The Poka-Yoke concept originated from Shigeo Shingo, a Japanese engineer who consulted for companies like Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Toyota during the 1940s to 1960s. Shingo aimed for 'zero quality control,' a state where quality issues are prevented or caught at the source, eliminating the need for inspectors. He initially termed it 'baka yoke' (idiot proofing) but later refined it to 'poka-yoke' to focus on preventing inadvertent errors.