Implementing and Maintaining Lean Standard Work: Challenges for Manufacturing Managers and Employees

Standard work (occasionally called standardized work) is a critical piece in the implementation of lean manufacturing programs. It helps stabilize a process and provides a foundation for continuous improvement. However, no matter how good something is, it always comes at a cost. For Standard Work, the price comes in the form of resentment and the consequent lack of commitment it can cause in some employees.

In fact, just one aspect of standard work can increase job satisfaction for some people while lowering it for others. Why? Because people are unique. For example, those who love predictability and structure thrive on standard work. But those who are more independent, the free spirits, dislike feeling micromanaged and resent feeling obligated to do their jobs in specific ways.

So how can leaders make standard work more attractive to employees? A good way to start is to make sure standard work is structured in a way that makes it easy for team members to get help when they need it. Suppose the manufacturing managers are doing many things right:

there are andon lights on site to call for help, and teams are encouraged to use them
there is a definite sequence of events that happens when the lights are turned on
leaders enforce the process and make sure people respond as needed
there are team leaders who can float and offer assistance when help is needed

Despite these efforts, employees may still feel that they are not getting the help they need when there is a problem in the shop. Big problems tend to get a lot of attention, but often the setbacks that frustrate employees are the little things that cost a few minutes here and there. It’s all about the little problems that seem to happen randomly in Lean production. A screw is threaded crosswise. A bolt is dropped in a hard-to-reach place. Murphy (remember Murphy’s Law: what can go wrong will) loves to hang out in the shop.

The frustrating part for an employee comes when there is no way to get help to get back on track. Even if someone from a support team shows up right away, an extra set of hands (if the standard job is structured incorrectly) may not be able to speed things up. Often the helper comes to help and can do little more than observe, offer advice, or get tools for a person. None of these things will, in most cases, prevent a production interruption. Instead, standard work should be organized so that an assistant can pop up and jump right into a task to keep everything flowing. It is much easier to do than you imagine. The goal is simply to structure the process so that the last few tasks are independent of the rest of the work. That means:

• Put all multi-operator work first. That way, if one person falls behind, the other person won’t lose their out-of-sync workflow.
• Put the most complicated tasks first, so if there is a problem, the operator can turn on the and in as soon as possible.
• Don’t put all freelance work on the same station. For example, instead of one station applying all the decals to a product at the end of an assembly line, distribute the work among the stations. That job can likely be done at any time and gives a float something to do when it shows up.
• Put the tasks with the lowest quality parts first. If apart is bad, there is time to get a replacement. If it is identified just before a line change, there is little time to resolve the problem. (Of course, if you know about an ongoing issue, you should be working on it as well.)
• Start with all subassemblies completed. End the cycle by building the substitutes for the next lane turn. If an operator is late, an assistant can come and build the subs, buying time for the operator.
• Make sure the tools are available for the assistant to work at the same time as the operator. The helper shouldn’t have to wait because a $5 tool isn’t available.
• The assistant must be trained in the support task. She has to be able to step in smoothly. She should practice these tasks for each station she supports, so there is never any question and there is no risk of poor quality.

With these fairly simple steps, employees working in production jobs can feel supported. This will make the rhythm seem more manageable if you feel like there is a pressure valve (which works!) when things get a little rough. If employees feel supported, they are much more likely to support standard work in return.

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