Poka-yoke is a Japanese term that means mistake-proofing. A poka-yoke device is one that prevents incorrect parts from being made or assembled or easily identifies a flaw or error.

To be effective, a poka-yoke module should prevents a mistake from being made or make it obvious at a glance. For example, a symmetrical component can be assembled in several ways but by removing the symmetry, only correct assembly is possible.