What is an andon system?

A way for anyone at a station to call for help the moment something goes wrong, such as a defect, a missing part or a machine fault. Traditionally it is a cord, a button or a light that brings a team leader to the spot. A digital andon system records each call, sends it to someone who can act, escalates it if nobody responds, and keeps the history so repeat problems show up.

What is the best andon system software?

It depends on what should raise the call. For calls from machine signals, look at Amper, L2L, Tulip or Vorne XL. For problems raised by people, with routing to an owner and escalation, look at Fabriq, Mitti, Poka or LeanSuite. LeanSuite is our product, and it does not connect to machines or andon lights.

What is the difference between digital andon and issue tracking?

Andon is about the first minutes: someone calls for help and the right person responds. Issue tracking covers the rest: the issue has an owner and a due date, it escalates if it is not fixed, and it is closed only when the fix is checked. Most tools on this list do some of both; the table shows how each one raises, routes and escalates a call.

Do we need andon lights or hardware?

Not always. Lights and signal towers are useful where people cannot look at a screen, and machine-driven andon needs sensors or a connection to the machine, which Amper, L2L, Tulip and Vorne XL provide. For problems people see and report, a phone, a tablet or a QR code at the station is enough, which is how Mitti, Poka and LeanSuite work.

Which andon tools publish their pricing?

Mitti is free for up to 10 users, then $24 per seat per month billed annually. Tulip publishes $100 and $250 a month per interface, billed annually with a 10-interface minimum. Vorne publishes one-time device prices from $4,490 with no recurring costs. Amper quotes each customer, Fabriq prices per site without a figure, Poka prices on request and L2L has no pricing page. LeanSuite quotes per facility with unlimited users and publishes its pilot price: 90 days for $3,000 per facility.

Why is LeanSuite first on a list that LeanSuite publishes?

Because it is our page and we would rather say so than hide it in the middle. Read it with that in mind. The other products follow in alphabetical order, each is described only from its own public pages, each entry says who it fits best, and we will correct anything a vendor or reader shows us is wrong.

How did you compare these tools?

We read each vendor's own public pages in October 2026 and used only what they publish. Where we could not find something, the table says not published, which does not mean the product lacks it. LeanSuite is our product. If something has changed, email info@theleansuite.com and we will update the page.

Buyer's guide

Best andon system software: digital andon and issue escalation

Short answer: Digital andon comes in two kinds, so start with what should raise the call. If machines should raise it, look at tools that read machine signals: Amper (sensors on any machine, with andon calls on an operator screen), L2L (tasks dispatched from machine alerts), Tulip (andon alerts from stations and machine data, with escalation when overdue) or Vorne XL (a scoreboard appliance with a plant-wide andon report). If people raise it, look at how each call reaches an owner and what happens if it is not fixed: Fabriq escalates tickets up the tiers, Mitti sends critical alerts even to a phone on silent, Poka notifies the right team with photos from the line, and LeanSuite assigns every issue to its owner by rule the moment it is raised, escalates it from tier 1 to tier 2 or 3 with its history, and turns a repeat problem into a Kaizen or A3 project in one click. LeanSuite does not connect to machines, PLCs or andon lights; every call in LeanSuite is raised by a person.

Who wrote this: LeanSuite publishes this guide, and LeanSuite is one of the eight products on it. It is listed first because it is our product; the others follow in alphabetical order, which is not a ranking. Every other product is described only from its own public pages, and each entry says where that product fits better than ours.

Last reviewed October 2026. Based on each vendor's public information; tell us if something has changed at info@theleansuite.com.

At a glance

LeanSuite's whole platform next to each product, capability by capability. A question mark means the vendor does not publish it or we could not verify it, not that the product lacks it; the detailed table below has the specifics.

Yes, on the vendor's own site
Partial, limited or a paid add-on
No, outside the product's published scope
Not published, or we couldn't verify it

Swipe sideways to see every product.

At a glance: Best Andon System Software
Capability	LeanSuite	Amper	Fabriq	L2L	Mitti	Poka	Tulip	Vorne XL
Frontline operations
Daily issue management with tier escalation	Yes:F-Tags, escalation	Partial: Andon	Partial: Tickets and action plans	Yes: Real-time dispatch	Partial: Phone or QR code	Partial: Issues module	Partial: Digital andon app; escalates when overdue	Not published
Tiered meetings and huddle boards	Yes:Lean Studio	Partial: Hour-by-hour boards	Yes: Daily huddles, tier meetings	Partial: Production boards	Not published	Yes	Partial: Tier board app suite	Not published
Audits and checklists (5S, LPA, CILR), scheduled	Yes:Daily Standard Work scheduling	Partial: Changeover checklists	Partial: Routines and checklists	Yes	Yes	Partial: Forms and checklists	Partial: Inspection apps	Not published
Breakdown reporting and maintenance work orders	Yes:EWO; works alongside a CMMS	Partial: Maintenance tracking	Not published	Yes	Partial: Preventive maintenance	Not published	Not published	Not published
Continuous improvement
Any method: DMAIC, PDCA, A3, 8D or your own	Yes: Incl. your own	Not published	Not published	Partial: Root cause analysis	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Engineering and CapEx projects with stage-gates	Yes:Four stage-gates	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Non-manufacturing teams and projects	Yes: Any project type	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Ideas and suggestions with configurable approvals	Yes:Approvals per idea type	Not published	Not published	Partial: Suggestions	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Savings verified before they count	Yes:Finance signs off	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Share what worked across sites (yokoten)	Yes:Best Practice Management	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
AI
AI root cause analysis	Yes:RCA Agent	Not published	Not published	Yes: Root Cause Intelligence	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
AI time and motion study from video	Partial:Vision AI, priced separately	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Video to SOP	Yes:SOP from one video	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
AI one-point lessons (OPLs)	Yes:OPL from before-and-after photos	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
AI drafts checklists and forms	Yes:Lean Creator AI drafts	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Yes: AI Composer	Not published
AI sorts and triages ideas	Yes:Lean AI	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Skills and training
Live skills matrix	Yes:Competency Management	Not published	Not published	Yes	Partial: Training matrix	Yes	Not published	Not published
Job cover matrix: who can cover each job	Yes:Job Cover Matrix	Not published	Not published	Partial: By machine or process	Not published	Partial: Shift view	Not published	Not published
Training (LMS): courses, quizzes, learning plans	Yes:Trainings (LMS)	Not published	Not published	Partial: Training content	Yes: Training courses	Yes: Learning module	Not published	Not published
SOP and OPL sign-off per person	Yes:Signed on a tablet	Not published	Not published	Partial: Instruction sign-off	Partial: Manager signs the OPL	Not published	Not published	Not published
Data and platform
KPI dashboards	Yes:KPI Dashboards	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes: Multi-site dashboards	Not published	Yes	Yes
SSO and a security certification	Yes:SOC 2 Type 1; Entra ID, Okta	Not published	Yes: ISO 27001; SSO on Enterprise	Partial: SOC 2-based program	Yes: ISO 27001, SOC 2	Yes: SOC 2 Type II	Yes: Professional plan up	Not published
Operator sign-in with an employee ID, no email	Yes:Employee ID	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Free plan or published prices	Yes:Free plan for ideas	No: Quote only	Not published: Priced per site, no figures	Not published	Yes: Free to 10 users	Not published: Pricing request form, no figures	Yes: Per interface	Yes: One-time price
Mobile app (iOS and Android)	Yes:iOS and Android	Not published	Yes	Yes	Not published	Not published	Not published	Yes: XL Sidekick
OEE captured from machine signals	Partial:Via ERP or MES, not machine signals	Yes	Partial: Through MES or API	Yes	Partial: Sensors	Not published	Yes	Yes

Based on each vendor's public website, reviewed October 2026; tell us if something has changed at info@theleansuite.com.

How we chose these tools

An andon is a signal that calls for help the moment a problem appears at a station, traditionally a cord, a button or a light. Digital andon software records each call, sends it to someone who can act, escalates it if nobody does, and keeps the history so repeat problems show up. Each product on this list meets all of these:

Calls reach an owner
The vendor's own product pages describe andon calls, or shop-floor issue reporting that alerts or assigns a person to act. Machine monitoring with no way to call for help is left out.
Built for manufacturing
Manufacturers are a main market for the product.
An established company
The vendor has a real company behind it and is at least our size; smaller vendors, including several dedicated andon apps, are left off this guide.
Software you can buy
Andon light and signal tower hardware on its own is a different category and is not covered here.
Public information
Enough on the vendor's own pages to describe how a call is raised, routed and escalated. Where pricing or security is not published, the table says so.

Eight andon and issue escalation tools: LeanSuite first, then alphabetical

1. LeanSuite
Lean manufacturing software where calls for help are issue tags in its Daily Issue Management module (F-Tag). An operator scans the QR code on a machine, sees its open tags so the same problem is not raised twice, and raises a tag with a photo, a category such as Safety or Quality, and a typed or spoken note; Lean AI can write the description from the photo. Rules assign each tag to the right person by tag type, area, department and priority the moment it is raised and set its due date from priority, the owner gets an in-app, email or push notification, reminders go out before and after the deadline, and you can cap how many times a tag is reassigned so it cannot bounce around. A tag that cannot be fixed locally is escalated from tier 1 to tier 2 or 3 with its history attached, each tier working from its own queue, and can be sent back down with a decision. Open tags show on a live floor plan with a heat map that can run full-screen on a shop-floor TV, each fix waits in Pending Verification before the tag closes, and a recurring problem becomes a Kaizen or A3 project in one click. Operators sign in with an employee ID, with no email needed. LeanSuite does not connect to machines, PLCs or andon lights. One flat price per facility with unlimited users; a 90-day pilot costs $3,000 per facility.
Best for: Plants where people raise most problems and every one should reach the right owner straight away, escalate by tier and feed root-cause work.
LeanSuite daily issue management
2. Amper
Production monitoring from ECI Software Solutions, which announced its acquisition of Amper in December 2025. Non-invasive electrical sensors on any machine, of any age, capture uptime, downtime and cycle counts without PLC integration, and send the data to the cloud over a cellular connection. Its operator Copilot puts andon calls for maintenance, tooling and quality on a screen at the machine, with issue ticketing that keeps every disruption in a searchable record and digital tally sheets for the shift goal. Smart alerts notify the right people by phone or email when downtime, slow cycles or goal deviations hit a trigger you set. Hour-by-hour boards, changeover checklists and a daily briefing of the factory's performance are other features. Pricing is a custom quote; a free trial validates the hardware on 2 machines. Security certifications are not published.
Best for: Job shops and plants that want machine downtime captured by sensors and andon calls on the same operator screen, without PLC work.
Amper website
3. Fabriq
A lean daily management platform that says it helps plants track, escalate and solve issues faster. Every issue raised in a tier meeting becomes a ticket with an owner, a due date and a severity, shown on a Kanban board, a workload chart or a delay report, and tickets escalate up the tier structure when they need leadership attention; tickets can also be raised from the mobile app on iOS and Android. Problem solving with 5W2H, Ishikawa or 5 Whys runs on the ticket, and an AI feature finds similar past tickets. Machine data reaches it through MES or API integrations. Its Standard plan is priced per site, billed annually, with no figure shown; Enterprise includes API and SSO integration. Fabriq says it is ISO 27001 certified.
Best for: Plants that run issues through tier meetings and want tickets escalated up the tiers with owners and severity.
Fabriq website
4. L2L
A connected manufacturing operations platform from Salt Lake City, formerly Leading2Lean, that began as a dispatch tool in an auto plant. Its real-time dispatch assigns and tracks tasks from machine alerts so the right person moves to the right problem, operators report machine, quality or safety abnormalities that are routed and tracked through to resolution, and real-time notifications keep people informed. Machine Data Sync connects PLCs, SCADA systems and IIoT devices for OEE and downtime. Maintenance (CMMS), skills, work instructions and root cause analysis are in the same platform, on browser, Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. Its compliance programs are based on SOC 2 Type 2 and NIST 800-171, and single sign-on supports LDAP and SAML. There is no pricing page.
Best for: Plants that want machine alerts dispatched to maintenance and production teams, with CMMS work orders in the same system.
LeanSuite vs L2L L2L website
5. Mitti (by SafetyCulture)
The new name of SafetyCulture, announced in August 2026. Its issue reporting lets anyone flag a problem from a phone or from an issue QR code placed on site, with no login, and AI can turn a photo into a detailed issue. Each issue gets a single owner the moment it is raised, becomes a task with a priority and due date in a click, and a high-priority issue sends a critical alert to the right person even if their phone is on silent or Do Not Disturb. Investigations link issues to root causes and corrective actions, and the platform also covers inspections, training and asset maintenance. Apps for iOS and Android work offline. It publishes pricing: free for up to 10 users, and Premium at $24 per seat per month billed annually, with single sign-on. Mitti says it is ISO 27001:2022 certified and has a SOC 2 Type II report.
Best for: Sites that want anyone, including visitors, to report a problem from a QR code and critical issues to reach someone at once, at a low price.
Mitti (by SafetyCulture) website
6. Poka
A connected worker platform, sold by IFS as Connected Worker powered by Poka. Its issues management lets operators report a problem from the point of work with photos, video and a description; the right team sees it at once with a timestamp and equipment tag, automated notifications go to the right people when issues are reported or updated, and every issue has an owner, corrective actions with deadlines and a place on a digital Kanban board that shows its status and age. Issues are tagged by equipment, process or category for trend analysis, and the same platform holds work instructions, skills, forms and huddle boards. It says it is compliant with SOC 2 Type 2, with SAML single sign-on, on iOS, Android and the web. Pricing is by request form.
Best for: Plants that want issues reported with photos and video next to work instructions and skills in one connected worker platform.
Poka website
7. Tulip
A no-code frontline operations platform where engineers build their own apps. Its digital andon lets an operator raise an alert from the station; the alert routes to a named person and escalates when it goes overdue. Dashboards can send an andon-style alert to the person who can fix a problem when a line stops or OEE drifts out of target and track it through to resolution, using machine data over OPC UA, MQTT and Tulip's edge devices; machine monitoring is an add-on. Andon boards, kanban loops and audit checklists are built in its App Editor without code. It holds a SOC 2 Type II report and ISO 9001:2015, with single sign-on from the Professional plan. It publishes pricing per interface (device), billed annually with a 10-interface minimum: Essentials $100 and Professional $250 a month per interface.
Best for: Teams with engineers who want to build their own andon apps tied to machine data and station workflows.
LeanSuite vs Tulip Tulip website
8. Vorne XL
A production monitoring appliance from Vorne Industries in Itasca, Illinois, in business since 1970. One or two sensors, or an existing photo-eye, relay or PLC, feed the XL, which shows live production on a scoreboard on any TV or monitor; operators scan downtime and reject reasons with a barcode scanner. A built-in Andon report shows the real-time status of every line in the enterprise, and XL sends automated email reports and email or text alerts. Data is stored on the device behind your firewall, with no cloud requirement, and the free XL Sidekick app runs on iOS and Android. It publishes one-time prices per device from $4,490 to $4,990 with no recurring costs, and offers a free 90-day trial. Security certifications are not published.
Best for: Plants that want a machine-driven andon and scoreboard on every line at a one-time price, kept on site.
Vorne XL website

The eight tools side by side

From each vendor's public pages. "Not published" means we could not find it publicly, not that the product lacks it.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

The eight tools side by side
Capability	LeanSuite	Amper	Fabriq	L2L	Mitti	Poka	Tulip	Vorne XL
Andon and escalation
Main focus	Daily issue management inside a lean platform	Machine monitoring with an operator screen	Lean daily management and tier meetings	Shop floor execution, CMMS and OEE	Inspections, issues and training	Connected worker platform	No-code frontline apps	Production monitoring appliance and scoreboard
How a call is raised	Operator scans a QR code; photo, category, typed or spoken note	Operator taps maintenance, tooling or quality on the machine screen	Ticket from a tier meeting or the mobile app	Operator reports an abnormality, or a machine alert	Phone or QR code, no login	Operator reports with photos or video	Operator alert from the station; line stop or OEE drift	Machine signals; downtime reasons by barcode
Machine signals	No; every call is raised by a person	Electrical sensors on any machine	Through MES or API	PLCs, SCADA and IIoT devices	Sensors listed for manufacturing	Not published	OPC UA, MQTT, edge devices; add-on	Sensors, photo-eye, relay or PLC
Routing to an owner	Rules by tag type, area, department and priority; due date from priority	Alerts to the right people by phone or email	Ticket with an owner, due date and severity	Tasks assigned from machine alerts; reports routed	One owner when raised; critical alerts even on silent	Right team notified; every issue has an owner	Routes to a named person	Email or text alerts
Escalation	Tier 1 to 2 or 3 with history; sent back down; reassignment capped	Not published	Up the tier structure	Not published	Not published	Not published	Escalates when overdue	Not published
After the fix	Pending Verification before closing; repeat issue to Kaizen or A3 in one click	Searchable record of every disruption	5W2H, Ishikawa or 5 Whys on the ticket	Tracked to resolution; root cause analysis	Investigations and corrective actions	Corrective actions; trends by equipment or category	Tracked through to resolution	Andon and downtime reports
Buying
Pricing	Per facility, quote; 90-day pilot $3,000	Not published; custom quote	Not published; per site	Not published	Published: free to 10 users; $24 per seat a month	Not published; request form	Published: $100 or $250 a month per interface	Published: $4,490 to $4,990 per device, one time
Security	SOC 2 Type 1 report; secure cloud hosting	Not published	ISO 27001 certified; SSO on Enterprise	Program based on SOC 2 Type 2 and NIST 800-171; LDAP and SAML	ISO 27001:2022; SOC 2 Type II	SOC 2 Type 2; SAML SSO	SOC 2 Type II; ISO 9001; SSO from Professional	Not published; data behind your firewall
Apps	Web, iOS and Android; floor plan on a TV	Operator screen at the machine	iOS and Android	Browser, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS	iOS and Android; offline	iOS, Android, web	Tulip Player on Windows, Mac, Android; Safari on iOS	Scoreboard on any TV; XL Sidekick for iOS and Android

Where LeanSuite is different

This part is about our own product, so read it as LeanSuite's pitch; the entries above describe every other tool from its own pages. Each point links to the LeanSuite page that shows it.

Every issue reaches its owner the moment it is raised
Rules assign each issue by tag type, area, department and priority and set its due date from priority. The owner gets an in-app, email or push notification, reminders go out before and after the deadline, and a cap on reassignments stops an issue bouncing between people.
Automatic routing
Escalate by tier, send the answer back down
An issue that can't be fixed locally goes from tier 1 to tier 2 or 3 with its history attached, each tier works from its own queue, and the decision is sent back down. Each fix waits in Pending Verification before the issue closes.
Tier escalation
A repeat problem becomes a Kaizen in one click
When the same issue keeps coming back, escalate it into a Kaizen or A3 project and work on the root cause. Reports show which areas and assets keep generating issues, and the live floor plan shows where they cluster.
From issue to Kaizen
Operators sign in with an employee ID
Frontline staff sign in with an employee ID or username on the mobile app or a shared tablet, with no company email needed. Office staff use SAML 2.0 or OAuth single sign-on with Microsoft Entra ID or Okta.
Security and sign-in
A 90-day pilot at a published price
$3,000 per facility for 90 days, with the first module live in under a week. Pricing is per facility with unlimited users.
The pilot

Which one fits

People raise most problems and each one should reach its owner at once, escalate by tier and feed kaizenLeanSuite
Andon calls and machine downtime from sensors, without PLC workAmper
Machine alerts dispatched to maintenance, with a CMMS in the same systemL2L
Engineers who want to build their own andon apps on machine dataTulip
A machine-driven andon and scoreboard at a one-time price, kept on siteVorne XL
Issues run through tier meetings and escalated up the tiersFabriq
Anyone reports from a QR code; critical issues reach someone at onceMitti
Issues with photos and video next to work instructions and skillsPoka
One line and a whiteboardA free andon response log and escalation matrix

Get every problem to its owner the moment it is raised

Try LeanSuite in your browser with sample data, or run it on your own lines for 90 days with the setup done by our team. If you are not ready for software, start with the free andon response log and escalation matrix.

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What customers say

“Great user-friendly software! It's covering everything that WCM or similar Lean Programs are asking to do, in a very effective way.”
Elena M.Global Head of Marelli Manufacturing System Automotive, Marelli
“The Project Tracking System generates significant savings while ensuring seamless delivery... The Global Kaizen Power Pitch completely transformed our ability to share best practices.”
Ramsey AljahmiSr. Director of NAR Operations Excellence, Whirlpool Corporation
Read the case study

FAQ

Best Andon System Software: common questions

Mitti is free for up to 10 users, then $24 per seat per month billed annually. Tulip publishes $100 and $250 a month per interface, billed annually with a 10-interface minimum. Vorne publishes one-time device prices from $4,490 with no recurring costs. Amper quotes each customer, Fabriq prices per site without a figure, Poka prices on request and L2L has no pricing page. LeanSuite quotes per facility with unlimited users and publishes its pilot price: 90 days for $3,000 per facility.

Sources

Last reviewed October 2026. Based on each vendor's public information; tell us if something has changed at info@theleansuite.com.

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Best andon system software: digital andon and issue escalation

At a glance

How we chose these tools

Calls reach an owner

Built for manufacturing

An established company

Software you can buy

Public information

Eight andon and issue escalation tools: LeanSuite first, then alphabetical

1. LeanSuite

2. Amper

3. Fabriq

4. L2L

5. Mitti (by SafetyCulture)

6. Poka

7. Tulip

8. Vorne XL