Number 77 – Establish and Integrate Standard Work

Establish and integrate standard work across your value streams.

Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic

The problem with standard work is the level of misunderstanding the term carries.  The funny thing is we all have them, informally and unofficially, but we all use a standard in some way, shape, or form somewhere in our lives.  To establish and integrate standard work across value streams requires of us to first break through the prejudice and judgement associated with the term.

Why is it worth the effort?  Why should I waste my time trying to get everybody to do things my way?  What do you know about the work I do?  I have heard every reason not to implement standard work voiced by every person I have ever had the conversation with.  I’ll give you one simple reason that often gets their attention.  The next generation. 

Take a look at your hands.  If you are like me, you see the scars of your career somewhere on those tools you carry with you every day.  Mine are banged up and cut and stitched closed from the bumps and bruises I gathered along the way.  What if I could share something to help the next person who comes along to do this work?  Help them be safe, help them produce quality, help them save time, help them save effort?  I always wanted to help the next generation learn and do better than I did.  Most people are like that.  We all want to help the next generation succeed. 

Establish and Integrate Standard Work

Maybe that got your attention.  What exactly is process standard work?  It is set of instructions meant to guide anyone safely through the process.  If you follow the work instructions your product or service will be of the highest quality, require the least amount of time to do the work correctly, and will not waste any resources in the process.  Standard work must establish and integrate these outcomes, or we have failed our team members, both current and future. 

If we can invite our teams across the value stream to think standard work, if we give them the tools and the time to do the work, if we support them in training and evaluating the work with us, we can create both incredible value for our customers and a great workplace for our employees.  What is wrong with this as a goal?

Questions For Your Consideration

Where do you think standard work would help a current frustration?

How does standard work support training new team members?

Where do informal standards already exist?

How can you encourage standard work to be developed in your team?

More OpEx 4 OpEx