The purpose and advantages of an ANDON system

In Lean production, an ANDON refers to a tool that is used to inform and alert workers about problems in their production process.

The term Andon comes from a Japanese word for the traditional paper lantern. An Andon is one of the most common forms of visual management that is used in Lean. It is an extremely effective tool, as it allows the operation to work without problems, without blockages. An ANDON is a system that helps the flow of information on the status of the production system.

Short-term benefits of the ANDON system:

• Visibility and transparency in the production process
• Increased productivity and efficiency
• Loss reduction

The long-term benefits of the ANDON system include:

• Reducing costs and downtime
• Increased value for the customer thanks to better quality products
• Responsible operators who are responsible for the line that works as efficiently as possible
• Long-term improvement of the production process.

So why should we use ANDON?

The answer is simple, thanks to a visual management put in place with a climbing system in the back, we can have a significant reduction in losses as well as an increase in productivity!