Standard Work

Glossary for (Japanese) Continuous Improvement Language

Standard Work (According to Shingijutsu)

Looking at the operations on manufacturing floor, you see operators picking up materials, putting them down, stacking them or searching for them.
These motions add no value, in other words, they are wasted (MUDA).

To “work” means “to change the shapes of the materials into finished products by adding value to the materials”.

Non-value added motion should be eliminated because it creates MUDA. This can be done by KAIZEN. Eliminate MUDA through doing KAIZEN activities so that only the meaningful or value-added operations are left for operators to perform.

Standard Work is the basis to the synchronization of all the processes as a whole.

Standard Work starts from the separation of “human work” and “machine work”. Then make human work into “full man” work.

It is the practice to make good quality products safely at the lowest possible cost. Standard Work, therefore, is the starting point of KAIZEN. Where there is no Standard Work, there is no KAIZEN. Standard Work changes according to KAIZEN or requirement changes. It needs to be updated all the time.

How to Create Standard Work

Standard Work is the procedure to make good quality products safely at the lowest cost.
The following 3 elements need to be determined to create Standard Work.

•Takt Time(Target time to complete a piece or unit)
•Work Procedure (Operation Sequence)
•Standard Work-In-Process(Minimum stock in hand to repeat operation)

Standard Work prevents overproduction and wasted motions so that good quality products can be produced safely at the lowest possible cost.

© 1996-2021 Arno Koch. Please contact Arno Koch if you want to use content of this site!