Standard work is a critical aspect of any manufacturing process, and it is essential for achieving consistent and efficient production. By establishing a consistent and well-defined method for completing a task, standard work can help to eliminate confusion and errors, which can lead to significant time and cost savings. Additionally, by identifying and eliminating unnecessary steps in the process, standard work can improve productivity and reduce wasted resources. However, standard work is often misunderstood and underutilized in the manufacturing industry. Engineers often mistake just “writing down steps” for standard work, whereas standard work needs to include workstation layout, process flow, takt time, work sequence and standardized tools. It needs to be reviewed, updated, and communicated regularly to ensure it remains relevant and effective. Studies have shown that implementing standard work in manufacturing can lead to significant improvements such as a 15-30% increase in productivity, a 50-70% reduction in defects, and a 20-30% reduction in lead time. These improvements can have a significant impact on the bottom line, both in terms of cost savings and increased revenue from faster turnaround and higher quality products. However, implementing standard work can be a daunting task for manufacturers, especially without the right tools and resources. That’s where our Pathfinder platform comes in. Our platform adds precisely these elements on top of “digital work instructions” and supports standard work by: (1) Allowing engineers to define standard work in a flexible manner, (2) Training operators in following standards, (3) Alerting operators when they deviate from standards, (4) Providing prescriptive analytics comparing actual work vs. standard work, (5) Identifying the root cause of non-standard work as well as providing tools to locate improvements to defined standards, (6) Talking to your existing smart tools and manufacturing execution systems, (7) Supporting operator well-being while doing all of the above! Our platform is incredibly simple to try out. All you need is a Windows laptop and an ordinary webcam, and you can onboard a new assembly or packaging activity on the platform entirely by yourself in a day. This makes it easy for manufacturers to start implementing standard work and reaping the benefits it offers. In conclusion, standard work is an essential tool for achieving and maintaining high quality, efficiency and safety in the manufacturing assembly process. Implementing standard work can lead to significant improvements such as a 15-30% increase in productivity, a 50-70% reduction in defects, and a 20-30% reduction in lead time. However, implementing standard work can be challenging without the right tools and resources. That’s where our Pathfinder platform comes in, it makes it easy for manufacturers to start implementing standard work and reaping the benefits it offers. If you want to give it a try, reach out to us at info@retrocausal.ai and schedule a demo today!