Standard Work for Lean Experts: Are You a Hypocrite?

 

Hypocrites? I cannot think of a better word. Let me explain.

Many organizations fail to get full results from improvement efforts. To find out why, we must diagnose the root cause using Lean thinking. We will skip common culprits like lack of leadership, poor real-time problem-solving, and missing visual management. I have written about those before. Instead, let us discuss one reason, a critical lack of standard work for improvement project execution.

 Why Standard Work Matters

 Standard work underpins all Lean success and performance gains. Lean tools exist to make waste visible and eliminate it. Concepts like continuous flow, pull, and zero defects are well-documented. They successfully eliminate the seven forms of operational waste.

However, that waste always returns if the remaining work is not standardized.

Standard work represents the safest, easiest, and best-known way to do something. It is a precise recipe. When followed, it leads to the highest quality, shortest lead time, and lowest cost. Standard work brings life to flow, pull, and defect-free operations.

Any credible Lean expert understands this. They can teach these concepts, document processes, and train team members how to hardwire improvement through standard work.

The Core Question for Lean Leaders/Practitioners

When managing an improvement cycle using the scientific method, where is your own standard work?

To get the absolute most out of your improvement process, you must integrate standard work into four specific areas:

• Preparation: Written standards must guide how you prepare for an improvement initiative.

• Execution: Standardized steps must dictate how you run an active improvement project or event.

• Sustainability: Standard processes must be established to lock in and sustain your gains.

• Adherence: The created standard work must actually be followed every single time.

Facing the Mirror

Do you have written standard work for your own lean processes? Do you actually follow it?

If your answer is no, you are being a hypocrite. That hypocrisy is directly costing your organization performance. Poor preparation, weak event execution, and flawed sustainability all lead to sub-optimal results.

Now that you recognize this standard work gap, you can take a direct countermeasure. Stop preaching a tool you do not use yourself. Document your process, build your own recipe, standardize your approach to improvement, and use project result feedback and stakeholder feedback to improvement these processes. 

Benefits of Standard Work for Project Execution

Using standard work during all phases of an improvement cycle eliminates chaos and facilitates predictable project delivery. When lean experts apply standardized processes to active improvement projects, they realize five critical benefits:

 

• Builds Team Capacity: Using the same standard work for improvement each time enables leaders and team members to understand the process leading to the ability for departments to run their own projects.

• Eliminates Scope Creep: Defined boundaries keep the team focused strictly on targeted goals.

• Accelerates Project Velocity: Teams waste zero time deciding "what to do next" between steps.

• Guarantees Quality Outputs: Standardized validation gates prevent errors from moving downstream.

• Simplifies Team Onboarding: New cross-functional members integrate quickly using the execution recipe.

• Baselines the Process: You cannot improve your improvement method if you execute differently every time.

If you are unsure of the robustness of your improvement standard work, you can audit these processes. 

The audit tool below will allow you to see if your current processes are effective or have room for further optimization. 

If you are not realizing the full potential of your improvement work, perhaps it's not just the area you are working with.  Maybe your improvement work can be "improved."

Lean Blessings,

Ron

Ron Bercaw
President and Sensei
Breakthrough Horizons Ltd.
www.breakthroughhorizons.com
2-time Shingo award winning author