What makes companies like Toyota, Boeing, Pfizer, and Samsung Electronics so successful in their markets? Indeed, there are many reasons, but one of the prominent reasons is that they follow standard work instructions, which really differentiates them from their competitors.
These companies have been leading the market for so many years and are achieving continuous growth; they have reduced wastage, eliminated unplanned downtime, and improved their overall efficiency, all thanks to them for incorporating solid standardized work instructions in all their front-line operations.
Today, if you want to navigate the complexities of your manufacturing industry and achieve consistency, quality, and efficiency throughout, then make sure to integrate SWI into your processes.
Let’s explore further and understand what SWI is and how you can turn challenging operations into a smooth-flowing process with SWI. We will also provide a hands-on guide to reap maximum benefits in your front-line operations.
Let’s get started with standard work instructions now!
Standardized work instructions (SWI) are a combination of process, procedure, and visual work instructions, which includes the best practices to perform a specific task in the safest, easiest, and most effective way. This ensures that every employee has standard work instructions to follow for particular tasks with the goal of reducing the risk of errors, improving consistency, and promoting continuous growth in the workplace. Usually, standard work is used by organizations to show their employees or workers how a particular task is performed. This eliminates any possible waste that adds extra time or lowers the quality of your products.
Take the example of Samsung Electronics, if you have ever used any of their electronic appliances, then you know that they have superb quality and last really very long! And the brownie points surely belong to their backend process – their extensive Standardized Work Instruction manuals and stringent quality controls. That’s why they are undoubtedly the world’s largest electronic manufacturer.
Samsung achieved the title of world’s largest electronic manufacturer because SWI is integral to its operations, whether in compliance and safety, training and onboarding, or even using digital work instructions. This enables the company to produce high-quality products and give top-notch satisfaction to customers.
Many manufacturing workers who lack proper training struggle to decipher handwritten instructions, which results in inefficiency and delays. How can this problem be addressed? The answer lies in the Lean Manufacturing method, which was created in Japan during the mid-20th century.
The main aim is to eliminate non-value-added activities like overproduction, waiting, unnecessary transportation, excess inventory, unnecessary motion, defects, and underutilization of talent and create a streamlined workflow across all areas of manufacturing.
The whole cycle of production is carefully curated, streamlined, and known to all the people involved, which sets a high standard and increases productivity multiplefold.
Coming to the most important part, if you are a lean manufacturer, then the next section is crucial to learn why you need standard work instructions!
When standardized, work instructions provide a consistent way to complete tasks, reducing the risk of errors and inconsistencies. This is especially important in industries that require precision, such as the manufacture of medical equipment or aircraft parts. By adopting a standardized method of completing projects, work instructions for the manufacturing process ensure the highest quality, with no changes to the finished product.
To illustrate, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) operates in three sectors: pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer health products. By following standardized procedures, they are able to maintain the highest quality and consistency of their products in all three sectors. Regarding their pharmaceutical services, they outline the precise steps and procedures for drug formation, production, packaging, and distribution. Adopting a standard procedure helps them guarantee that each batch of medication meets the company’s high efficacy, safety, and purity standards.
Standardized work may seem unnecessary for lean manufacturers in certain cases, such as during the prototyping stage or when existing operations effectively meet customer needs without it. However, various forcing events can emphasize the need for standardized work, including:
Below are some of the ways standardized work instructions can benefit your business:
Minimizes Operational Costs
High operational costs can have a significant impact on an organization’s profitability. Implementing standardized work instructions is one of the effective solutions to address this issue. By doing so, you can eliminate the need for trial & error, resulting in considerable production cost reductions.
Efficient Employee Training
With standardized work instructions, employee training and onboarding become faster, simpler, and more effective. With each and every task clearly mentioned, onboarding new workers is no longer a costly and time-consuming procedure. It also implies that new staff becomes more productive as they have access to all the necessary information, which helps them to complete their tasks effectively.
Promoting a Secure Work Environment
When your workers are properly trained and adhering to standardized work procedures, everyone is in their designated positions and fulfilling their assigned tasks. This diminishes the chances of risks and potential injuries.
Reduced Waste
If you know about lean manufacturing and standard work instructions, then you are well aware that they help reduce waste. Yes, indeed, they help reduce waste. The research was conducted in a South Brazilian company to examine whether SWI really helps in task optimization through waste reduction.
The results were outstanding. As the research was carried out in the assembly line, operators’ movement was reduced by 34.5%, downtime was reduced by 9.6%, and the overall waste found in the process was reduced, making the entire assembly line better settled.
What helped? Implementing standardized work instructions using proper routine and operation sheets.
Generally, when workers carry out their tasks without following any standards, it can lead to unavoidable human errors, unnecessary waste, and inconsistent outcomes. However, by implementing standardized work instructions, workers can follow specific steps, reducing the defects that result in product waste. It provides clear instructions and ensures important steps are not missed.
Effective problem-solving
Although standard work does not eliminate problems, it simplifies and improves the process of resolving them. This reduces work-related stress as employees can allocate more time to productive tasks rather than rectifying errors. Furthermore, it enhances employees’ productivity, increases efficiency, and fosters long-term profitability.
With fewer issues, disparities, and mistakes to address, organizations can concentrate on strategic objectives, meet employee requirements, and contribute value to the business.
Now that we know the benefits of enabling SWI let’s move to how you can implement SWI and make everyone’s job easier in the workstation.
First, start by selecting the process requiring standardized work instructions to be defined. This could be a specific task or operation within a larger workflow. Gather all the relevant materials and resources that are available for the process. This may include existing documents, procedures, and any other reference materials. Go to the actual place where the work is performed, known as the “service sites.” Being physically present at the work site provides valuable insights and firsthand observations. Assess the existing work instructions, if any, for the selected process. Some processes may already have well-defined instructions, while others may lack clear guidelines.
That holds very true. In one of the research studies conducted in the press industry, they specifically selected the area, recorded the necessary information, and then proceeded with the implementation. The results that came out after implementing standardized work instruction made a 60-minute task to be done in just 10 minutes, reducing 50 minutes in the cycle. Amazing, isn’t it?
While it is important to provide technical details in work instructions, many documents tend to include too much information. Not everyone needs to know every single detail, as our brains tend to ignore information that it considers unnecessary. Therefore, when creating operating procedures and work instructions, it’s best to take a selective approach and avoid including excessively technical details that may not be relevant to everyone. By doing so, you can make the instructions easier to read and understand for all employees.
In lean manufacturing or any other industry, simplicity and efficiency are often closely linked, which is one of the most important elements of effective work instructions This means that documents should be kept concise and free of unnecessary information that could potentially confuse or mislead the user. To achieve this, it is important to create a minimalist and uncluttered structure that includes only the essential instructions and references needed for the manufacturing, production, or operational stage. By doing so, you can reduce the risk of errors and ensure that the document is easy to understand and follow.
Companies need to rely on practical and reliable support tools that are easy to update. The goal is to reduce or even eliminate errors and malfunctions that can occur when team members use outdated documents. It’s no secret that the old-fashioned paper format is no longer adequate for meeting these requirements. Adopting a paperless or dematerialized approach to creating work instructions aligns with the same logic that characterizes the 4.0 industry. By embracing digital work instructions software, manufacturers can revolutionize their operations and empower frontline workers with the necessary tools for success. This approach offers several benefits, including reducing the risk of errors and inconsistencies, improving accessibility and ease of use, and enhancing security.
Another point to focus on is that if you think you are using tools like Sheets and record trackers, that does not necessarily mean that it will increase your employees’ productivity and everything will be on track. No, not necessarily. For that reason, Standardized Work Sheets (SWS) are also necessary. They are especially curated for your company’s needs and can help you effectively optimize your services.
When crafting work instructions, it’s crucial to consider who will be using them. By empathizing with the users and considering their experiences and feedback, you can create a document that truly reflects their needs and the realities of their work. It’s not just about putting yourself in their shoes but also about collaborating with them throughout the development process to ensure the instructions are as helpful and accurate as possible.
It’s important for employees to have access to the information they need when they need it. When creating work instructions, consider how best to distribute them to users early on. This might involve providing offline access, displaying instructions on a machine’s screen, using a QR code, or leveraging NFC technology. It’s also important to ensure that employees performing a task for the first time can access step-by-step instructions at the location where the task will be performed.
Simply knowing what an operation entails may not be sufficient to comprehend the intricacies of the task, particularly in complex cases. To gain a complete understanding of the context, users need to begin with a comprehensive grasp of the situation. Well-designed instructions play a critical role in the training process, enabling employees to fully immerse themselves in their work environment. It is important to integrate your instructions into your organization’s internal L&D programs, including LMS, E-learning, MOOCs, and face-to-face training.
If you want to learn more about it, taking tips from McDonald’s can be a handy solution for you. They are renowned for their Standardized Training Programs, particularly their employees who work at their restaurants. From training their employees in various tasks, such as food preparation and customer service, to safety protocols, following Standard Work Instructions is completely incomplete without embedding your instructions into your L & D Programs.
Establishing a continuous improvement process is essential. Encourage your employees to provide feedback, ask questions, and offer suggestions for improvement. Experienced users can contribute valuable insights regarding existing operating procedures. Regularly monitor the feedback you receive to ensure that your instructions are continuously updated and improved.
Work instructions play a critical role in ensuring the highest quality of products while reducing the risk of incidents and human error. Adopting a Digital Work Instructions Solution can take this a step further by creating highly engaging and interactive work instructions that can enhance frontline workers’ understanding of the task at hand.
Plutomen Workflow is a Digital Work Instructions solution that can help lean manufacturers standardize their work by creating, updating, and distributing effective work instructions. Here are the key features and benefits of this user-friendly work instructions software:
So lean on Standardized Work Instructions and be the lean company today.
Streamline your operations, maximize productivity, and achieve new levels of excellence With Plutomen Workflow.
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Chirag brings with him 15+ Years of experience in Digital Transformation, and IT Leadership. At Plutomen, he holds deep experience in business with a track record of customer-centric approaches helping them build business transformation.
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