Embrace Both Stability and Change
"Lean thinking, on the other hand, is about embracing both stability (standards) and change (kaizen literally means 'change for the better') at the team level, where work really happens." The…
Make Improvement Possible
"As [Misaki] Imai explained so well in [his book] Kaizen, it is impossible to improve any process until it is standardized. If the process is shifting from here to there,…
Standardized Work: A Different Mentality
Lean turn-around expert Art Byrne responding to interview question about 'Standard Work' during his leadership at the Danaher Corporation:“It’s a simple concept – for every job, create a standard and…
Standards are the Starting Point
"Until standards are defined in any operation, it is not possible to truly make improvements." The Toyota Way Fieldbook by Jeffrey Liker & David Meier (McGraw-Hill, 2006) p. 112.
Confirm that 5S is Being Followed: Audits
"Do 5S audits periodically, give scores to different groups, and hold them accountable for improving their scores. Toyota team leaders and group leaders audit their processes regularly, often with daily…
“5S” makes Work Areas Safe, Productive, and Reliable
"The objective of workplace organization is to create a functionally organized work environment and not to simply give the appearance that things are organized." Lean Office and Service Simplified by…
2 Pillars of Lean: Discipline and Accountability
"This culture (at Toyota) has, in our view, two pillars—the discipline to follow a path of continuous problem solving and self-improvement, and accountability to work standards, fellow team members, company…
More Standards = More Creativity??
"The paradox of Lean is that the more structure and standards you have in place, the more flexible and creative you can become." Flatlined: Why Lean Transformations Fail and What…
Who Has Permission to Change Standards?
"At Toyota (like most other manufacturers), there are certain standards (safety, equipment settings, quality tests, etc.) which are determined and set by various professionals. The question comes up, how can…
Who “owns” Standardized Work?
"Toyota does not want individual employees to 'own' their standardized work, and uses job rotation so no one employee owns any one job.… Once the process is operating at some…