Impact of Human Error Prevention and Automation on Social Sustainability

This chapter presents a structural equation model that relates two Lean Manufacturing tools to the Social sustainability of Maquiladora companies in northern Mexico. These tools are Poka-Yoke and Jidoka, which help to reduce human error when performing any activity to transform a product within a manufacturing process and reduce waste. In this model, three hypotheses were proposed and validated using information collected from 411 questionnaires obtained from the maquiladora industry to quantify the relationship between Poka-Yoke, Jidoka, and Social sustainability. The model was run using the WarpPLS 8.0 software. The results show that Poka-Yoke has a direct and positive effect on Jidoka and Social sustainability, just as Jidoka has a direct and positive effect on Social sustainability. In this sense, using devices that help minimize errors facilitates the implementation and use of tools such as Jidoka through machine stops when a defect is detected through visual control and the power of members to obtain specific information to continue progress within the program. Similarly, Poka Yoke and Jidoka contributed to improving working conditions through workers’ safety and health by reducing work pressure.