Poka Yokes have been described as procedures enacted to prevent, reduce, or eliminate mistakes; these often involve checklists that govern work processes and visual cues such as signs and lights, designed to standardize processes. Consider the following scenario in your response to this discussion activity:
A distribution center you have been assigned to is identified by senior leadership as poor performing.:
*The workforce experiences an inordinate amount of injuries associated with manual lifting.
*Shipments are routinely misrouted to the wrong destination.
*Customers occasionally report that hand tools and consumable supplies used in packaging processes show up in packages containing finished goods.
Identify Poka Yoke opportunities for each of the three deficiencies noted above. Specifically, respond to the following:
- What visual cues could be provided for heavy items that could alert workers to an unsafe condition? Why do you think these visual cues would be helpful?
- Are there audible or visual cues that could be used to signal an improper package is leaving the facility? What are they and how could this be beneficial in standardizing this process?
- How could you change the processes to establish hand tool and packaging accountability? Also, explain how these changes may help to prevent, reduce, and/or eliminate inconsistencies.
