Andon is a visual management tool used in Lean manufacturing to provide real-time information about the status of production operations. An Andon system typically uses colored lights to signal when abnormalities occur, allowing workers to stop and address issues quickly. The lights face both operators and supervisors to promote transparency. Implementing Andon improves productivity, quality and efficiency while reducing costs and waste through faster problem-solving and process improvements over time.

1. ANDON
By Prashant Uttarkar
A visual management tool that highlights the status of operations in an area at a single glance and that signals
whenever an abnormality occurs. The main purpose of Andon is to improve the flow of information in case of
problems. Andon is derived from the Japanese word for paper lantern.
Andon is a Japanese term meaning “light” or “lamp.” In Lean manufacturing, an andon refers to a tool that
is used to inform and alarm workers of problems within their production process. The Andon system in Lean
manufacturing takes the position that stopping work in the moment will save the organization from major and
costly issues in the future.
The Andon system initially surfaced within the Toyota Production System, forming a central role of the Jidoka
Quality Control. Taiichi Ohno, creator of the Toyota Production System, identified that the Andon boards ability
to show “the location and nature of trouble situations at a glance,” as the key to Andon systems. Used in many
Japanese and American manufacturing plants as an effective approach to improve product quality.
For plant floor personnel: it will help immediate notifications allow them to react quickly & solve problems faster.
The most common type of andon system is the three-light tower. Three colored lights (red, yellow, and green) are
mounted on a pole by a work station with a switch to allow the operator to quickly change the status if anything
goes wrong. The typical andon light color-coding schema is red = stop and green = go (or running). Yellow may
stand for not running at rate, ‘need help’, or something similar. These andon lights can also be mounted to
machines or equipment and automatically change color based on a signal from the machine. In any process,
information is critical – it allows people to know where they are, where they are going and if problems are
occurring that could be prevented. It also provides actionable information to supervisors, allowing them to
determine, in real time, areas that are in need of improvement. Andon messages that communicate process
problems across a facility ensure that everyone is aware of a given issue, drastically reducing downtime.
In the short-term benefits:
 Visibility and transparency in the production process.
 Increased productivity and efficiency.
 Decreased waste.
Long term benefits include:
 Reduced costs and downtime.
 Enhanced value to the customer because of better quality products.
 Responsible operators who are accountable for the line running as efficiently and effectively as possible,
empowering them to act when problems arise, rather than waiting for management.
 Long term improvements to production process.
By implementing andon, problems are not hidden anymore, but it can be detected and also can be fixed so that
good quality can be achieved the first time.
Reference:
1. A Brief History Of Andon Systems, October 14, 2019 byVersacall Technologies.
2. Design And Development Of Andon System For Machining Machine At Fkp Lab, Siti Zuraida Bt Ismail, Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering
Universiti Malaysia Pahang. June, 2013.
3. Andon System. TATA- FICOSA. Pdf.
4. Approaches And Practices Of Lean Manufacturing: The Case Of Electrical And Electronics Companies Yu Cheng Wong* And Kuan
Yew Wong, Department Of Manufacturing And Industrial Engineering, Faculty Of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi,
Malaysia, 81310 Utm Skudai, Malaysia, Accepted 19 August, 2010