Imagine overseeing a factory where every second counts. The assembly line hums with activity as parts come together to form a finished product. But what happens when something goes wrong? 

This is where Andon in Lean manufacturing becomes crucial. It’s a system designed to address the very issue of minimizing downtime and maintaining quality. In Lean manufacturing, even a small hiccup can cause significant delays that affect productivity and quality.

Related: Understanding Lean Manufacturing

By utilizing Andon, factories implement an emergency alert system on the factory floor. When a worker spots a problem, they can signal an immediate alert using Andon. This could be anything from a machine malfunction to a part running low. The alert allows the issue to be fixed quickly, so the assembly line can resume its efficient operation without major delays.

Read on and discover how this simple yet powerful tool helps factories stay on track, ensuring products are made efficiently and to the highest quality.

What is an Andon?

Andon is a key element in the Jidoka methodology, which allows operators in manufacturing settings to make decisions without waiting for management approval. It emerged from Jidoka as a method for operators to monitor production effectively.

The Andon system operates on two basic principles designed to improve operations and product quality:

• Alert Mechanism: Andon notifies personnel immediately when it detects a problem in the production line. This quick alert helps address issues promptly before they become more significant.
• Authority to Stop Production: Beyond signaling an alert, Andon gives workers the authority to stop the manufacturing process if they identify a defect or issue that could affect product quality. This step is crucial in preventing defects from moving further down the production line, ensuring the manufacturing process maintains high-quality standards.

The Andon system focuses on quickly identifying and solving the root cause of issues, supporting a proactive approach to problem-solving in manufacturing. This strategy reduces downtime and fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where all employees actively contribute to maintaining quality and efficiency.

How an Andon Works

The word ‘Andon’ is Japanese for a type of lamp. Toyota used this term for its Andon board, a large sign on the factory floor showing the status of the assembly line.

This visual sign is crucial because it’s quick to see. An email or notification might get overlooked, but the Andon board immediately communicates any issues, eliminating delays in noticing problems.

Here’s how it works at Toyota: If there’s a problem during production, a worker can pull the Andon cord, similar to a bus’s stop request cord. This action lights up the board at the affected section, signaling that help is needed there.

Andon boards often use color-coded cords:

• Green: All is well, and the assembly line keeps moving.
• Yellow: A problem is found. A manager comes to solve it within a set time.
• Red: The issue persists. The assembly line stops until it’s fixed.

Your Andon board doesn’t have to mimic a traffic light. You might choose just two colors (like red and green) or other colors that fit your industry. Adding an audio signal to the Andon board could also help, drawing more attention when the cord is pulled. It’s best to discuss with your management team to pick the right approach for your needs.

The Andon cord is excellent for flagging manually detected problems, but many sensors automatically identify issues and light up the Andon board. If these aren’t resolved quickly, the Andon system can halt the production line until there’s a solution. Automatically triggered Andon boards are valuable, catching problems that manual checks might miss.

How to Use Andon in Lean Manufacturing

In Lean manufacturing, the Andon system can be very effective, and it’s also used in various industries, including by companies like Amazon in their Customer Service processes.

The key to making Andon work is to truly empower operators to use it. 

This means they must have both the permission and the responsibility to stop the production line when they spot issues. Often, employees are reluctant to halt production due to concerns over downtime costs or fear of making a mistake.

Many believe stopping the line is counterproductive, preferring to temporarily fix symptoms rather than addressing the root cause immediately.

However, the Andon system advocates for pausing work right away to prevent more significant and costly problems later. This approach aligns with the Lean principle of “Respect for People.” If operators feel trusted to stop the line based on their judgment, it prevents larger issues from developing by addressing problems promptly.

Using Andon in Lean manufacturing also involves having a clear plan for issue resolution. 

It’s crucial to know in advance who will come together for root cause analysis and to implement solutions.

Since this can happen at any time, being prepared speeds up resolution. If operators find themselves waiting around after activating the Andon system, they might hesitate to use it again, fearing the costs outweigh the benefits.

Benefits of Andon in Lean Manufacturing

Implementing the Andon system in Lean manufacturing brings several immediate and long-term benefits. 

In the short term, it offers:

• Clear insight and openness about what’s happening in the production process.
• Higher productivity and efficiency.
• Less waste.

Over the longer term, the advantages include:

• Lower costs and less downtime.
• Improved product quality, which adds more value for the customer.
• Operators take responsibility for keeping the production line running smoothly, feeling empowered to solve problems instead of waiting for management instructions.
• Continuous enhancements to the production process.

Shoplogix’s Digital Andon in Lean Manufacturing

The digital Andon module is a solution for automation, accountability, and communication challenges. It’s designed to break down communication barriers, provide true representations of performance metrics, E2E operational efficiencies, and realign goals.

What the Digital Andon Module Can Do:

• Instantly alert and notify the proper personnel when the machine is down.
• Alerts can be triggered by operator or by the machine status.
• Alerts can be visually displayed on TV screens on the shop floor, via email, or by text message.

How You Can Benefit From It:

• Reduce machine downtime with real-time notifications on machine status.
• Empower operators to take instant action when a machine is down.
• Improve down time resolution times, by recording and tracking when a page was set off, acknowledged by the right people, and when the page was resolved.

What You Should Do Next

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