Go For the Gold
By Samuel Beaird
There is gold to be mined in them thar operations! And
it can be yours for the taking. A primary objective of lean is to remove waste from the processes in order to better flow value to the
customer. One of the most powerful lean tools available for identifying and removing waste from the processes is Standardized
Work.
Yet, I have found that many companies, as they begin their lean journeys, are reluctant (even downright resistant) to standardizing their
processes. They offer all sorts of excuses: the processes are too complex and variable to be standardized; qualified, knowledgeable resources
are not available; standardization will require too much effort and take too long; the workforce is not disciplined enough to follow standards;
etc. Yet, Standardized Work most often generates some of the most significant bottom-line results of all the lean tools. Unfortunately
companies often can't see the gold for looking at the waste that first must be removed.
The fact is without Standardized Work there can be no lean. Without Standardized Work the current best method for doing the work in the most
effective manner, with perfect quality, and without risk to health or safety has neither been determined nor documented. Without standards
there
is variation in the process.
Take a hard look at your operations (go to the gemba). Do you see operators searching for tools or materials? Are there instances where
one operator is waiting for a second operator to complete his work? Do you see two workers doing what one could do? Are there operators
searching for their supervisor to clarify some detail of their assigned task? Do you see operators waiting for an inspector to come to the work
station to make a required inspection? Do you have operators repairing or reworking a component that had just previously been produced?
Do
you have floor spaces covered up with inventory? If done right, Standardized Work can remove these and many other forms of waste from your
operations.
What is Standardized Work?
It is the primary lean tool for determining who, what, when,
and where work is to be performed. Standardized
processes are created by defining, validating, making visible, and consistently utilizing the methods that will ensure the best possible
results.
Standardized Work consists of three basic
elements.
1. Best Work
Sequence
First of all, it specifies the best work sequence to do the
process. The objective is
not to document the current process, but to improve it and then standardize it. In this way Standardized Work becomes an agreed-upon set of
work
procedures that establishes the best and most reliable methods and sequences for each process and each operator considering quality, quantity,
safety,
and cost. The objective is to develop processes that reduce variability and eliminate wasted effort wherever possible.
2. Synchronized & Balanced Work
Assignments
The second element is synchronized and balanced work
assignments. Once the current best method is captured and documented, the work elements
are allocated to specific operators. The objective is to achieve line balancing among all operations in the flow and to balance the cycle times
of the operations against the pace of sales (takt time). The work is thus synchronized and balanced among the operators so as to have each
operator perform assigned work within takt time and to work as close to 100% value-added time as practical. This enables the process output to
match the needs of the customer in such a way that overproduction does not occur.
3. Standard
Inventory
The third element is standard inventory. Standard inventory is the minimum amount of work-in-process inventory required to create flow in the
processes. Specifying a standard amount of inventory at each work station or cell limits the amount of work-in-process (waste). The lower
the level of inventory in the flow, the less time it takes for parts to traverse through the processes.
It is important to understand that before a process can be standardized it first must be stabilized to some reasonable degree. Variation in the
process is a bad thing. If the work is different each time, it is virtually impossible to
standardize.
The Benefits-"Large Amounts of Gold"
Standardized Work produces tremendous benefits (large amounts of gold). Among these are the following:
- Quality will greatly be improved. Quality problems often
occur from some sort of variability in the process.
- Productivity will definitely be increased. By determining and
standardizing the most reliable and efficient methods
and sequences for each process and for each operator and consistently working to those best practice standards, productivity will be
enhanced.
- On-time delivery will be greatly strengthened. With the pace
of production rationalized against the rate of sales
(takt time) and cycle times, bottlenecks, breakdowns, production problems are quickly identified and dealt with.
- Standardized Work facilitates operating flexibility. As
customer demand rises and falls, Standardized Work can be
quickly reallocated among the operators with little disruption.
- It preserves know-how and expertise. It promotes
organizational learning.
- It provides a basis for employee
training.
- Standardized Work promotes continuous improvement. It
provides the baseline from which we strive for
improvement.
- It provides process stability and
predictability.
Creating Standardized
Work
Yes, there is a lot of work involved in creating Standardized
Work. Fortunately you have the process experts to do the job - i.e., your
operators in the production processes. The people doing the work understand it in sufficient detail to make the biggest contributions.
Therefore, get organized and go for the gold. Support your
operators with appropriate supervisors and engineers in creating Standardized
Work. First, make sure your team is thoroughly trained in the details of the several tools involved in process stabilization and Standardized
Work. Next, select a critical process, stabilize it, and then standardize it. Select another and another until your entire flow within each
value stream is standardized. Then turn your attention to continuously improving your standardized processes to squeeze more and more waste
out. Once achieved, Standardized Work becomes the platform from which the next level of advancement can be achieved. Above all,
keep your
eye on the gold as you mine the many opportunities for improvement.
