What is Standardised Work?

Standardised work is a core component of Lean methodologies and serves as the foundation for operational excellence. It provides a structured way to define the most efficient method of performing a task, ensuring consistency, quality, and safety across all operations. By documenting the best-known practices for a job, standardised work helps organisations achieve repeatability, reduce variability, and create a baseline for continuous improvement.

In this blog, we’ll explore the concept of standardised work, its importance in Lean operations, and how it drives efficiency, safety, and process improvement.

Understanding Standardised Work

Standardised work refers to the documentation of the most efficient and effective way to perform a task, based on current best practices. It is not a static process but rather a living document that evolves as new improvements are discovered. This approach is fundamental to Lean manufacturing because it ensures that all workers perform tasks in a uniform manner, reducing variability and making processes more predictable.

Key Elements of Standardised Work

1. Safety and Efficiency

Standardised work ensures that tasks are performed in the safest and most efficient manner possible. By creating a repeatable process, organisations can optimise the use of resources, including labour, machinery, and materials, while also minimising risks and hazards in the workplace.

Well-documented procedures ensure that employees are following the safest steps to complete their tasks, reducing the likelihood of accidents or errors.

2. Basis for Continuous Improvement

Standardised work provides a baseline against which improvements can be measured. Without a standardised process, it’s challenging to determine whether a change has led to better performance or not.

By establishing a baseline, organisations can implement continuous improvement strategies such as Kaizen, making small, incremental changes that lead to significant overall improvements in efficiency, quality, and safety.

3. Communication and Training

Standardised work serves as an excellent training tool for new employees or for cross-training within departments. Since the steps of a task are clearly defined and documented, training becomes more consistent, ensuring that all workers learn the same method and maintain the same level of quality in their work.

It also facilitates clear communication across teams and departments, as everyone has access to the same standard procedures.

4. Consistency and Compliance

Maintaining consistency in processes is crucial for quality control and compliance with industry standards and regulations. Standardised work ensures that tasks are performed the same way every time, reducing variability and the risk of errors.

This level of consistency is particularly important in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and food production, where compliance with regulations is critical for ensuring product safety and quality.

Implementing Standardised Work: Key Considerations

To effectively implement standardised work in an organisation, several key factors need to be considered:

1. Boundaries of Standardisation

Determine which parts of the process need to be standardised. Not every task or process requires strict standardisation. Focus on areas where consistency is essential, such as critical production steps, safety protocols, or quality control procedures.

2. KPIs and Requirements

Identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) and quality requirements that need to be addressed through standardised work. This could include metrics like cycle time, defect rates, or resource utilisation. Understanding the desired outcomes helps define what needs to be standardised and measured.

3. Step-by-Step Process Sequence

Break down each task into its component steps and define the exact sequence in which they should be performed. This ensures that everyone follows the same process, minimising variations that could lead to errors or inefficiencies.

4. Material and Equipment Requirements

Ensure that all necessary materials and equipment are readily available and clearly defined in the standardised work documentation. This helps prevent delays or mistakes caused by missing or incorrect materials.

5. Documentation and Updates

Standardised work must be well-documented and easily accessible to all employees and stakeholders. This documentation should be kept up-to-date, reflecting any changes or improvements made to the process. Regularly reviewing and updating standardised work ensures that it remains aligned with the most current best practices.

Benefits of Standardised Work

Implementing standardised work in an organisation leads to several key benefits:

1. Increased Efficiency

By defining the best-known method for performing tasks, standardised work reduces waste, minimises downtime, and optimises the use of resources. Workers can complete tasks more quickly and with fewer errors, leading to increased productivity.

2. Improved Safety

Standardised work prioritises safety by ensuring that all employees follow the safest procedures for completing tasks. This reduces the risk of accidents and injuries, creating a safer working environment.

3. Higher Quality

Consistency in task performance leads to higher quality products or services. Standardised work reduces variability, ensuring that each task is completed to the same high standard every time. This consistency is crucial for meeting customer expectations and maintaining product quality.

4. Easier Training

Standardised work simplifies the training process by providing a clear, step-by-step guide for new employees. This ensures that all workers receive the same training and perform tasks in the same way, reducing the learning curve and improving overall efficiency.

5. Foundation for Continuous Improvement

By establishing a baseline for performance, standardised work provides a foundation for continuous improvement. Organisations can measure the impact of changes and innovations against the standard, ensuring that improvements lead to tangible benefits in efficiency, quality, and safety.

Standardised Work in Action: Examples

1. Manufacturing

In a manufacturing environment, standardised work might involve defining the exact steps an operator must take to assemble a product, including the order in which components are added, the tools used, and the quality checks performed at each stage. By following this standardised process, operators can work more efficiently and consistently, reducing defects and improving production output.

2. Healthcare

In a healthcare setting, standardised work might be used to ensure that medical procedures are performed consistently and safely. For example, nurses might follow a standardised process for administering medication, ensuring that the correct dosage is given at the right time to the right patient. This reduces the risk of errors and improves patient outcomes.

3. Retail

In retail, standardised work can be applied to customer service processes, ensuring that staff follow the same steps when assisting customers, processing transactions, or handling returns. This creates a consistent customer experience and helps maintain high levels of service quality.

Conclusion

Standardised work is a cornerstone of Lean methodology, offering organisations a structured way to define, document, and optimise their processes. It provides the foundation for continuous improvement, ensuring that tasks are performed consistently, safely, and efficiently. By implementing standardised work, organisations can increase productivity, improve quality, enhance safety, and create a baseline for ongoing improvements.

Incorporating standardised work into your organisation not only helps streamline operations but also fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, and innovation. As processes become more predictable and transparent, teams can focus on driving improvements and achieving operational excellence.

In summary, standardised work is not just about following a set of instructions—it’s about building a system that enables continuous learning, growth, and improvement. It’s the bedrock on which Lean organisations build their success, driving efficiency, safety, and quality across every operation.