Revisiting Standardized Work

The manufacturing industry is constantly evolving, and one of the most significant developments in recent years is the adoption of Industry 4.0. This approach involves automating manufacturing processes to achieve unprecedented levels of productivity and quality control that are unattainable by human hands. While automation appears to offer an attractive alternative to human workers, it is essential to acknowledge the drawbacks of machines on the factory floor.

Firstly, automation is expensive and inflexible. Capital costs of new equipment are depreciated over several years, and if the demand for products from the automated line decreases, the company will still pay for the machine. On the other hand, people can be redeployed. Secondly, even the best robots do not possess the dexterity and sensory capabilities of humans. Thirdly, reprogramming robots can be an arduous task, especially when there are slight changes in the work. Finally, and perhaps most crucially, humans possess the capacity for continuous improvement, sensing, and creatively solving problems, which robots lack.

While there may be a distant future where automation has a more significant presence on the line, our greatest asset today continues to be people, and standardized work is our most powerful tactic to minimize variability. Currently, almost 80% of the world’s assembly tasks are still performed manually, representing close to half a billion workers worldwide.

Standardized work, which predates lean by over 50 years, involves defining the steps, order, and timing of a given task to control variability. In the early days, it was viewed as the responsibility of engineers who defined the work, while managers commanded and controlled the workers who were expected to follow it without deviation. However, Toyota redefined the way standardized work was used, empowering line associates and supervisors closest to the work to use standardized work as the basis for improvement.

Under this philosophy, standardized work becomes more than a mere document and is brought to life by thinking individuals who notice deviations from the standard and take swift countermeasures. The benefits of Industry 4.0 technologies are not intended to replace people but to provide real-time information that amplifies the power of human creativity to solve problems and continuously improve. This approach creates an environment where people and machines work collaboratively to achieve the highest levels of efficiency and quality.

Enhancing Standardized Work with AI

As the manufacturing industry moves towards the Industry 4.0 vision, the debate on whether to replace human workers with machines continues. While automation offers the promise of increased productivity and quality control, it neglects the qualities that make human workers invaluable. The same attributes that create variability in assembly processes also make human workers adaptable to change, a crucial advantage in times of uncertainty where an organization’s success is tied to its ability to adapt.

Rather than trying to eliminate human workers from the factory floor, manufacturers can benefit from investing in technology that helps them perform to their highest capability. This approach allows manufacturers to automate what they can and augment what they can’t, providing a technological boost that supports their workforce. Manufacturers who adopt this mindset can reap greater gains in productivity and quality than those who seek technology solely for automation purposes.

Standardized work, a fundamental principle for manufacturing efficiency, is an area that deserves a technological boost in the era of Industry 4.0 and beyond. This guidebook will explore the evolution of standardized work and what the concept really means. It will also delve into how AI and computer vision from Assembly Copilot can extend the impact of standardized work, and recommend ways for manufacturers to layer Assembly Copilot on top of standardized work to drive continuous improvement, while keeping workers at the center of the equation. By embracing the role of people in manufacturing and augmenting their abilities with technology, manufacturers can achieve greater success and maintain their competitive edge.

The Development of Standardized Work as a Crucial Manufacturing Principle

Standardized work is a fundamental principle of lean manufacturing that has been in practice for more than a century. The concept predates the Toyota Production System (TPS) by more than 50 years and originated from the work of Frederick Winslow Taylor, a mechanical engineer who published The Principles of Scientific Management in 1911. This publication applied the scientific method to business problems and introduced the idea of creating controls and changing only a select few variables to check the results instead of randomly applying changes.

Taylor’s approach to standardized work was based on the belief that there is only one “right way” to perform a task, and once that way was discovered, others could be trained on how to accomplish the prescribed steps and achieve perfection. However, this concept was flawed as it did not consider the idea of continuous improvement.

Henry Ford, on the other hand, recognized the importance of continuous improvement and the fluidity of standardized work. He implemented standardized work on a grand scale when he created his assembly line for the Model T, which was the first modern mass production system. Ford’s vision was to increase the volume of production while maintaining costs that would allow for the Model T to be affordable to the average family.

Taiichi Ohno, the father of the Toyota Production System (TPS), built on Ford’s early ideas and developed TPS as an all-encompassing system that envisions the successful manufacturing organization as a house with certain systems as its pillars, all of which sit atop the foundation of standardized work. Ohno and others understood that while there might be a “golden way” to complete a task, the process of continuous improvement was ongoing, and therefore that golden way could change.

James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, and Daniel Roos introduced lean manufacturing in their book, Lean Thinking, in 1996. This book revolutionized the manufacturing industry by introducing the concept of lean production, which aims to minimize waste and maximize value for the customer.

Today, standardized work remains a cornerstone of lean manufacturing and is rooted in finding the best way to perform a task and unifying that process across assembly operations. Despite significant evolution over the past century, the importance of standardized work and its role in achieving continuous improvement in manufacturing operations remain as relevant as ever.

Worker Should Be the Source of Standardized Work

The concept of standardized work did not originate from an office or a design lab, but rather from the observation of workers on the factory floor by mechanical engineer Frederick Taylor. As the importance of standardized work grew with the popularity of TPS and lean manufacturing, the idea that it should come from the worker became central.

According to TPS, the workers who are doing the job are the experts and can help to guide the development of standardized work. It’s important to understand that there are often multiple ways to complete a task, and the aim of standardized work is to drive continuous improvement by making the process better over time.

However, it’s essential to note that standardized work alone does not lead to continuous improvement. It establishes a foundation by setting a baseline of cycle and action durations and sequences, and ensuring consistency across stations and line associates. But without monitoring, tracking, and analyzing the work being performed, no progress can be made. The key is to collect data on the work being done and utilize it to continually improve the assembly process.

The Future of Standardized Work in Light of AI

In order to achieve higher levels of lean maturity, manufacturers must continuously improve their assembly processes by using new technologies like Retrocausal. Whether they apply lean methodologies strictly or use a mix of improvement techniques to enhance productivity and quality, the next evolution of standardized work in manufacturing requires modern tools and approaches.

Traditionally, data on manual assembly lines have been collected manually using a stopwatch and a notebook, which is inefficient, limited, and subject to human bias and cognitive limitations. This approach cannot scale up with the growing complexity of modern manufacturing processes. It is crucial to find more effective ways to measure work and assess adherence to standardized work in order to sustain and improve it.

Retrocausal is an innovative technology that automates the collection of data on assembly lines and provides actionable insights through intuitive reports and dashboards. By using Industry 4.0 and other advanced techniques, Retrocausal aims to solve a long-standing problem and take standardized work to the next level.

Work Instructions Versus Standardized Work

Work instructions and standardized work are related concepts, but they are not the same. Work instructions typically refer to step-by-step instructions provided to a worker to complete a specific task. They often include specific details such as tools to be used, torque specifications, and quality requirements.

On the other hand, standardized work refers to the process of creating a consistent and repeatable process for completing a task. It involves breaking down a task into individual steps and determining the most efficient way to complete each step. Standardized work is meant to ensure consistency in the way tasks are completed, making it easier to identify and address issues and inefficiencies.

In automotive assembly, work instructions may be used to guide a worker in the installation of a specific component, such as a door panel. The work instruction would outline the steps required to properly align the panel, install any necessary hardware, and ensure a quality fit and finish.

Standardized work, on the other hand, would involve determining the most efficient way to install the door panel across all stations in the assembly line. This might involve identifying the best sequence of steps, the optimal tools and equipment to use, and the proper ergonomics and posture for the worker performing the task.

By implementing standardized work, the automotive manufacturer can ensure that the process for installing the door panel is consistent across all stations, making it easier to identify and address any issues or inefficiencies in the process. Work instructions may be used to supplement standardized work by providing additional details or clarifying specific steps, but they do not replace the need for standardized work.