Andon Desk Lights: Signal When a Coworker Can Be Interrupted
A simple colored desk light tells others at a glance whether now is a good time to interrupt.
- Creator
TheAMEConnect- Improvement date
- June 16, 2024
- Company
Southwest Steel Buildings- Wastes
In open offices there are no doors to close, so people interrupt focused colleagues without knowing it, breaking concentration and creating delays for both sides.
The team put andon-style status lights on each desk. A person sets the light to show whether they are available or need uninterrupted focus, so coworkers can read availability from across the room before walking over.
Make status visible so people self-manage interruptions instead of guessing.
What is a Andon Desk Lights?
An andon is a visual signal borrowed from the factory floor, where a light shows the state of a line or station. Here the same idea is applied to knowledge work: a small light on each desk communicates whether the person can be interrupted.
Instead of a private office door that can be shut, an open workspace uses the light as the shared signal. The color or on/off state tells anyone nearby if the person is open to conversation or in deep focus.
The value is that a proven, obvious rule replaces a lot of individual guessing. Everyone reads the same signal the same way, so the decision about whether to interrupt is made before anyone speaks.
Why it works
The light turns each person's availability into shared, reusable knowledge that anyone can act on without asking.
- One agreed signal removes the guesswork of judging if someone is busy.
- It mistake-proofs interruptions by making the wrong moment visible before it happens.
- The convention scales: new people learn the rule once and apply it everywhere.
- It respects focus time without needing walls or closed doors.
How to create this idea
- 1Pick a signal device
Choose a simple desk light or indicator that can show at least two clear states, available and do not interrupt.
- 2Define the states
Agree as a team what each color or on/off state means, and keep it to a few simple options.
- 3Place it visibly
Mount the light where it is easy to see from walking paths and neighboring desks.
- 4Make it easy to change
Ensure a person can flip their status in one motion so they actually keep it current.
- 5Teach the convention
Onboard everyone on what the lights mean and set the expectation to check before interrupting.
Best used when
- open offices
- focus-heavy work
- no private doors
- frequent interruptions
Less useful when
- private offices
- fully remote teams
- very small teams
Tags
- Problem
- interruptionswaitinglost focus
- Lean methods
- andonvisual management
- Application
- officeknowledge work
Captured from TheAMEConnect at Southwest Steel Buildings in the video "AME 2 Second Lean Tour: Southwest Steel Buildings", at 00:10:41. On Lean Toolbox. Watch the original video on YouTube ↗
