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"Competent (individuals) in every position, from top management to the humblest worker, know all that there is to know about their work except how to improve it. Help toward improvement can only come from outside knowledge." - W. Edwards Deming
February, 2011
By Douglas C. Wood
Who decides what work is standard? What is the best method? When does the best method need to change? These are fundamental questions with critical answers that you and everyone else in your work area need to know and agree upon.
Lean implementation requires that each employee know what tasks they are to do. For every employee to know what to do and how to do it, and to do it well, they need to know what ‘good’ means. Good’ means following the standard.
Major expenses
What is the cost when everyone does the same task differently? Industrial Engineers know that pace varies for each worker: some may work at 150% of an average pace, some at 50%. This assumes the actual work method stays the same, however. Substandard work methods can add 40%-60% to the time to do a task. Even if this work penalty is only 20%, for a 50 person department this would add $250,000 a year to expenses. The resulting discord in surrounding work areas (that are supposed to move in lock step) can double this cost, or even triple it.
Stability is the foundation to Standard Work:
Standard work needs to have stability. Some common sources of instability:
- Quality problems with incoming parts
- Issues with fixtures, machines, tools
- Parts shortages from suppliers
- Waiting on parts in process
- Safety problems
- Employee turnover
Because of this, Standard work needs the rest of Lean implementation to function.
There are well documented forms and tools to design standard work and communicate it to the workforce:
- Production capacity: what can the machines do?
- Work analysis: where do the steps occur?
- Job elements: what are the job steps?
- Time measurement: how long does it take?
- Balance: operator-machine and line balance
How to learn more
We offer a three hour webinar on Lean Standard Work including an exercise and templates. You can find this instructor-led course here: DC Wood Course Registrations You may contact us for more information: mail: click here
Address: 13817 Bradshaw Suite B, Overland Park, KS 66221
Phone: (913) 669-4173
Fax: (913) 273-1611
http://www.dcwoodconsulting.com/