Standardization of work is one of the fundamental disciplines of the Toyota Production System (TPS) and lean manufacturing. Also called standardized work, this definition is key to maintaining stability, effectively and scientifically solving problems, and kaizen (continuous improvement).
The standardization of work has been widely used in manufacturing. Through its application, positive results have been obtained in terms of productivity and stabilization of processes. In construction, the adoption of this form of standardization is still incipient, with only partial applications being observed.
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As a consequence, there is not yet enough knowledge about effective ways to adapt this concept to the construction context, with results as significant as those observed in the manufacture.
The standardization of work is "the most efficient combination of labor, material and machinery" based on three elements:
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- Takt time: the speed at which we must complete work in a process to satisfy demand (pace of customer demand);
- Work sequence- The precise main steps a team member takes within the takt time to complete the job.
- Standard stock in process- The minimum amount of stock required to meet the takt time and work sequence with the minimum amount of lead time. The minimum amount of stock required to keep the process running or running smoothly.
- Line balance- Line balancing is the next step in standardized work. This will involve time studies of all the different jobs within the process. The concept is that all jobs within an area or line will require the same amount of time to complete (cycle time). The more detailed the time study, the easier it is to balance the workload between operators.
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In this article you will find:
Story
Standardized work, as understood within the Lean Thinking philosophy, has its historical roots in the Training Within Industry (TWI), a job training program developed in the United States during World War II with the goal of filling a labor shortage.
TWI became widespread in Japan after World War II, along with quality programs. The TWI work instruction program was incorporated into Toyota practices, giving rise to the concept of work standardization used today in Lean Thinking.
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Importance of work standardization
The standardization of work offers many benefits. Helps define the work to be done. By setting the standard, we can stabilize performance and provide a base from which to improve. Therefore, standardization of work is the first step for improvement.
Us helps to make work visible in a process and to establish a baseline for comparison. This, in turn, allows us to highlight problems and gaps that we can then try to close.
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Guarantees safety, correctness and efficiency. It ensures that we have the best working method and quality, with the least amount of waste at the lowest cost.
For any company, the standardization of work is an excellent method to make the processes achieve their objectives cleanly.
Examples
Whenever we apply Lean thinking, we must ask ourselves "what problem are we trying to solve?" And «what is the work to be done? » This will help many manufacturers implement or rejuvenate their efforts with standardized work. However, the most interesting cases are usually those in which people have not yet realized the power of standardized work or have not figured out how to use it in their situation.
Car Retail Example
A great example of this is customer-facing operations. At several car dealerships (mainly Toyota), leaders and team members have been helped to understand the importance of work standardization and to implement it.
One immediately thinks of servicing or preparing a new vehicle for delivery. Both are repetitive processes, all with slightly longer cycle times than in many manufacturing environments.
However, standardization of work is equally applicable to the way telephone operators reserve vehicles for service or repair and receptionists greet customers when they leave their vehicles. Through observation, team members learn to break down the purpose of the job, agree on the steps they mostly take, and then through successive iterations and trial and error, standardize the content, sequence and time of work to improve safety or reduce fluctuations in quality and weather.
The benefits of applying such simple techniques are significant. Team members typically double productivity and reduce overhead for themselves and their colleagues.
Covid-19 vaccines
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the technique has proven useful for teams helping workers first line to administer vaccines in terms of maximum safety and quality in the shortest waiting time.
