What is the Point of Standard Work if it is not Followed? December 1, 2009
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in 5S & Visual Management, Lean Thinking, Standard Work.Tags: Lean Thinking, standard work, 5S & Visual Management
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Mark Graban over at Lean Blog has posted an entry about his trip to the Ontario Hospital Association ‘HealthAchieve’ meeting. In an interesting aside, he relates how sets of three standard waste receptacles – one for organics only, for paper/glass/metal only, and one for paper only –placed throughout the convention center did not do their intended jobs. He posed a question to readers, asking what lean ideas could be used to improve performance. Some answers including making the bins different colors and larger text on the bins themselves. How do Mark’s observations, perhaps, apply to some of your lean improvements?
Check it out here
A Beginning Step Toward Improvement: Standardize March 2, 2009
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, Standard Work.Tags: Lean Thinking, standard work
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Before learning to run in a continuous improvement marathon, organizations should learn a basic lean step. Like a toddler learning to walk, standardizing processes is the fundamental step to a lifelong improvement journey.A standard process is defined as a clear and consistent sequence of work steps. When a standard process exists, a problem is clearly defined as anything outside the norm of the specific standard.
If there is not a consistent standard process already in place, then the first step to improvement is to define a clear standard process for all to follow. This creates a baseline for quantifying and measuring all future improvements.
Read the full article here.
This Pilot Didn’t Follow Standardized Work? March 2, 2009
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, Standard Work.Tags: Lean Thinking, standard work
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This blog post contrasts two recent air accidents: US Airways Hudson River ditching and Continental 3407 near Buffalo. In the latter case, the autopilot was engaged in icing conditions. The discussion develops to examine what this means in the context of standard work and whether the standard was clearly specified.
Read the post here.
