Standardized Work: What It Is and How to Implement in Lean Manufacturing

Standardized work in lean manufacturing involves implementing procedures to ensure that products are made in the safest, easiest, and most effective way possible. It is a key principle of lean manufacturing and consists of three elements: takt time, work sequence, and standard inventory (or in-process inventory).

Takt time is defined as the rate at which parts or products must be made to meet customer demand. Work sequence refers to steps operators need to take within takt time. Meanwhile, standard inventory applies to the minimum number of parts and raw materials required to run operations.

If you want to learn more about standard work in lean manufacturing, explore this guide that goes over the following:

What is standardized work?
What are the benefits of standard work?
How does standardized work improve efficiency?
Examples of standardized work
How to implement standardized work in lean manufacturing

What is standardized work?

Standardized work is a methodology made up of distinct standards or procedures workers follow to increase productivity. Rather than a static set of rules to follow, standard work methods are meant to be adapted to allow for continuous improvements.

This helps create stability, eliminates waste, and increases efficiency and job satisfaction among workers and supervisors.

What are the benefits of standard work?

The benefits of standard work can be group into four categories: enhanced efficiency, better safety measures, improved communication and better financials. Below we list ways that standardized work processes generate these benefits.

1) Enhanced efficiency

Increases worker productivity
Provides seamless procedure structure
Saves time and cuts down on waste
Creates consistent supply and demand
Makes issues easier to identify
Leaves room for improvement
Simplifies employee onboarding process
Flattens the learning curve

2) Better safety measures

Ensures that best practices are always followed
Alleviates worker burnout
Decreases workplace stress
Creates consistent safety protocols

3) Improved communication

Makes company knowledge readily available and accessible
Supports employee engagement
Offers problem solving techniques
Provides tools to resolve work issues
Boosts employee morale

4) Improved financials

Boosts uptime and revenue
Reduces operational costs
Improves budget planning
Enhances product quality and customer satisfaction

How does standardized work improve efficiency?

Standardized work helps improve efficiency by eliminating any task ambiguity and providing quality control. For example, you can complete tasks in an efficient manner with fewer quality control issues since system-wide changes are easier to implement.

Standardized work also increases productivity by improving service quality and reducing research and development time of products. Fewer problems are less likely to result from human error and you can resolve them quicker if they do.

Examples of standardized work

Any type of work that occurs frequently and follows protocol can be standardized within manufacturing or other service sectors.

For example, standard work methods can improve the following:

Machine or equipment operations
Cleaning procedures
Safety measures
Quality checks
Training and onboarding
Customer service interactions
Design processes
Worker-supervisor communication

How to implement standardized work in lean manufacturing

Standardized work is a major component in lean manufacturing that breaks down who should perform a task, when they should do it and how they should do it. Documenting the steps of job tasks in order lays the foundation. This can be accomplished using modern software tools and creating digital work instructions. Digital work instructions are electronic versions of work instructions or SOPs that provide necessary visual aids and real-time contextual information to help improve processes and guide operators through complex tasks.

Standardized work is best accomplished in a collaborative environment, from the people who complete everyday functions to the engineers and supervisors who may lend a helping hand. Once the standard process for completing a task has been documented, the process should be taught to current and new employees to cut waste and improve customer value.

The combination of digital work instructions and connected worker tools not only increases quality, reduces errors, and improves safety and efficiency, but also helps operations managers better understand the utilization and efficiency of their workforce and identify opportunities for improvement. This provides a foundation for a company’s lean strategy. Learn more about lean manufacturing with Augmentir.

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