ANDON
ANDON monitoring is one of the most common types of visual management used as part of a lean production process. It involves a signalling system, the most common example of which is a stack of coloured lights that is used to request assistance when an abnormal condition is identified.
In a stacked light system, each colour signifies a different condition and requires a different response:
Green
Production is normal or smooth - proceed to next level.
Yellow
A problem appeared - operator gets help from team leader to fix the problem.
Red
Production stopped - problem is not identified and needs further investigation.
ANDON display boards are used to show a summary of several work stations. The boards can be used to indicate when each station is ready to shift to a new process and/or to immediately highlight stations that have a problem.
The aim of ANDON monitoring is to reduce the amount of time spent by station operators and managers in both reporting and tracking down issues across the production process.
