STANDARDIZATION OF TASKS - Henry Ford Health System

LEAN Training 2010 

STANDARDIZATION OF TASKS 

Anjna Gandhi, MT (ASCP) 

QA Education Coordinator 

Henry Ford Production System

Learning Objectives 

Objectives 


2010 

At the conclusion of this session, the participants will be 

able to: 

 

 

 

 

 

Understand what are Standards, Standardization and Standard Work and 

their importance in forming the foundation of Lean 

How we can standardize any work process and maintain it in our 

work environment? 

Benefits of Standardization and Standard Work 

Demonstrate via video: 

‣ How and where variation exists in performing tasks 

‣ Identify and eliminate the variation by performing tasks the 

most efficient way 

‣ Establish best practices or the most efficient way of 

performing tasks 

Understand that standard work secures improvement and is a neverending 

process………. 

Henry Henry Ford Ford Production System

PRINCIPLE 6: Standardization 

PRINCIPLE 6: Standardization 


Standardization of tasks 

is the foundation for continuous improvements 

& employee empowerment 

“Today’s standardization, 

instead of being a barricade against improvement, is the necessary 

foundation on which tomorrow’s improvement will be based. 

-Henry Ford 


What is a Standard? 

What is a Standard? 

A standard is a rule or example that 

provides clear expectations 


Identify, set and improve standards 

Baseline for all improvement activities 

Specific and scientific-based 

Standards must be adhered to, 

documented and communicated 

Poor communication of standards 


What is Standardization? 

What is Standardization? 

Standardization is the practice of setting, 

communicating, following and improving standards 


Promotes consistency 

You define the process so that everyone knows what it is and can 

follow it 

Everyone must practice the standards consistently before 

standardization truly exists 

“Standardization is something that all of us take for granted” 

- W. Edwards Deming (Out of the Crisis) 


What is Standard Work? 

What is Standard Work? 

The current one best way to safely complete an activity 

with the proper outcome and the highest quality 


Agreed-upon set of work procedures 

Each step in the process should be defined 

and must be performed repeatedly in the 

same manner 

Removes variability; enemy of quality 

improvement 

Maximize performance while minimizing 

waste; requiring costly rework or scrap 


Improvement of Operations for 

Standard Work 


Improvements in standard work can be focused on 

many aspects of production or service operations: 

Flow of materials or patients 

Shifting from specialization to 

multi-skilled workers 

Improvement in motion 

Establishing rules of operation 

Prevention of defects 


How To Standardize Work? 

How To Standardize Work? 

Define the task and the details of the 

task (CONTENT) 


What order do the tasks happen? 

(SEQUENCE) 

How long does it take to process? 

(TIMING) 

Where are the tasks taking place? 

(LOCATION) 

What result is clearly expected? 

(OUTCOME) 


Steps for Creating Standard Work 

Steps for Creating Standard Work 

1. Identify the work process the team seeks to improve 

 

 

 

Select the output for which you want to define a work standard 

Gather information about the metrics used to measure this output 

Gather group’s current performance on each metric 


2. Document customer requirements 

3. Verify that the output merits a work process standard 

 

Use the customers' key requirements to detect unwanted output features 

and uncover ways to incorporate wanted features. 

4. Build a description of the target standard work process 

 

 

 

Create a process overview using information from all the performers of the 

work process 

Be sure to involve representatives from all interfacing work processes 

Obtain approval of all the team members that interface with the work 

process 


Steps for Creating Standard Work: 

5. Document the various ways the work is performed 

 

Map the different ways the team members accomplish the work to produce 

the same output 


6. Evaluate the variations in the process 

 

 

All team members perform the evaluation 

Establish two criteria for decision-making: 

The selected work standard must define a procedure that 

accomplishes the purpose of the work process, and 

The selected work standard must minimize waste 

7. Establish the selected best practice as the work standard 

 

 

Using the results of the evaluation, have team members decide on a work 

process map to identify their customers/ suppliers 

Work with the team lead to determine when the work standard will be 

implemented, how the team members will be prepared to use the standard 

successfully, and how compliance with the standard 

will be supported 


Steps for Creating Standard Work: 

8. Document metrics and a method of measurement for each 

 

Your metrics should calibrate how well the process and output satisfy customer 

requirements and operate with maximum efficiency 


9. Make performance information transparent to all 

 

 

Find ways to visually represent how the work process should be performed and 

how much and how well the work process is operating against its metrics 

Every participant in the process is expected to track its success and use this 

information to stimulate his or her thinking about how it could 

operate even better 


Spiral of Improvement in Standardization 

Spiral of Improvement in Standardization 


2. 

Creating standard 

operations 

(setting higher standards 

for operations) 

3. 

Making operations 

transparent 

(understanding current 

operations) 

LEAN 

FACTORY 

REVOLUTION 

1. 

Finding problems and 

making improvements 

4. 

Flushing out further 

problems 

(setting a cycle 

time standard) 


Managerial Support 

Managerial Support 

Support teamwork and ownership of the process 

by every operator 


Reward operators who make improvements 

Allow (don’t punish) mistakes and encourage 

experimentation 

Create a system for capturing and implementing 

employee suggestions 

Offer training to every operator on improvement 

methods 


Guidelines for maintaining Standard Work 

Guidelines for maintaining Standard Work 

 

Establish standard operations 

 

Make sure everyone understands the 

importance of standard operations 


 

 

 

 

Post visual displays to remind everyone of the 

importance of adhering to the standards 

Post graphic and text descriptions of the 

standard operations so that workers can 

compare their work and refer to the standards 

at all times 

Hold leaders responsible for maintaining 

standard work. Conduct audits of adherence 

to standard work 

Systematically pursue the establishment of a 

new, higher lever of standard work 

Good communication of standards 


Benefits of Standardization and 

Standard Work 


For the Company: 

 

 

Reduced variability, reduced waste, and 

reduced costs 

Improved quality and shorter, more 

predictable lead times 

For the Operator: 

 

 

 

Easier to learn new operations 

Easier to shift to different operations within a cell 

or operations in other cells or work areas 

Easier to see problems and contribute 

improvement ideas 



Henry Ford Production System 

Q & A

Video Presentations 

Video Presentations 

Video Observation: 

“Cutting and Embedding Tissue Process in the Histology Laboratory” 


‣ While watching the video, identify the variations in the process 

‣ As a group, we will discuss our findings 

‣ Observe a side-by-side recap of each step demonstrating the 

variations between the workers – creating some type of waste 

‣ As a group, standardize the process to ONE best way 


Cutting and Embedding Tissue Process 

in in the Histology Laboratory 


Step 1: 

Fill water bath with water. 

Step 2: 

Create labels for specimen. 

Place blocks on ice (only one case at a time). 

Label slides. 

Step 3: 

Trim blocks/case and place on ice (trimming the block before putting it 

on ice can help water penetrate and soften hard tissue). 

Spray to soften tissue. 

Step 4: 

Cut sections and place in water bath. 

Step 5: 

Place specimen sections on respective slides. 

Step 6: 

Clean water bath. 


Take Home Lessons 

 

Standards, standardization and standard work 

are not only the result of initial improvement, 

they also drive continual improvement 


 

 

 

Standard work functions as a diagnostic tool, 

exposing problems and inspiring continuous 

improvement 

Standardization is not only adherence to 

standards but also the continual creation of new 

and better standards 

As the standard is improved, the new standard 

becomes the baseline for further improvements, 

and so on……. 

Standard Work is a NEVER-ENDING process…. 

Subject to PDCA 


Q & A 


References 

Standard work for the Shopfloor/ Created by the Productivity Press Development Team, 2002

STANDARDIZATION OF TASKS - Henry Ford Health System

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