Andon

Andon is a manufacturing signaling system that notifies managers, maintenance workers and other staff of a quality or process problem as soon as it occurs, typically through stack lights, audible alarms or text displays, and it can halt the production line so the problem is fixed before more defective work is produced. Its name comes from a Japanese word for a paper lantern. Andon became one of the principal elements of Jidoka, the quality-control method Toyota built into the Toyota Production System, where a worker who spots a defect first pulls a cord to signal the team leader for help and, if the problem is not resolved, pulls again to stop the line entirely. Since 2014, Toyota has been replacing its physical andon pull cords with wireless andon buttons to reduce cable clutter and trip hazards on the factory floor.