From the introduction of Productivity Press’s “Poka-Yoke Improving Product Quality by Preventing Defects”…
What is Poka-yoke?
Although the concept of poka-yoke has existed for a long time in various forms, it was Japanese manufacturing engineer Shigeo Shingo who developed the idea into a formidable tool for achieving zero defects and eventually eliminating quality control inspections. The methods he advocates were formerly called “fool-proofing.” Recognizing that this label could offend many workers, Shingo came up with the term poka-yoke, generally translated as “mistake-proofing” or “fail-safing” (to avoid (yokeru) inadvertent errors (poka)). The idea behind poka-yoke is to respect the intelligence of workers. By taking over repetitive tasks or actions that depend on vigilance or memory, poka-yoke can free a worker’s time and mind to pursue more creative and value-adding activities.
…so there’s the correct spelling, origin, and a little extra information for good measure.
Hope that helps.
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