right away to avoid more damage or waste.

3. Fixing the problem. The worker can fix the problem or correct the error as soon as possible.

4. Finding out why and how to stop it. The worker and the manager can find out why the problem happened and how to stop it from happening again 

To do Jidoka, you need to ask questions that can help you find and fix problems in how things are done. Some questions you can ask are:

• What should I do and how should I do it?

• How can I check if I am doing it right?

• What should I do if I find a mistake or a problem?

• How can I stop the work safely and quickly when a mistake or a problem happens?

• How can I fix or correct the mistake or problem as soon as possible?

• How can I find out why the mistake or problem happened and how to stop it from happening again?

• How can I share what I learned and improved with others?

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Heijunka is a way of making things better and faster. It means that you make things only when someone wants to buy them and not when you think they will want them. It also means that you make different things in small amounts and not the same thing in big amounts. This helps to avoid making too much or too little of something. Heijunka is one of the main ideas of the Toyota Production System, which is a way of making things with less waste.

Heijunka started as a way of making fabrics better by Toyota. It was made by Kiichiro Toyoda, who made a machine that could make different kinds of fabrics in small amounts. This saved time and materials and let one worker use many machines. Heijunka is now used in many places and businesses to make things better and faster.

Some possible questions to ask in a simple way prior using Heijunka are:

• What do people want and need from us?

• How can we know and track what people want and how much they want?

• What are the steps and resources we use to make our things?

• How can we change our tools and machines faster and easier?

• How can we make the right amount and kind of things that people want?

• How can we check and see if Heijunka works for us?

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• Specific: You know exactly what you want to do and how to do it. You answer questions like who, what, where, when, and why. For example, instead of saying “I want to read more books”, you say “I want to read one book every month about history or science”.

• Measurable: You can measure your progress and success with numbers or facts. You answer questions like how much, how many, or how will I know. For example, instead of saying “I want to be healthier”, you say “I want to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day and exercise for 30 minutes three times a week”.

• Achievable: You have the ability and resources to reach your goal. You answer questions like can I do it, what do I need, or who can help me. For example, instead of saying “I want to be a famous singer”, you say “I want to take singing lessons and join a choir or a band”.

• Relevant: Your goal matters to you and your bigger purpose. You answer questions like why is it important, what will it do for me, or how does it fit with my other goals. For example, instead of saying “I want to learn French”, you say “I want to learn French because I love the culture and I want to travel to France someday”.

• Time-bound: You have a deadline or a time frame for your goal. You answer questions like when will I start, when will I finish, or how long will it take. For example, instead of saying “I want to save money”, you say “I want to save $1000 by the end of the year”.

Some questions you can ask to make sure you use SMART goals the right way are:

Specific 

You know exactly what you want to do and how to do it. You answer questions like who, what, where, when, and why. For example, instead of saying “I want to read more books”, you say “I want to read one book every month about animals or planets”. 

• Some questions to ask are: What do I want to do? 

• Why do I want to do it? 

• Who will help me or do it with me? 

• Where will I do it? 

• What do I need to do it?

Measurable

You can measure your progress and success with numbers or facts. You answer questions like how much, how many, or how will I know. For example, instead of saying “I want to be healthier”, you say “I want to eat three fruits and two vegetables every day and play outside for 20 minutes after school”. Some questions to ask are: 

• How will I know how well I am doing? 

• How will I know if I have done it? 

• What will show me that I have done it?

Achievable

You have the ability and resources to reach your goal. You answer questions like can I do it, what do I need, or who can help me? For example, instead of saying “I want to be a famous singer”, you say “I want to take singing lessons and join the school band”. Some questions to ask are: 

• Can I do it? 

• What do I need to do it? 

• Who can help me or teach me?

Relevant

Your goal matters to you and your bigger purpose. You answer questions like why is it important, what will it do for me, or how it fit with my other goals. For example, instead of saying “I want to learn French”, you say “I want to learn French because I love the culture and I want to travel to France someday”. Some questions to ask are: 

• Why is this goal important to me? 

• What will it help me with? 

• How does it go with my other goals?

Time-bound

You have a deadline or a time frame for your goal. You answer questions like when will I start, when will I finish, or how long will it take. For example, instead of saying “I want to save money”, you say “I want to save $100 by the end of the month”. Some questions to ask are: 

• When will I start doing it? 

• When will I finish doing it? 

• How much time will I need? 

• Do I need to hurry?

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Some good things about RCA are:

• • It can help us to solve problems or improve things more effectively and permanently, instead of just dealing with the symptoms or effects.

  • It can help us to prevent problems from happening again or reduce the chances of them happening.

  • It can help us to learn from our experiences and understand the causes and consequences of our actions or decisions.

  • It can help us to improve our communication and collaboration with other people who are involved or affected by the problem or the solution.

  • It can help us to save time, money, resources, or reputation by avoiding or fixing problems before they become bigger or worse.

Some hard things about RCA are:

• It can be difficult to find the root causes of a problem, especially if there are many possible causes or if the problem is complex or unclear.

• It can be challenging to collect and analyze the data or evidence that supports or rejects the possible causes.

• It can be time-consuming and resource-intensive to do RCA, especially if the problem is urgent or important.

• It can be risky to implement solutions or actions that address the root causes, especially if they involve significant changes or uncertainties.

• It can be hard to get the support or cooperation of other people who are involved or affected by the problem or the solution, especially if they have different opinions or interests.

Do you think these challenges are worth overcoming? 

Just in case you agree that RCA can be very useful and beneficial, even if it can be hard sometimes. It can help us to improve our processes, systems, products, services, or outcomes in the long run. It can also help us to grow our skills, knowledge, and confidence as problem solvers. 

When conducting root cause analysis, it is essential to ask the appropriate questions to assist you in discovering the main reasons why something positive or negative occurred. Some of the appropriate questions to ask are:

• What is the problem or phenomenon that we want to investigate?

• When and where did it occur?

• How did it occur?

• Who was involved or affected by it?

• Why did it occur?

• How can we resolve it or prevent it from occurring again?

These questions can help you to define the problem precisely, gather data or evidence about it, identify all the potential causes that could have contributed to it, analyze the causes and determine which ones are the most significant or critical, propose solutions or actions that can address or eliminate the root causes, and implement the solutions or actions and monitor the outcomes.

 Sometimes, you might need to ask more specific or detailed questions depending on the problem or the situation. For example, you might need to ask:

• How frequently does it occur?

• How large or severe is it?

• What are the consequences or impacts of it?

• What are the goals or expectations for it?

• What are the standards or regulations for it?

• What are the best practices or examples for it?

These questions can help you to quantify the problem, compare it with other problems or situations, and find out what works well or poorly.

You might also need to ask more probing or deeper questions to get to the root causes of the problem. For example, you might need to ask:

• Why did this cause occur?

• What caused this cause to occur?

• How can we prove or disprove this cause?

• How can we test or verify this cause?

• How can we measure or control this cause?

These questions can help you to dig deeper into the causes and find out the underlying factors or conditions that led to them.

 Asking the appropriate questions can help you to conduct root cause analysis more effectively and efficiently. It can also help you to communicate and collaborate with other people who are involved or affected by the problem or the solution.

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