Standard Work

(aka Standardize Work,

Standard Operations)

Chapter 11
Five S
 Sort (organizing according to some logical or functional
schema; tossing out anything not needed))
 Straighten (a place for everything, and everything in its
place)
 Scrub (cleaning, and identifying abnormal or potentially
problematic
 Standardize (create an underlying system or principles
for maintaining the first three S’s)
 Sustain (take responsibility to sustain the changes).
PDCA
A = act
 If you want to retain the improvement, Act
means to standardize it.
P

A
D

Improvement
Standardize: Create Standard Work
Standard work: necessary for “sustaining the gains”
and preventing backsliding.
The most difficult part of improvement, but often overlooked

Standard work: necessary for

 Stabilizing a process (establishing a work routine)
 Training of what should be done
 Monitoring of what is done, assuring conformance to
requirements
 Continuous improvement

Standard work in TPS minimally includes:

1. cycle time
2. tasks and sequence
3. standard “work in process” (WIP) or inventory
TPS Elements of Standard Work
1. Cycle time

Defined earlier :
Elapsed time between successive units released from a process.

Two kinds of cycle time:

Actual cycle time: what the process actually does.

Takt time: cycle time required to exactly satisfy demand:

Available Time.
Demand

D = 800 units per day, available work time = 400 minutes

Takt time = 400/800 = 0.5 min/unit = 30 sec/unit

To satisfy demand, actual cycle time < takt time.

TPS Elements of Standard Work
2. Tasks and Sequence

Standard work addresses

processes, operations, and individual tasks, and
the sequence in which operations and tasks are performed

Definitions:
Process: a procedure consisting of several operations
Operation: a procedure consisting of several tasks
Standard Work Sheet
for the operations within a process
Example: Standard work sheet for a two-worker process

Step Process diagram

No. Task Out
A89 b A12 A13
Op 1
Operator 1 Op 2
1 Input Store
2 Inspection, I22
3 Kanban a A9 T24 a I22
4 Kanban b In
5 Assembly, guide, A12
6 Assembly, top, A13 1 unit, WIP Safety Test/Inspect
7 Output store
Quality /Safety Precautions
8 Return to Input Store
Operator 1
Operator 2
Step 2: Inspect Chasis, every second part
1 Kanban a
Step 5: Check guide tolerance
2 Valve Insert, T24
Step 6: Check top alignment
3 Assembly, A/B, A9
4 Rinse, T14
Operator 2
5 Drill, D14
Step 2: Check for close manifold before valve insertion
6 Insert Sleeve, A89
Step 3: Check A/B alignment before assembly
7 Kanban b
Step 5: Avoid touching guide torch: HOT!
8 Return to Kanban a
Standard Work Sheet
for the tasks within a single operation
Process: FF #3, Center Block Operation: ½” Drill Auth: Roy Barber Date: 6/12/06
No. Task Procedure Std Act CTU Work Area Layout Meter

1 Press eject Check rotation stopped and machine off . 1 1 1 Drill

Left chute Right chute
2 Set meter Check part ejected. Set meter to 30 sec. 2 2 2

3 Pick up workpiece Pick up and drop into right chute. 2 2 2

Grip Start button
4 Insert new workpiece Pick up new workpiece from left chute, 3 4 4
and secure place in drill slot, secure with grip. Workpiece and operation

5 Press start button Check meter that is cycling. 1 1 1

6 Automatic cycle Drill runs for 30 seconds, then turns off/stops. 30 30 30

Seconds
No. Work Task VA NVA Walk Machine 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60

1 Press eject 1

2 Set meter 2

3 P/u workpiece 2

4 Insert/secure 4

5 Press start 1

6 Drill 30

Totals 10 30
TPS Elements of Standard Work
3. Work in process (WIP)

Number of units (containers, objects, patients,

customers, etc.) within the process necessary to
enable smooth flow.

WIP includes number of units at every

 operation (e.g., one item per operation)
 holding area (whatever necessary for handoff
between operations)
 kanban buffer area.
Standard Work Sheet
WIP is clearly marked. Anyone can see discrepancies
between standard and actual WIP (visual management)

Step Process diagram

No. Task Out
A89 b A12 A13
Op 1
Operator 1 Op 2
1 Input Store
2 Inspection, I22
3 Kanban a A9 T24 a I22
4 Kanban b In
5 Assembly, guide, A12
6 Assembly, top, A13 1 unit, WIP Safety Test/Inspect
7 Output store
Quality /Safety Precautions
8 Return to Input Store
Operator 1
Operator 2
Step 2: Inspect Chasis, every second part
1 Kanban a
Step 5: Check guide tolerance
2 Valve Insert, T24
Step 6: Check top alignment
3 Assembly, A/B, A9
4 Rinse, T14
Operator 2
5 Drill, D14
Step 2: Check for close manifold before valve insertion
6 Insert Sleeve, A89
Step 3: Check A/B alignment before assembly
7 Kanban b
Step 5: Avoid touching guide torch: HOT!
8 Return to Kanban a
Standard Work Sheet
Safety and quality considerations are clearly marked
Step Process diagram
No. Task Out
A89 b A12 A13
Op 1
Operator 1 Op 2
1 Input Store
2 Inspection, I22
3 Kanban a A9 T24 a I22
4 Kanban b In
5 Assembly, guide, A12
6 Assembly, top, A13 1 unit, WIP Safety Test/Inspect
7 Output store
Quality /Safety Precautions
8 Return to Input Store
Operator 1
Operator 2
Step 2: Inspect Chasis, every second part
1 Kanban a
Step 5: Check guide tolerance
2 Valve Insert, T24
Step 6: Check top alignment
3 Assembly, A/B, A9
4 Rinse, T14
Operator 2
5 Drill, D14
Step 2: Check for close manifold before valve insertion
6 Insert Sleeve, A89
Step 3: Check A/B alignment before assembly
7 Kanban b
Step 5: Avoid touching guide torch: HOT!
8 Return to Kanban a
Standard Work: Essential for Kaizen
Kaizen requires employee awareness of
work details and surrounding processes.
 Standard work builds awareness
 It requires workers to regularly assess details of
their work and offer suggestions, making kaizen
a part of work culture
Standard Work and Kaizen
Role of Takt Time
Gap between actual cycle time and takt time

 Rarely can operations be allocated among

operators such that actual CT = takt time

 Striving to make actual CT = takt time drives

improvement in the kaizen process
Role of Takt Time
Whenever takt time is changed, the standard
work must be reassessed and changed too
 Standard work analysis requires high-level
skills and frequent practice
Toyota periodically changes takt times for sole
purpose of forcing shop-floor teams to review
processes and create new standards.
 prevents teams from getting rusty in their kaizen
skills.
 Toyota’s workforce is able to adapt to changes
in product mixes and takt times much more
rapidly than its competitors’ workforces.
Periodic checks/audits
of Standard Work
Does observed work conform to the standard
work?
 Workers should be conforming to standard work, not
modifying, deleting, or adding steps.
 If workers deviate from a standard work, it is because
 they must (i.e., the standard is not realistic), or
 they can (the standard is not clear or not
enforced)
 the standard work is incorrect or incomplete
 Whatever the reason, workers deviating from standard
work indicates something is wrong with
 the standard work itself
 or the process by which it is being enforced.
Standard Work: tool to reduce process
variation and stabilize processes
• Instability occurs when aspects of the process keep changing—
precisely what happens when there are no standards and everyone does
everything a little differently. The result is chaos and perpetual firefighting.
• Thus a repetitive process cannot be stabilized unless the work is
done in a standardized way.
• Stabilizing a process: a repeating cycle of pinpointing the most egregious
situations (outliers, abnormalities), identifying causes, resolving them,
and institutionalizing solutions through standard work.

Unstable Stable Stable +

improved
UCL
UCL UCL

LCL
LCL
Identify causes for abnormalities, rectify, and standardize
LCL

Identify causes for instability; rectify and standardize

 Standard Work
One of the most difficult and time-consuming stages in
the transformation to lean production.

 A company must develop the culture where

employees are
 given (and accept) responsibility to create standard
work
 monitored for conformity to standard work
 encouraged to revise the standards to continually
remove waste and adapt to changing conditions.
 A company must put its faith in the talents and
decisions of the people who directly add value to the
product.
SDCA
If you want to retain the improvement,
 must practice standard work.
 to ensure everyone practices standard work,
must have leader standard work and daily
management process
S

A
D

Improvement
SDCA
Starts with standard work: each day is
guided by referring to the standard
Doing work as prescribed by the standard
Checking results versus the standard
 taking Action.
 concluding that everything is okay; no action
 if not okay, ask why
 are the standards are not being followed? If not,
why?
 are they being followed but no longer effective?
• instigates a new PDCA cycle to identify causes and
solutions
SDCA
 Must ensure everyone practices standard work:
must have leader standard work and daily
management process

A
D

Improvement
 Leader Standard Work
Specifies what a leader must do daily, weekly,
etc. Examples
 Visit at least one process, cell, or facility (gemba) each
day, check conformance to standard work, review/audit
shortfalls, assess countermeasures, solicit suggestions
 Coach a subordinate
 Complete and post a standard work assessment form
 Each leader’s leader does the same, sometimes
daily, sometimes weekly; checks completed forms,
looks for thoroughness, reported shortfalls,
countermeasures. Monitors data for trends,
performance gaps, etc.
Where you work…
 Are the steps and procedures defined and
understood?
 Does everybody doing the same kind of work
follow the same general procedures?
 Is there an effort to periodically improve the
procedures and times?
 Are workers involved in originating and
implementing the improvements?
 Are managers busy firefighting or are processes
somewhat stable and standardized?
 Are managers engaged on the “floor level”, do
they understand processes, do they coach their
subordinates?
 Standard Work
Examples for Hospital
 : Standard Work

Josie
Carmen
Carmen
Carmen
Jose