LEAN Training 2010

STANDARDIZATION OF TASKS
Anjna Gandhi, MT (ASCP)
QA Education Coordinator

Henry Ford Production System

 Learning
Learning Objectives
Objectives
Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, the participants will be
able to:
Understand what are Standards, Standardization and Standard Work and
their importance in forming the foundation of Lean
How we can standardize any work process and maintain it in our
2010
2009

work environment?
Training 2009

Benefits of Standardization and Standard Work

Demonstrate via video:

Training

How and where variation exists in performing tasks

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Identify and eliminate the variation by performing tasks the

most efficient way
Establish best practices or the most efficient way of
performing tasks
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LEAN

Understand that standard work secures improvement and is a never-

ending process.

Henry Ford
Henry FordProduction
Production System
System
 PRINCIPLE
PRINCIPLE 6:
6: Standardization
Standardization

Standardization of tasks
is the foundation for continuous improvements
& employee empowerment
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Todays standardization,
instead of being a barricade against improvement, is the necessary
foundation on which tomorrows improvement will be based.
-Henry Ford

Henry Ford Production System

 What
What is
is aa Standard?
Standard?
A standard is a rule or example that
provides clear expectations
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Identify, set and improve standards

Baseline for all improvement activities

Specific and scientific-based

Standards must be adhered to,

documented and communicated

Poor communication of standards

Henry Ford Production System

 What
What is
is Standardization?
Standardization?
Standardization is the practice of setting,
communicating, following and improving standards

Promotes consistency
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You define the process so that everyone knows what it is and can
follow it

Everyone must practice the standards consistently before

standardization truly exists

Standardization is something that all of us take for granted

- W. Edwards Deming (Out of the Crisis)

Henry Ford Production System

 What
What is
is Standard
Standard Work?
Work?
The current one best way to safely complete an activity
with the proper outcome and the highest quality

Agreed-upon set of work procedures

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Each step in the process should be defined

and must be performed repeatedly in the
same manner

Removes variability; enemy of quality

improvement

Maximize performance while minimizing

waste; requiring costly rework or scrap

Henry Ford Production System

 Improvement
Improvement of
of Operations
Operations for
for
Standard
Standard Work
Work
Improvements in standard work can be focused on
many aspects of production or service operations:
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Flow of materials or patients

Shifting from specialization to
multi-skilled workers
Improvement in motion
Establishing rules of operation
Prevention of defects

Henry Ford Production System

 How
How To
To Standardize
Standardize Work?
Work?
Define the task and the details of the
task (CONTENT)

What order do the tasks happen?

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(SEQUENCE)

How long does it take to process?

(TIMING)

Where are the tasks taking place?

(LOCATION)

What result is clearly expected?

(OUTCOME)

Henry Ford Production System

 Steps
Steps for
for Creating
Creating Standard
Standard Work
Work
1. Identify the work process the team seeks to improve

Select the output for which you want to define a work standard
Gather information about the metrics used to measure this output
Gather groups current performance on each metric

Document customer requirements

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2.

3. Verify that the output merits a work process standard

Use the customers' key requirements to detect unwanted output features
and uncover ways to incorporate wanted features.

4. Build a description of the target standard work process

Create a process overview using information from all the performers of the
work process
Be sure to involve representatives from all interfacing work processes
Obtain approval of all the team members that interface with the work
process

Henry Ford Production System

 Steps
Stepsfor
Steps
Steps for Creating
for
for Creating
Creating Standard Work
StandardWork:
Creating Standard
Standard Work
Work:
5. Document the various ways the work is performed

Map the different ways the team members accomplish the work to produce
the same output

6. Evaluate the variations in the process

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All team members perform the evaluation

Establish two criteria for decision-making:
The selected work standard must define a procedure that
accomplishes the purpose of the work process, and
The selected work standard must minimize waste

7. Establish the selected best practice as the work standard

Using the results of the evaluation, have team members decide on a work
process map to identify their customers/ suppliers
Work with the team lead to determine when the work standard will be
implemented, how the team members will be prepared to use the standard
successfully, and how compliance with the standard
will be supported

Henry Ford Production System

 Steps
Steps
Steps for
Steps for
for Creating
forCreating
Creating Standard
CreatingStandard
Standard
Standard Work
Work
Work:
Work:

8. Document metrics and a method of measurement for each

Your metrics should calibrate how well the process and output satisfy customer
requirements and operate with maximum efficiency
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9. Make performance information transparent to all

Find ways to visually represent how the work process should be performed and
how much and how well the work process is operating against its metrics
Every participant in the process is expected to track its success and use this
information to stimulate his or her thinking about how it could
operate even better

Henry Ford Production System

 Spiral
Spiral of
of Improvement
Improvement in
in Standardization
Standardization

3.
Making operations
transparent
(understanding current
operations)
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4.
LEAN
2.
Creating standard Flushing out further
operations FACTORY problems
(setting higher standards REVOLUTION (setting a cycle
for operations) time standard)

1.
Finding problems and
making improvements

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 Managerial
Managerial Support
Support

Support teamwork and ownership of the process

by every operator

Reward operators who make improvements

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Allow (dont punish) mistakes and encourage

experimentation

Create a system for capturing and implementing

employee suggestions

Offer training to every operator on improvement

methods

Henry Ford Production System

 Guidelines
Guidelines for
for maintaining
maintaining Standard
Standard Work
Work

Establish standard operations

Make sure everyone understands the

importance of standard operations

Post visual displays to remind everyone of the

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importance of adhering to the standards

Good communication of standards

Post graphic and text descriptions of the

standard operations so that workers can
compare their work and refer to the standards
at all times

Hold leaders responsible for maintaining

standard work. Conduct audits of adherence
to standard work

Systematically pursue the establishment of a

new, higher lever of standard work

Henry Ford Production System

 Benefits of Standardization and
Standard Work
For the Company:
Reduced variability, reduced waste, and
reduced costs
Improved quality and shorter, more
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predictable lead times

For the Operator:

Easier to learn new operations
Easier to shift to different operations within a cell
or operations in other cells or work areas
Easier to see problems and contribute
improvement ideas

Henry Ford Production System

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Q&A

Henry Ford Production System

 Video
Video Presentations
Presentations

Video Observation:

Cutting and Embedding Tissue Process in the Histology Laboratory

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While watching the video, identify the variations in the process

As a group, we will discuss our findings
Observe a side-by-side recap of each step demonstrating the
variations between the workers creating some type of waste
As a group, standardize the process to ONE best way

Henry Ford Production System

 Cutting
Cutting and
and Embedding
Embedding Tissue
Tissue Process
Process
in
in the
the Histology
Histology Laboratory
Laboratory
Step 1:
Fill water bath with water.
Step 2:
Create labels for specimen.
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Place blocks on ice (only one case at a time).

Label slides.
Step 3:
Trim blocks/case and place on ice (trimming the block before putting it
on ice can help water penetrate and soften hard tissue).
Spray to soften tissue.
Step 4:
Cut sections and place in water bath.
Step 5:
Place specimen sections on respective slides.
Step 6:
Clean water bath.

Henry Ford Production System

 Take
Take Home
Home Lessons
Lessons
Standards, standardization and standard work
are not only the result of initial improvement,
they also drive continual improvement

Standard work functions as a diagnostic tool,

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exposing problems and inspiring continuous

improvement

Standardization is not only adherence to

standards but also the continual creation of new
and better standards

As the standard is improved, the new standard

becomes the baseline for further improvements,
and so on.

Standard Work is a NEVER-ENDING process.

Subject to PDCA

Henry Ford Production System

 Q&A
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References
Standard work for the Shopfloor/ Created by the Productivity Press Development
HenryTeam, 2002 System
Ford Production