In the pursuit of operational excellence, establishing and implementing consistent standard work at the frontline is crucial. Standards impact everything from operational efficiency, productivity, quality, and to safety and employee morale.
When we talk about frontline standard work, we're referring to the comprehensive set of procedures, practices, and guidelines that define how various tasks and operations should be performed.
It's part of a broader framework that not only includes the specific steps of a task (as prescribed in documentation) but also encompasses the quality, safety, and output standards that should be adhered to in the execution of these tasks.
In many organisations, these standards are ill-defined or lack any documentation. That makes it hard to maintain consistency – and even harder for staff to understand what is expected of them.
Comprehensive documentation, real-time activity monitoring, and continuous improvement of work standards is easy to achieve with simple to use digital Lean tools.
Standard Work: Implementation and Communication
Implementation requires a systematic approach, and TeamAssurance provides the necessary tools and framework to achieve this:
Clear Documentation and Accessibility
One of the first steps in establishing Standard Work is to have clear and accessible documentation. TeamAssurance's real-time platform allows for both easy creation and access to standard operating procedures (SOPs), training materials, process data and more. When we say easy creation, we mean the expert on the process is able to produce the procedure.
This importantly eliminates the need for a full time generalist to get it 'sort of right'. When done this way, it ensures that all employees engage with up-to-date information on how tasks should be performed. Of course one central tenet (and paradox) of any effective Work Standardization process is to provide the user the 'Freedom' to expose any abnormalities in the process as and when they appear. That is where C.I. comes in.
Continuous Compliance and Improvement
Where once stood outdated and ignored Procedures, the TeamAssurance platform turns them back into the tools for Continuous Improvement they were supposed to be. By providing a robust process for raising suggestions that improve the existing standard, whilst allowing governance of these changes, Team Members are continually enabled and encouraged to activate their valuable expertise and human creativity.
Activating this new way of working not only ensures compliance with established standards and certifications but most importantly also uncovers a treasure trove of previously hidden areas for improvement.
Training and Skill Development
Once we have created our Standard Work assets, we now need an easy way for employees to undertake the necessary skills and training to use them – whether as a new starter or an existing Team Member getting up to speed on the latest improvements.
The TeamAssurance platform is designed to manage this very step not as a start/stop event, but as a part of the ongoing Daily Management System for each Front Line Team. This doesn't just put the responsibility for upskilling Team Members in a timely manner back to where it belongs – with the Team. It also ensures activities are coordinated by the Team and communicated well, so that employees experience On-the-Job development in a way that values them and their work contribution.
Well Defined Standard Work is Fundamental to the C.I. Framework
Implementing well-defined standard of work expectations – through visual reports, lessons, goals – is so much harder when using manual processes. Digital tools that support Lean tools like standardised problem solving techniques, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Tiered Daily Management and PDCA loops are key to achieving our continuous improvement objectives.
The diagram below demonstrates how we designed the TeamAssurance platform to avoid locally optimised 'Point Solutions' (digital or analog) that do not help, and often hinder your progress towards implementing well-defined standards of work objectives.
If you're a business in need (or a consultant with clients in need) and you'd like to explore the opportunities that digital-aids to Lean tools provide contact us for a demonstration of the TeamAssurance platform today.
