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Shigeo Shingo and Manufacturing Process Innovation: Transforming Productivity and Industrial Entrepreneurship

Title of the Book: AI Technologies: Know the Inventors, Understand the Inventions, Become Entrepreneurs – 100 AI and Technology Pioneers Who Changed the World

Chapter: 3

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59646/865/03

Authors:

T. Albert, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, PSN College of Engineering and Technology, Melathediyoor, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India
P.K. Manikanda Pirapu, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, PSN College of Engineering and Technology, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India
Kirubakaran Gokulamani, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, Sriperumbudur – 602117, Tamil Nadu, India.

Abstract

Manufacturing productivity depends not only on machine speed or investment in advanced equipment but also on how work is organized, how materials flow, and how errors are prevented. Shigeo Shingo (1909–1990), a Japanese industrial engineer, became influential through his practical analysis of production systems and his ability to turn shop-floor observations into teachable methods. This chapter examines his manufacturing philosophy through Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED), Poka-Yoke (mistake-proofing), source inspection, and the distinction between process and operation. It explains the technical principles behind changeover-time reduction, the relationship between setup cost and batch size, and the role of mistake-proofing in preventing defects. The chapter also considers the influence of these ideas on manufacturing and service systems, their possible extension through artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), computer vision, and digital twins, and their relevance to industrial entrepreneurship. Finally, it proposes student projects and a future innovation challenge focused on low-cost, measurable improvements for small and medium-sized enterprises. The central argument is that effective innovation begins with understanding the process and selecting technology to solve a defined problem, rather than adopting technology for its own sake.

Keywords: Shigeo Shingo; SMED; Poka-Yoke; lean manufacturing; productivity; quality improvement; artificial intelligence; industrial entrepreneurship; Industry 4.0.

References

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