Task Standard Work

Posted on January 24, 2010 by Vivek Naik

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This is a simple tool that we used initially for the purpose of documenting sustaining the processes we had setup. It can also be used for aligning processes to the top level strategy of the company.

Most organizations will have following basic processes:

Operations
Supply
Management
Customer Relation
Product Development

These are any processes which have to be done routinely to sustain the business.They may each have several tasks done by different people. For example :

Process : Operations

Tasks :

Shipping
Production Planing
Maintenance

The purpose of the Task Standard work is to standardize the various routine routine tasks required to sustain the processes which run the business

Here is an example showing the TASK STANDARD WORK of the SHIPPING Task:

These actions on the Task standard work will be transferred to each persons Leader Standard Work. Thus any changes made to sustain a task can be integrated each persons day to day work. This also provides the work content of each task and if you have total work content of all the processes recorded then it will help you identify minimum number people required to sustain the organisation.

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Lean Management – Driving force of Lean Transformation

Posted on November 15, 2009 by Vivek Naik

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How many times have you successfully implemented change using lean tools only to realize, after few weeks or months, that the manager and other people have either reverted back to the old methods or have found ways to circumvent the newly established methods.

We learned the hard way that lean transformation cannot be supported and sustained with traditional management system

Most of the times traditional management is results driven and may not focus on the process. Thus there is no inherent motivation for the manager to improve the process. Also when lean tools are applied this type of management does not provide a sustainable system to integrate, improve and sustain changes with daily feedback to realign to solve problems as they arise.

The “Lean Management” provides the framework to drive the lean culture. As identified by David Mann in his book “Creating Lean Culture“, there are 4 elements that makeup the Lean Management:

1. Leader Standard Work

2. Daily Accountability

3. Visual Controls

4. Discipline

Leader Standard Work sustains the systems integrates the changes made during the transformation process. Visual Control and Daily Accountability helps keep the process and people aligned to solve problems as they arise. The Discipline of the leader ensures that standard work is followed and the whole system works coherently.

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Leader Standard work – A bite a day keeps audit away!

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Vivek Naik

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I was reading “Audit Vs. leader Standard Work” by Mark Rosenthal and I suddenly realized what potential we have created at our work place.

Over the course of the year we have grown very fond of the audits. Especially for 5S and we are developing audits for maintaining other lean management systems put in place. So far they worked fine and actually helped us to stay on track and also creating in culture of continuous improvement. So you may be wondering why that is bad?

As Mark explains Audits are snapshot and often people will try to fool the system to be good for the audit but bad on other days when there is no audit. Now I wondered why it was not realized at our place?

The reason for this was simple , we had unknowingly incorporated that in our Gemba Walks. This ensured continuous followup of all the set systems on daily basis. This was an important move, addressing to issues as we walk through the workstation was part of our Leader Standard Work (LSW). This kept the systems in check on day to day basis, for example an operator was informed about parts without any designated place immediately when it was seen rather then waiting to conduct the audit.

This has inspired me to think of new system where in we will no longer need audits as we will do bit of checking everyday by enabling it through LSW of responsible people.

Some things which helps to achieve this goal :

1. Try to break down big monthly tasks into smaller weekly tasks , similarly weekly to daily tasks.

2. Use knowledge gained from issues of shop floor modify LSW to fit systems put in place to avoid these issue in future

3. Even if you have to use audits initially , make them stricter , raise the bar up as people start getting better

4. be disciplined to resolve issues immediately rather than waiting for the next formal audit

I am hoping to learn more by looking at audits and leader Standard work from this Perspective and ultimately be able to stay away from audits by taking a bite a day using the Leader Standard work.

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5S- The Foundation of Lean Manufacturing

Posted on October 25, 2009 by Vivek Naik

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5S is often misunderstood as just a mere housekeeping tool. Impact of having a successful 5S system is more profound than just keeping the place clean.

5S is the starting point of any lean transformation and forms a catalyst for culture of change. Due to the very visible results it makes the process of buy-in easy for both the shopfloor personnel and Management.

some of the key points why 5s forms the foundation of lean manufacturing is as follows:

Standardisation of process provide a stable base for incremental improvement
Visible results helps boost morale of the people who then take pride working in this area
Is an enabler of Continuous Improvement culture
Prepares the workplace and people for implementing other Lean tools like TPM, SMED etc.

5S implementation may sound easy but in reality it may be very complex and even more complex is how to sustain it. Not being able to sustain 5S is one of the biggest reason for failure any lean implementation project. Properly sustained 5s program helps continuously improve the workplace and shows managements commitment to the whole change process. Leader Standard Work is one of the way to sustain 5S and new control measures developed by implementing 5S.

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How to write Elevator Speech

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Vivek Naik

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I want to share a simple way of writing Elevator speech which I learened while attending one of the seminars conducted by Tom Pryor at TMAC. I always had a difficulty in writing one, which really caught peoples attention. After searching for great examples of elevator speeches on google, I was still clueless till I found this method.

Let us understand the anatomy of any Elevator speech. Basically there are 3 parts for an Elevator Speech:

1. Grabbing attention by explaining whose problem you are trying to solve and will usually begin with :

“Do you know how difficult it is for CNC Machinists replace parts of their old machines?”

2. Explaining what you do to solve the problem and will usually look something like this:

” We provide OEM quality replacement parts for wide variety of CNC Machines at half the price”

3. Then you must give them the reason to believe , why they should come to you solve their problem. this will usually look somewhat like this:

” So that you can double the life of your machines at half the cost”

Now putting it all together:

“Do you know how difficult it is for CNC Machinists replace parts of their old machines?

We provide OEM quality replacement parts for wide variety of CNC Machines at half the price so that you can double the life of your machines at half the cost. ”

This is as simple as it can get but still if you need inspiration to write your own here is a link to some generic Elevator speech examples – Elevator Speech Examples

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A Lens to View the Transformation – Shingo Prize Model

Posted on August 6, 2009 by Vivek Naik

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Often we need to see something of interest from differnt perspectives to get comprehensive understanding. The tools that allow us to see thing with different prespective is called a “Lens”. This is very essential for a change agent involved in Transformation of a business.

Shingo Prize model offeres an excellent lens to view the transformation process. Let us first use typical Project management method as a lens. Using this you will view the transformation as different phases of the project mamngement:

Initiation
Planing
Execution and control
Closing

This will suffice if was just project management, but lean transformation goes beyond that. At strategic level we need to understand whether we have created a system which will be sustained with proper enablers in place. What most people don’t uderstand is that lean cannot be sustained if applied locally using few tools. It is has to be complete transformation of the entire system, the processes as well as the management system. Shingo prize model helps to identify what needs to be in place to strat this transformation (the cultural enablers) and then how the collective learning and implementaions of tools though out the system achive the goal of lean transformation, that is profitable business. Here are the phases of lean transformation as per Shingo Prize Model:

Cultural Enablers
Continuous Process Improvement
Consistent Lean Enterprise Culture
Business Results

If you are change agent trying to transform a business and have been wondering if you are on right track, step back look at the process using this lens.

You can read more about this at MissionModel

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Realigning

Posted on May 17, 2009 by Vivek Naik

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As we organize our shop floor and start identifying issues that interrupt the flow of products, we will need to be very organized to efficiently solve them. As I had mentioned in my previous post Scientific Thinking is very much required. But now what is a more significant issue ,which most of us had realized , is that we have lot of issues to solve and very little time.

We will not be able to change this condition overnight but it will require our faith in the system that we will design to manage Problem Solving. From now until the time we have an efficient system in place, we will have to take the leap of faith and deal with all the uncertainties and failures. The key is not knowing everything but being persistent in our efforts.

Now how to deal with the issue of Problem solving with minimal resources available:

1. Break Issues into sizable chunks which are easy to deal with.

Depending upon the complexity and duration required issues can be broken down. For the sake of simplicity let us say we have problems which can be solved in 30 days and problems that take more than 30 days. All the less than 30 day issues will be put on an Accountability board using Post It notes and all the more than 30 days issues will be using the A3 wall.

2. Categorize the issues and tasks so clear responsibility and accountability can be assigned

Tasks can be categorized, for example into following categories : 1. Mechanical Engineering; 2. Industrial Engineering; 3. Operations Management; 4. Project Management; 5. Production Coordination; 6. Inventory Management; 7. HR Management; 8. Facilities Management.
Each category will have only one person responsible and accountable for it.

3. Use visual tools to manage the workload per person

At the workstation level we have an action Item List which shows how many tasks are assigned to the operator.
For management we will have an accountability board which will assign tasks per person over the span of 30 days. It will show the daily workload for improvement tasks.
The other management tool would be an A3 wall which will be used to display tasks per person in each value stream. No more than 3 A3s will be assigned per person and all the pending A3 will be in queue in a space provided below the Active A3 area.

4. Divide everyone’s daily schedule and assign time for routine tasks and improvement projects

Each and every person in the management needs to identify their role in maintaining the current system to run our operations. This involves a series of routine tasks which will be standardized and made part of the Leader Standard Work. Tools like the Gemba walk is one example which has been standardized by the use of standard 10 questions (will discuss this in detail in another post). Other tools like check lists can also be used. Also a certain portion of daily work Would be devoted for improvement projects or tasks which are listed on the accountability board or the A3 wall.
This is the most important management piece which will help us sustain and improve. As we are disciplined to follow Leader Standard Work and persistent to find and solve problems only then will we be able to sustain the system. If we do not question every action, do not check if people are following standard work or not, then over a period of time things will again get out of control.

5. Design simple tools which can be used to decentralize the solving of recurring issues

More people equipped with ability to solve problems provides for a lesser workload on management. To make this possible the problem solution should be simplified by the use of templates, forms or diagrams which take the people involved in solving through identification, root cause analysis, containment of existing defective parts/ or immediate fix, and finding a permanent solution to avoid any future occurrence and finally incorporate the solution into the standard work.

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The First Wave of Change

Posted on May 17, 2009 by Vivek Naik

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It has been very beneficial to organize the plant using 5S. The basic goal of this program was to achieve stability and standardization. We used tools like 5S and Standard Work and educated ourselves as how they form the foundation for any Improvement in the future.

The System that was setup, not only identify and eliminate waste to some extent but also helped boost employee morale. This was a very significant development for our organisation during this time of economic downturn. Now all our efforts would be focused to sustain what we have achieved and continuously improve.

As our next step we wanted to be sure that we are equipped and ready to support our operations without being overburdened or have too much variations. This leads us to “Leader Standard work”, by which we will standardize our routine daily work elements and ensure all the managers have scheduled time to work on improvement of their key result areas.

Also we understood the need to learn and actively use the process of Scientific thinking while solving problems. What is Scientific Thinking? We should never wait for that perfect plan to take action on any issue, but should use the natural learning cycle in collaboration with others to plan, do, act, and check. Our understanding and persistent use of this technique will align all the process owners on the shop floor to use this method and scientifically solve their problems.

I will briefly Introduce how we could use scientific thinking using tools “Catchball” and “A3 Thinking”

Catchball:

“Catchball is a method of idea generation and sharing that mimics a child playing catch with a parent. The key principle behind the method is respect for the ideas and abilities of others. The ‘need,’ a proposed vision or direction, is expressed by the leader, and the subordinate responds with an interpretation of what that direction will mean within the subordinate‘s realm of responsibility. The leader then reviews the response with humility, open to proposals or ideas previously not considered by the leader. As the ball (idea) is passed back and forth, new ideas emerge, as do consensus on the right course of action. This process exemplifies the principle-based thinking that is a hallmark of excellence.” – from “Guideline for Shingo Prize Model”

A3 Thinking:

“Decentralized planning and execution are facilitated by carefully crafted single-page reports that become working discussion documents. A3 is a size of paper (approximately 11-inch by 17-inch). An A3 report may be a proposal, a plan, a status report, or the final documentation for archival and sharing. The format uses scientific thinking, but is flexible enough to accommodate unique issues and a variety of uses. A3 design guidelines include:

• Less is more,

• A picture is worth a thousand words (e.g., charts),

• Visual clarity and 5S are maintained, and

• Functionality outweighs beauty (i.e., A3s often get passed back and forth — catchball — with multiple erasures and revisions; use a pencil).

The A3 tells a compelling story then directs resources and action through action-oriented communication. A3 thinking also supports 15-minute standing meetings that get to the point and focus on results.” – from “Getting Right things done- Pascal Dennis”

We have just begun the real journey of Lean transformation now, after our restructuring of the shop floor. We have not improved or completely eliminated all the waste, that was not the purpose of this phase, but we provided ourselves the means to identify these problems. The next part of the journey will involve very subtle change. It will not be physical change of the equipment or layout but change in our mental process. We have to figure out how we are going to support and improve and sustain the lean initiative on day to day basis and be a profitable business.

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Keeping it Balanced

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Vivek Naik

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Organization’s internal processes transformation is dependent on the resources available, but market does not wait for you . Things change so fast that most organizations are not able to keep up. Already there has been a major shift as per various studies which suggests that major contribution towards GDP has changed from manufacturing to service industries.
Having an edge over competitors by use of tools like Lean and Six Sigma alone is not enough. This was the success criteria for the industrial age , but in the information age the limits are pushed even further. Time to market for products are reduced, product customization is a requirement, customer experience play very important role in differentiating your brand.
The new era demands innovations not only in the internal processes and product but at also at product delivery, customer experience, and how the value is created by the product or service.

The traditional performance measurement for the organization is dependent solely on financial measures. There is no evidence how to relate Intangible assets like motivated workforce, well managed internal processes , superior quality and customer relations to your tangible financial measures. Now the question is why we need to do that?
Only motivated people will help sustain internal process which generate quality products or services which in turn lead happy customers and thus more sales and financial growth. How do we keep check on all these aspects and still be fast to react to outside changes and realign measures in all these aspects.

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Starting to roll the wheel of Change

Posted on July 13, 2008 by Vivek Naik

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The recent recession paranoia followed by some of the highest price increases of raw materials served as the burning platform, accelerating the process of change
Identifying your highest cost center and selecting the projects which aligned to reducing those have greatly proved to show how we can reduce our cost and still maintain the profit margin despite the price increase. This is a good motivator, to tell each person how their efforts are contributing to the companies success. The intangible benefit of this is now you have highly motivated people who know exactly what to do thus starting to roll that wheel of change in the right direction.
Now you will think its all that easy you will get everything done, but you have very limited number of managers and so many projects. how to overcome this challenge?
This is about realizing how you can distribute right type of work to right type of people. Any organization has lots of challenges to be resolved. If you look at those challenges in more detail, they can be classified as one requiring very high level thinking and are very complex; second requiring mid level thinking and are some where in mid range of complexity, and third are simple challenges which may not necessarily require complex thinking .I think may be they can also be classified as:

1. Strategic level

2. Tactical level

3. Operational level
you will realise that there are very few challenges of the first type, some of the second type and lots of the third type. Thus it is critical to get the wheel rolling in the third kind without causing burden to your managers. A3 Storyboards is a good way to do this, where all the operators take control of all the small projects specific to their cell. Now there multiple projects running simultaneously without significantly burdening the managers, another advantage is now the operators own the change thus there is less resistance. The biggest advantage of this is the synergistic effect sets the wheel of change spinning in top gear.

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My Lean Transformation Blog

A journey transforming people and proceses at a small manufacturing company!

Category Archives: Management

Task Standard Work

Lean Management – Driving force of Lean Transformation

Leader Standard work – A bite a day keeps audit away!

5S- The Foundation of Lean Manufacturing

How to write Elevator Speech

A Lens to View the Transformation – Shingo Prize Model

Realigning

The First Wave of Change

Keeping it Balanced

Starting to roll the wheel of Change