Like much of lean/agile manufacturing, standard work is easy...and hard. 

Here's the easy part...you just need to document how folks do what they do and train to that.

Here's the hard part....you have to document how folks do what they do and train to that.

The "documenting what folk do and how they do it" part has proven, in my own experience to be difficult to get companies to carry out.  It's a labor intensive project with long term benefits and short-term hassle. 

The first challenge is answering the question: "What tasks do we document? Where do we start?"

Start with the basics and with what you've already been working on.

Let's go back to 5S...at the end of each workshop you've been documenting procedures and actions as to how to keep the machine, the line, the area 5S'd, right?  No?  Then go back and do that.  As I say, each area, machine, line, etc. should have its own 5S procedures.  What will operators do during and after each shift, each week (or so), each month (or so) to keep the area 5S'd?  What equipment and machine checks will them make?  What "operator maintenance" tasks will they perform?  (Operator maintenance tasks are those simple tasks that help keep equipment running optimally that can easily be carried out by an operator without the need for special training.  Examples might be checking fluid levels, checking appropriate gages or recording devices, checking for oil leaks or loose electrical connections.  It might...might...include tasks like changing filters or making other very straightforward changes or repairs.)

Got all that done?  OK, you're well on your way to creating Standard Work throughout your shop.

Next time, we'll talk about documenting changeover practices.