Andon (Japanese for “lantern”) is a signal an operator on the line uses to ask for help. In a classic factory it is a cord or a button that lights a lamp above the machine. Today it is a call that reaches the people who can help directly — on a phone, on a TV in the hall.
Why it matters
The biggest part of a stop is often not the repair but the waiting: the operator looks for a technician, the technician does not know they are needed, the warehouse does not know the material is running low. Andon shortens that time — the call goes out immediately, to the right team, and everyone can see that it is open.
Who receives the call
The call goes to a team depending on the reason:
- Technician needed → maintenance and automation technicians.
- Material needed → warehouse.
- Quality → quality control.
- Safety → shift leader.
A call can also start automatically: for example, if a stop coded as a breakdown lasts longer than one minute, or if an uncoded stop lasts over 10 minutes.
Escalation by level
If nobody accepts the call within a set time, it goes one level up. An example for maintenance:
- Technician — 10 minutes to accept.
- Maintenance manager — another 15 minutes.
- Production manager — another 30 minutes.
- Director.
Escalation is not a punishment. It makes sure no call is forgotten, and shows where people are missing or where the assignment is wrong.
Example
09:12 CNC-03 stops, the operator codes “Hydraulics”. At 09:13 the technician gets a notification on their phone. They accept it at 09:16, mark “Arrived” at 09:19 and at 09:46 “Resolved · hose leaking”. Response time is 7 minutes, repair 27 — both recorded without paper.
Common mistakes
- A light with no owner. If the call is lit but nobody is responsible, people get used to not reacting.
- Everything goes to the same person. Material and quality should not wait for a technician.
- No measurement. If response time is not measured, you do not know whether andon helps.
In MachineTakt
The call arrives as a push notification on the team’s personal Android phones and is shown on the Andon TV. The technician accepts, goes and resolves it from the phone; the shift leader can assign the call. The minutes per level are set per factory. Try the escalation in the demo.