SSAA (Six Sigma Academy Amsterdam) International

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TOYOTA (ポカヨケ) POKA YOKE EXAMPLE

The Toyota Production System places a lot of value on the avoidance of mistakes in an attempt to reduce the need for costly rework and repairs, as well as the expensive inspections that precede and follow the repair and rework. This process of “mistake proofing” is called “Poka Yoke” (ポカヨケ). In the video below, we show an example of this poka yoke principle that Toyota used in the past in their manufacturing process. It should be noted that today’s technology obviously allows for much more sophisticated solutions.

"HOLLAND IS NOT JAPAN!"

I really hate to fly longer than 2-3 hours, but in 2025 I found myself yet again on board of a plane, this time being imprisoned for almost 14 hours as it would fly from Amsterdam to Tokyo. This already long flight had become even longer due to the fact that certain airspace had to be avoided due to political factors. Be it as it may, with such an ocean of time at my disposal, I drafted a new offline course and I watched Joker Folie a Deux, not once but twice. I actually appreciated it too, contrary to the vast majority of people. In fact, I found it to be a masterpiece! I wanted to make the trip to Japan for years, but every time something had come up and I couldn’t get the factory access that I wanted. But this time was different and I managed to secure a good mix of factory tours and interviews with professionals and academics. The trip was worth the hassle. On the third day of the trip, I left an extremely hot Tokyo to travel to an even hotter Nagoya. I would have never im...

THE MBA, MY WORST MISTAKE!

It was a rainy evening in Maastricht, a not particularly big city in the South of Holland. It had been raining non stop for 3 weeks and if you wouldn't know better, you would wonder why the heavens do not run out of water! Maastricht is a city that seems to have been stuck with one leg in the early 20th century and it is exactly that which gives it its charm. For me, a trip to Maastricht is not just a trip in space. It is also a trip in time! Anyways, enough with the city marketing, especially because they did not pay a cent to sponsor this article! I had a busy day in Maastricht discussing a possible partnership with a Belgian e-commerce company. Long story short, we did not agree on a cooperation, but we had a few laughs and shared some valuable experiences and that too is not a bad outcome. Without an agreement, but with a cup of coffee in my hand, I was waiting in the central station of Maastricht, waiting for the train that would take me back home. Then I hear "hello si...

LEAN OR AGILE? POTATOES OR RESTAURANT?

"Is Lean more suitable than Agile for my company?" This is like asking: "Is mashed potatoes better than restaurant?" Agile is first and foremost 4 values, namely: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan As you can clearly see, these are not very rigidly defined. They leave a lot to the ones implementing these values. It's up to them to come up with the right tools and techniques to give shape to these 4 values. This is where Lean might come in (but please realize that it does not have to ). Lean has an impressive library of tools and techniques that can help to give shape to some of these values. So Lean might complement Agile, but choosing between either Lean or Agile is not relevant. www.ssaa.nl

THE 20-60-20 RULE

When engaging in organizational change, never forget the 20-60-20 rule. Roughly 20% of the organization is enthousiast about the change, 60% is ambivalent and does not really care (you are just change number 785 to them) and 20% is hostile. The trick to to activate the enthousiast 20% to sell the change to the 60%. Ignore the hostile 20%, they are a given, a constant. They dislike your change no matter how you wrap it, how you spin it, and how you modify it. Do not waste time on them, do not try to investigate their motivation, it is all a lost cause. www.ssaa.nl

LEAN ONLY ENTERS SIX SIGMA PARTIALLY

Lean and six sigma are often combined but are not the same. In some ways they even clash! One such clash is due to the central position of Kaizen in Lean. Kaizen reflects the Japanese origin of Lean and is about continuous, gradual improvements rather than sudden breakthroughs that may shock the system and create negative consequences. However, sudden major breakthroughs are a key characteristic of six sigma projects. At the end of a six sigma project, we generally do have a major breakthrough and not a series of incremental continuous improvements. Six Sigma does shock the system! In a way this reflects the American background of six sigma that has its origin around the Chicago area in the 1980's. So when Lean is incorporated in six sigma, it typically enters the six sigma project as tools like 5S, House of Quality, Hoshin Kanri, Andon etc. But it does not fully enter Six Sigma, because it clashes in some areas. That is also the reason why a Lean Six Sigma study program does not c...