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How Toyota Cut Assembly Line Defects 70 Percent With One Andon Cord Change
In this episode of The Operator's Manual, Lucas and Luna explore how Toyota transformed its assembly line quality — not with a new robot or AI system, but by changing who could pull the andon cord. For decades, only team leaders could stop the line when they spotted a defect. In 2022, Toyota's Takaoka plant in Japan gave every line worker the authority to pull it. The result? A 70 percent drop in defects reaching final inspection within six months. Lucas breaks down the psychology behind the change — why empowering the front line beats top-down quality control — and Luna connects it…
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