Definition
Seven progressive levels of process improvement: from process Jidoka, through hold/feed/stop automation, to automatic unloading (Hanedashi) and quality inspection (Poka-Yoke).
In detail
The Seven Levels of Jidoka describe the evolution path of continuous process improvement: level 1 process automation, level 2 clamping, level 3 feeding, level 4 automatic stopping, level 5 automatic reset, then level 6 automatic unloading (Hanedashi) and level 7 quality check (Poka-Yoke); levels 2 and 4 are named differently across the two source documents (the Flow course counts them as Autonomation, the 3P course / DBS glossary calls them Automation). It guides enterprises to gradually enhance automation and mistake-proofing levels, ultimately achieving "automation + Jidoka" intelligent production. Unlike the Five Levels of Improvement, the Seven Levels of Jidoka focus more on the automation evolution of equipment and processes. Typical outputs include current state assessments and upgrade roadmaps.
Example in practice
A stamping workshop's equipment only had basic processing automation, requiring operators to manually load and unload parts. The company planned according to the seven levels: first reach level 3 automatic feeding and level 4 automatic stopping, then add level 6 automatic unloading, and finally integrate level 7 mistake-proofing detection in the mold. After gradual implementation, manual intervention decreased, and quality defects were immediately intercepted.