Implementing Standardized Work in a Manufacturing Company

When it comes to implementing standardized work in a manufacturing company, the benefits of using this method are quite clear. It creates a sense of consistency both in the manufacturing process as well as creating the same end result time and time again.

A manufacturing company can certainly make full use of the standardized work approach, which will ultimately lead to profits being boosted at the end of the day. However, knowing how to implement it will also throw up a number of issues that have to be fully addressed.

Introducing the Concept of Standardized Work in the Company

The first stage of implementing it is to introduce the concept of standardized work within the company itself. It has to be stressed that these concepts can be applied not only in the manufacturing process but also in the design, admin, and any other part of the business that ultimately plays a role in the end result.

Standardized work is where a set of guidelines are put into place that details how something should progress within the company. This can be applied to various processes both big and small to ensure that everyone involved in that process knows what is going on and what should happen next. Making people aware of the changes that are coming will make sure that they are alert.

Understanding the Flow of Processes

You cannot implement this standardized work approach if you do not have a full grasp of the processes that occur within the company or their flow. In other words, you must be aware of the things that you can standardize and where it will be of benefit to the company before you start to make changes.

You must also be aware of where the improvements will be made and the knock-on effect it may have elsewhere, as this can also determine where else you may need to introduce this framework.

Create the Guidelines

You must create the guidelines and make sure that they can be followed without any problems. There is no reason to introduce this concept to your business plan if you assess your situation and have no apparent mistakes in your current protocols. However, this is a rarity in most cases.

The guidelines need to be easy to implement for every single step of the process being addressed; this should never be rushed or taken for granted.

Educate the Staff

This is the biggest step when trying to implement standardized work approaches within a manufacturing company or any company for that matter. Educating the staff and providing them with the correct training makes a huge difference, as it also presents the company with an opportunity to address any concerns or deal with any questions that may arise.

Applying this new approach is one thing, but putting it on the shoulders of your employees is going to make them irritated, confused, and a whole host of other emotions or feelings. Increased stressed levels don’t increase worker productivity — it has to be a team effort between employer and employee. Train them to understand every part of what is required of them.

Observe for Some Time

If the correct approach has been taken, then there should be few problems along the way, but it can be important to also consider observing the new approach for some time to see if any alterations should be made. This is where feedback from others will be important, with willingness to make changes and not to simply stick to the guidelines.

Remember, this should work for you and make tasks substantially easier.

Conclusion

Perhaps the key thing to remember in all of this is that you need to take your time in creating the guidelines and making certain that they will benefit the manufacturing company. Having the correct staff to implement the changes, as well as the equipment, and then educating everyone accordingly will make a significant difference and improve the chances of this standardized work approach being a resounding success.