Explains how true quality improvement needs both tools and a culture of safety, using Toyota’s andon cord as a lesson for Agile and Scrum adoption in organisations.
In manufacturing, Toyota introduced the “andon” cord—a simple chain any worker could pull to stop the entire line if they saw a defect.
When American car companies copied the idea, they installed the cord… but workers were too afraid to pull it.
The tool was there. The empowerment was not.
The same failure happens in Agile and Scrum adoptions every day.
Installing Scrum Events without building a culture of transparency and continuous improvement is cargo cult thinking. You’re copying the tool without the ethos.
Scrum is not your safety net. Your culture is.
If you punish people for raising issues, don’t be surprised when they stop speaking up.
How safe is it in your organisation to pull the metaphorical andon cord?
If you've made it this far, it's worth connecting with our principal consultant and coach, Martin Hinshelwood, for a 30-minute 'ask me anything' call.
We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.
Deliotte
Teleplan
Sage
Trayport
Kongsberg Maritime
Philips
Graham & Brown
Genus Breeding Ltd
Akaditi
Boeing
DFDS
SuperControl
CR2
Capita Secure Information Solutions Ltd
ProgramUtvikling
Big Data for Humans
Flowmaster (a Mentor Graphics Company)
Hubtel Ghana
Royal Air Force
Ghana Police Service
Nottingham County Council
Department of Work and Pensions (UK)
New Hampshire Supreme Court
Washington Department of Enterprise Services
New Signature
Sage
Qualco
Akaditi
CR2
Milliman
