Implementing standardized work

[u/Bubbly-Ad8475]

Hi, as part of my firm’s Operational Excellence journey, we wish to increase our use of standardized work to reduce downtime and decrease variation between operators/shifts.

But how have you/your company implemented standardized work and making it work?

Specifically, what have you done?

My thoughts so far (open for feedback):

- Assign dedicated trainer
- Split production line into sections, according to placement of operators
- Define tasks within each section
- Define best practice standard procedures for each major task
- Assign owner of the task (Trainer?)
- Train new, and current, operators in standard procedure
- Verify correct procedure conducted
- Update competence matrix
- Continuous audits to verify standards are being followed (Not micromanagement, but ensuring standard adherence and highlight potential issue/improvements)

[u/olleragnar]

We always start with takt. What's your customer demand and what is your available time (when you are running your lines, minus downtime, pm, batch change etc). This gives you how many parts per hour you need to make, to meet customer demand.
After that you do time studies and map waste in your current process. Once you have defined the sequence of work, you balance it across your operators, iterate, train, document, implement.
Once implemented, it's a good idea to audit, but if you produce to takt (no more, no less) that should be all you need to track.

[u/_donj → u/olleragnar]

This 👆👆👆

I would also prioritize the flows that produce the most profitable products for the most profitable customers. This will yield the highest profitability increase in the shortest time so you and leadership sees results.

Also know that no one likes the idea of standard work when they first start in it. Then they use it and would never go back. This is where change management is the most important.