Many factories visualize defect data, yet the numbers often don’t make sense. In several plants I supported, the same production batch showed different defect rates depending on the inspector—2% by an expert versus 8% by others. The issue wasn’t product quality but human behavior shaped by inadequate KPIs. When inspectors are evaluated by “how many items they check,” speed is prioritized, judgment becomes inconsistent, and defect data becomes unreliable. This leads not only t

Many factories in Japan have started digitalization, yet progress often stalls. From my on‑site support experience, the main reasons are clear: factories avoid internet connectivity, visualization becomes the final goal instead of the starting point, data is not linked to management decisions, and data accuracy is taken for granted. Without connecting data to real operational and managerial decisions, digitalization remains a tool—not a driver of improvement.