Andon systems are a warning tool, also developed by Toyota. The basic aim of this system is to bring problems that arise on production lines out into the open quickly and, once the problem is solved, to ensure that production continues without causing excessive loss. It is confused with an information-collection system. However, the Andon system is fundamentally not an information-collection system. By turning the information-collection system into automation, they cause, as in many other automation projects, information to be produced that people will mostly not even find the time to look at. Employees pay no attention to the reports produced by an information system that nobody is interested in, and problems become permanent.
There are fundamental principles in setting up the Andon system. Let us examine them now;
With the Andon system, operators are given the authority to stop the line. In this way, learning from the problems that are detected is achieved. In that this decision is a managerial decision, it reflects the strategy behind the system. It is impossible to put the system into practice without making this strategic decision. Many managers have difficulty making such a decision. Classically, what we encounter as the basic reason for the difficulty is the claim that stopping frequently will lower efficiency in production. However, this decision also includes the strategy that will solve the problems that arise quickly. In other words, together with the Andon system, the basic structure that will bring problems to a solution quickly must also be established.
The system has been set up fundamentally to produce a warning. Taking the warning into account and producing a solution is essential. Unlike an information-collection system, it is not a system set up to report the problems that occur. For example, while an information-collection system reports the scrap that occurs, in the Andon system the essential point is that the moment there is scrap the line is stopped, and an audible and visual warning is sent to everyone responsible so that they intervene in the event. Thus, instead of producing scrap and reporting it, the principle of stopping and taking measures comes into effect. With these characteristics, the Andon system is generally different from information-collection automation, and it concentrates on solving problems rather than creating a mass of information.