Abstract: Toyota production system (TPS) has extensive use of Poka-Yoke (mistake-proofing) devices. Poka-
Yoke is also an essential process component of Motorola's Six Sigma strategy. However, Poka-Yoke has been
largely ignored in academia. Traditional engineering design Poka-Yoke has proven to be very effective to build
quality into production processes. However, its application in non-production processes is very limited due to
its reliance on physical features for error detection. Based on case study results, this paper presents a
theoretical framework to unify developments in the design for Poka-Yoke. Practical guidance is also provided
for Poka-Yoke implementation..
Key Words: lean; TPS; Toyota production system; Six Sigma; quality management; Poka-Yoke; mistake-proof
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