Poka-yoke
Mistake-proofing: designing a process so that an error cannot happen, or is caught at once.
What it means in business
A poka-yoke device or step makes the wrong action impossible or obvious, such as a fixture that only fits a part the right way round, a sensor that stops the machine if a hole is missing, or a form that cannot be saved with a field empty. It works because it does not rely on people remembering.
Example
An assembly station uses a jig with a notch so a bracket cannot be placed upside down. A defect that used to reach customers now cannot be made. This is an illustration of normal business use rather than a quoted case study.
How to use it correctly
Look at the errors that keep recurring, ask what would make each impossible, and prefer a physical or system stop over a reminder. Test that the device really catches the mistake.
Common confusion
Poka-yoke is not training or a warning sign. Telling people to be careful is not mistake-proofing. And it is not the same as inspection, which finds an error after it is made.
Related glossary terms
Written on 24 October 2026 for lamp. Confirm the current rules with the official source or an adviser before relying on it.