The traditional Andon system gave factory workers a way to stop the line when something went wrong. It was revolutionary—but it’s no longer enough. Today’s frontline teams face complex challenges: quality issues, bottlenecks, safety concerns, and missing parts. But too often, their voices get trapped in static boards or ignored by siloed systems. It’s time to evolve. Real-time escalation tools bring visibility, speed, and most importantly—respect—to the frontline.

This blog explores how manufacturers can move beyond Andon in lean manufacturing to create systems where blue-collar workers aren't just alerting problems but helping solve them—on the spot.

The Problem with Traditional Andon 

The intent behind the Andon system in manufacturing was always solid: empower the frontline to call attention to process abnormalities immediately. But in practice, the system has stagnated.

Here’s how traditional Andon systems fall short:

1. Over-simplified signals - A red light doesn’t explain why the issue occurred. Workers often resort to verbal explanations or hand signals. Critical context is lost.
2. Delayed or no response - Many Andon alerts get logged, but no one acts fast enough—or at all. The operator waits. Then adapt. Then stops signaling altogether.
3. No data trail - What gets measured, gets managed. But Andon systems without digital logs leave no breadcrumbs for root cause analysis.
4. Poor escalation logic - Who should respond? The team lead? The quality engineer? With unclear ownership, alerts float in limbo.
5. No feedback loop - Operators rarely hear back about the issue they raised. Was it fixed? Did anything change? The result: disengagement and lost trust.

The cost of silence.

When frontline workers stop escalating problems, quality suffers. Downtime increases. Near-misses become injuries. And continuous improvement grinds to a halt. You lose not just data—but insight, urgency, and credibility.

The real danger isn’t a line stoppage. It’s a culture where people don’t speak up, because they’ve learned that nothing changes.

To truly respect workers, you need more than permission to pull a cord. You need a system that listens—and acts.

What Real-Time Escalation in Manufacturing?

Real-time escalation isn’t just about speed—it’s about structured action, traceability, and respect for the frontline. It ensures that when a worker spots an issue, it doesn’t just get flagged—it gets routed to the right person, tracked, and resolved with feedback.

Here’s a practical comparison to illustrate:

Benefits of Real-Time Escalation

1. Quicker Root Cause Identification

Operators provide rich context—photos, tags, and notes—at the moment the issue is spotted. This minimizes back-and-forth and gives problem-solvers immediate clues, speeding up diagnostics and resolution.

2. Automated Accountability

Every alert is timestamped, routed, and tracked. You know who responded, when, and what was done. No more blaming the system or losing problems in the chaos of the shop floor.

3. Prevents Recurrence with Actionable Data

Issues are logged with structured data, enabling trend analysis. Repeating problems are flagged, not forgotten, driving systemic fixes instead of temporary band-aids.

Visit our Orca Lean Knowledge Hub section to read our blog “how to reduce defects in manufacturing” and take a step towards manufacturing excellence. 

4. Builds Trust with the Frontline

When workers see their alerts lead to fast action and feedback, they feel heard. This builds a culture of engagement where people continue to speak up—and improvement becomes part of the daily routine.

Key Features of Modern Escalation Systems

Smart factories are fast adopting real-time escalation systems to increase responsiveness, reduce downtime, and create a connected frontline. These systems go beyond just digitizing alerts—they drive action, track ownership, and build a foundation for continuous improvement. The following features are what make Andon in lean manufacturing not just digital, but smarter.

1. Multi-Modal Triggering

Real-time systems allow operators to trigger alerts using touchscreens, mobile devices, QR codes, or even voice commands. This flexibility ensures that problems are captured quickly—whether the operator is at a workstation, walking the line, or wearing gloves. The goal is zero friction: escalate from anywhere, anytime, without disrupting the work.

• Great for high-mix environments
• Enables hands-free escalation during critical tasks

2. Pre-Categorized Alert Types

Instead of typing free-form issues, workers choose from predefined categories like Quality, Safety, Maintenance, or Supply Issues. This structured input ensures alerts are clean, standardized, and immediately actionable. It also enables better reporting and trend analysis, as you're not digging through vague comments to understand what’s happening.

• Improves alert clarity
• Enables smart filtering and routing downstream

3. Intelligent Routing and Auto-Escalation

Modern systems route each alert based on its type and location—automatically. A quality issue goes to the QA lead; a safety hazard pings the EHS officer. If no one responds in a defined window (e.g., 10 minutes), the system escalates it to the next level. This eliminates manual follow-ups and ensures accountability.

• Escalation chains are fully customizable
• Supports shift-based routing logic

4. Photo, Video, and Annotation Support

Operators can attach photos, videos, and annotate them to show exactly what’s wrong—like cracks, leaks, or misalignment. This visual evidence accelerates problem-solving by reducing ambiguity and helping support teams arrive better prepared. It's especially useful in cases where language barriers or shift handovers often cause miscommunication.

• Saves time in diagnosis
• Reduces repeated back-and-forth

5. Real-Time Dashboards for Visibility

Supervisors and CI teams can view live dashboards showing open alerts, response times, escalation trends, and more. These dashboards aren’t just for tracking—they become a real-time command center for operations. They help prioritize actions, spot recurring issues, and support structured morning meetings or tiered huddles.

• Promotes transparency at all levels
• Enables shift-over-shift continuity

6. Built-in KPIs That Tie to Improvement

Real-time escalation systems don’t just track alerts—they measure performance. You can monitor KPIs like Mean Time to Acknowledge (MTTA), Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR), alert volume by area, and recurrence rates. These metrics help CI teams focus on what matters and justify change with hard data.

• Provides measurable ROI
• Feeds directly into A3s and kaizen projects

7. Feedback Loops That Build Trust

Once an issue is resolved, the system pushes a resolution summary back to the person who raised it. Workers feel heard and informed. Over time, this creates a culture where operators know their input leads to action—not just a blinking light. It’s a simple but powerful trust-builder.

• Reinforces proactive behavior
• Reduces alert fatigue and disengagement

8. Integration with CI and RCA Tools

Each alert becomes a data point that feeds into structured problem-solving tools. You can link escalations to 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, or even trigger kaizen events. Over time, you don’t just fix issues—you see the patterns behind them and eliminate root causes.

• Strengthens learning loops
• Makes continuous improvement truly data-driven

Explore how to measure the impact of Kaizen Events in our detailed blog. The blog has covered key metrics that help manufacturers measure and compare performance. 

9. Scalable Across Lines and Plants

Whether you’re running one line or twenty plants, escalation systems can be scaled with ease. You can standardize core workflows while still adapting categories, response times, or routing logic by department or plant. This ensures flexibility without losing consistency.

• Supports phased rollouts
• Enables cross-site benchmarking

Conclusion

The traditional Andon Process served its time—but modern manufacturing demands more. Real-time escalation systems are no longer a “nice-to-have”—they’re essential for empowering your frontline, improving response time, and driving real, measurable improvement. When workers are heard, supported, and connected to action, your entire operation becomes smarter, faster, and more resilient.

Looking to bring real-time escalation to your plant?

Oraclean's Solvonext is built to help manufacturers like you digitize issue escalation, track ownership, and turn frontline insights into fast, structured action—rooted in the same respect-for-people principle found in the Toyota Production System (TPS).

Contact us to see how Solvonext can fit your operation—schedule a quick demo or get answers from our lean manufacturing experts.

Let your frontline lead the next leap forward.

FAQs

Why is the traditional Andon process no longer effective?

The traditional Andon process lacks context, accountability, and data tracking. Without real-time escalation, issues go unresolved, making it harder for manufacturers to practice effective Andon Lean Manufacturing in today’s fast-paced production environments.

How do real-time escalation systems improve the Andon system?

Modern systems enhance the Andon system by adding smart routing, digital logs, and structured feedback. They transform alerts into action, enabling a more responsive and scalable Andon in lean manufacturing approach.

Can real-time dashboards replace Andon boards?

Yes, digital dashboards offer real-time visibility, KPIs, and escalation tracking—far beyond what static Andon system boards provide. This upgrade supports Andon Lean Manufacturing goals more effectively with measurable, actionable insights.

How does Solvonext support the Toyota Production System (TPS)?

Solvonext enhances TPS principles by combining real-time escalation, root cause tracking, and data-driven feedback—ensuring the Andon system works not just as a signal, but as a problem-solving engine in modern factories.