Standard Work is a powerful tool for improving efficiency and productivity. However, it only works if you can achieve consensus on the best-known way of performing a process.
By the end of this blog post you will understand the concept of Standard Work, why it's important, and how to apply it to your own work.
The concept of Standard Work
The term "Standard Work" was first coined by Taiichi Ohno, the father of the Toyota Production System. He is famously quoted as saying “Where there is no standard there can be no improvement.”
Standard Work is a simple written description of the safest, highest quality, and most efficient way known to perform a particular task. It is a key tool in continuous improvement methodologies.
Why is Standard Work important?
Standard Work is important because it provides a consistent and repeatable process that can be easily understood and followed by everyone. This can lead to several benefits, including:
- increased efficiency: When everyone is doing the same thing in the same way, there is less wasted time and effort. This is because there is no need to constantly re-learn how to do things, and everyone is working towards the same goal.
- improved quality: When everyone is following the same procedures, there is less chance of mistakes. This is because everyone is working from the same set of instructions, and there is less room for interpretation.
- reduced costs: Standard Work can help to identify and eliminate waste, which can save money. Waste can come in many forms, such as unnecessary steps, rework, and defects. By standardising the process, you can identify these areas of waste and take steps to eliminate them.
- increased safety: Standard Work can help to ensure that everyone is working in a safe and healthy way. This is because the Standard Work will include safety procedures and precautions.
- improved communication and teamwork: Standard Work can help to improve communication and teamwork by providing a common language and understanding of the process. This can help to break down silos and improve collaboration.
- create a sense of ownership and responsibility among employees: Standard Work can help to create a sense of ownership and responsibility among employees by giving them a clear understanding of their role and how they contribute to the overall success of the process.
- reduce stress and fatigue: Standard Work can help to reduce stress and fatigue by providing a clear and predictable process that employees can follow. This can help to create a more relaxed and productive work environment.
- encourages flexibility and creativity: while it may seem counterintuitive, Standard Work promotes innovation. That’s because the current standard is only the best practice for today. Creative ideas for improvement of the standard should always be encouraged, and the changes can be easily applied in a consistent way that enhances performance across the organisation.
Overall, standard work is a powerful tool that can be used to improve the efficiency, quality, and safety, in any organisation.
That is why it is so important because it should form a starting baseline for all your continuous improvement efforts. It can help formulate a detailed description of the steps involved in a process, by ensuring that everyone has access to the current best-known way of carrying out a process. It can be used to support staff training and to ensure that everyone is up to speed on the latest procedures and best practices.
How to apply Standard Work
There are six key steps involved in creating Standard Work for a particular process:
Step 1: Go and see the process in action
This means observing the process as it is currently being performed. Pay attention to the steps involved, the time it takes to complete each step, and the resources that are used.
- ask questions: what are the challenges that staff face? What are the things that they think could be improved?
- be curious: do not just assume that you know how the process should be performed. Be open to learning new things.
- take notes: keep a record of your observations so that you can refer to them later.
Step 2: Understand the current variations in the process
There will always be some variation in how a process is performed. This is normal, but it is important to understand the root causes of the variation so that you can address them.
- look for patterns: are there certain steps that are always taking longer than others? Are there certain resources that are always being wasted?
- talk to staff: get their insights into why the process is the way it is.
Step 3: Agree on the best-known way to perform the process
Once you have a good understanding of the current process, you can work with the people who perform the process to identify the best-known way to perform it. This will involve making some changes to the current process.
- brainstorm solutions: come up with ideas for how to reduce variation and improve the process.
- be collaborative: get input from everyone who will be affected by the changes.
- be realistic: do not try to make too many changes at once.
Be flexible: Be willing to adjust as needed.
Step 4: Document the Standard Work
Once you have agreed on the best-known way to perform the process, you need to document it so that everyone knows how to do it. The standard Work should include the following information:
- the steps involved in the process.
- the resources that are used.
- the safety precautions that need to be taken.
- the quality standards that need to be met.
- use visuals: Pictures, diagrams, and videos can help make the Standard Work more understandable.
- make it easy to find: The Standard Work should be easy to find and access.
- keep it up to date: As the process changes, so too should the standard work.
Step 5: Train staff on the Standard Work
Once the standard work has been documented, you need to train employees on how to perform the process according to the standard. This training should be ongoing so that staff can stay up to date on the latest changes to the standard.
- make it interactive: Use games, quizzes, and other activities to make the training more engaging.
- be patient: It takes time for employees to learn new things.
- provide feedback: Give staff feedback on their performance so that they can improve.
Step 6: Implement the Standard Work and monitor its effectiveness
After staff training on the Standard Work, you need to implement it and monitor its effectiveness. This means tracking the time it takes to complete the process, the quality of the output, and the amount of waste. If the Standard Work is not effective, you need to amend it.
- be persistent: Don't give up if the standard work does not work perfectly at first.
- be flexible: Be willing to adjust as needed.
- be patient: It takes time to see the full benefits of Standard Work.
Creating standard work is a continuous process. It takes time and effort, but it is worth it eventually. By following these steps, you can create standard work that will help you improve the efficiency, quality, and safety of your processes.
As Taiichi Ohno said “Where there is no standard there can be no improvement”.
