Poka-Yoke Contest: Data Entry

Here are two emails I recieved focusing on the same problem. How would you respond to these emails?

  Request #1:
Hi John,
I found you through iSixSigma.com. Have you conducted projects or provided consulting on applying Poka yoke to keyboard data entry? I work at a bank in Pasadena, CA and am looking at options for improving data entry in our closing department which handles data entry of check and wire disbursement amounts. We are trying to reduce error in data processing / data entry. Any suggestions or insight in addition to information on your consulting services would be appreciated.
Sincerely, Name Withheld

  Request #2:
Do you know any books of cases that look specifically at poka yokes for processing orders/order entry? great home page
Sincerely, Anothername Withheld
 
 

How to Enter
Step 1: Write a description of your solution and include diagrams if needed. Include your email address.
Step 2: Send it in. I'm really flexible, you can submit your ideas any way you want. Here are 4 easy ways:

• You can email descriptions and attach JPG or other common graphics files.
• You can fax descriptions and drawings to John Grout at (706) 238-7854
• You can mail a descriptions and photos to John Grout Campbell School of Business, Mt. Berry GA 30149-5024
• You can display a description and drawings or photos on the web. Send me an email with the URL.

Prizes: Bragging rights only. Decisions are the inaccurate opinion of John Grout only and are probably wrong. The consolation prize is that entrants have the opportunity to hone their poka-yoke design skills.

"When the second bearing is pressed, normally, there is enough room to install the snapring. Sometimes, due to tolerance stackup, pressure adjustments on the press, a snapring which isn't flat, etc. the ring doesn't seat completely into the groove. This is where we count on the operator to pay attention. If he notices that the ring isn't seated, most times he can cycle the press again and everything will be OK. If not, the customer has a part that may disassemble itself in operation."

The arrow points at the snap rings. The snap rings are installed manually using 90 degree snap ring pliers. The contest is to design a method for mistake-proofing the installation of the snaprings.
And the Winner is ... Paul Plant of United Electric.
Paul's idea was suggested by quite a few people who are all listed below. But since there was a tie last time, I wanted to declare a winner. I confess that Paul was selected not because his idea was unique; but rather, because the presentation of his ideas was the most compelling.  Paul actually built the device and presented it to me at the Productivity Mistake-Proofing Forum November 2, 2000.  The winning device measures the distance between the tynes of the snap ring pliers.  The pliers are wired with a light to indicate when the tynes are the correct distance apart to indicate that the snap ring has opened to its full extent.  In the three photos below,  you can see the pliers gripping the snap ring, the snap ring being installed in an opening with no slot (it cannot be seated properly; the light does not come on) and the snap ring being properly seated (the light is on). Paul also suggested a sensor on the press to insure that the bearing was fully inserted before attempting to install the snap ring.  

Congratulations
to Paul and all the others who proposed the same basic idea:
Ian Archer
Variations on the theme: (pliers that can't be removed from snap ring until it is expanded properly)
Ed Conklin
Ermo Fusè

Results from prior contest: 35 mm Slide Orientation

The Problem:  I always end up putting slides into the carousel projector up-side-down, backwards, or sideways. Propose a change that will insure the correct orientation or make incorrect orientation obvious.

And the Winner is...A tie

Chris Duval -- I would arrange the slides in the proper orientation in a box. Then, I would use a bright colored magic marker to mark the top right corners of the slide frames.  When loading the slides into the carousel, make sure that the top right corners of each slide are the color you selected. If the slide tray is circular, there should be an uninterrupted colored ring on the inner circumference described by the slides.

Fred Matthews -- Why not put a red dot on the upper left hand corner of the slide. This should make it obvious for orientation, and position. (same basic insight as the winner, )

Honorable Mention (a cool, novel aproach)

Earl Ratcliff --    Magnetize the carousel and slide borders in such a way that the negative/positive fields will repel each other if the slide is in wrong.  If it's upside down, for instance, the magnetic field will push the slide up so that you will notice it.