Element 1
Takt time.
The available working time divided by customer demand.
60 s27,000 s in a shift, 450 rollers
Glossary
What is standard work?
The current best known way to do a repetitive task, written down and followed by everyone who does it.
The three elements of standard work
Element 2
Work sequence.
The order of the operator’s steps, including walking, so the cycle fits within takt.
54 sThe cycle of the roller cell
Element 3
Standard work in process.
The minimum number of parts inside the process for the work to flow without waiting.
1 partIn the press while the operator moves on
A 7.5-hour shift has 27,000 seconds; for 450 rollers a shift, the takt time is 60 seconds.
One operator. Five stations. 54 seconds.
One operator assembles conveyor idler rollers in a five-station U-shaped cell. The standard work sheet shows the layout and the path; the combination table shows the timing.
Standard work sheet
- Operation
- Idler roller assembly
- Takt time
- 60 s
- Cycle time
- 54 s
- Standard WIP
- 1 part
- Operators
- 1
- 1Station, in sequence order
- Operator path
- Operator at the start of the cycle
- Standard work in process
- Safety check
- Quality check
- Material in and out
Standard work combination table
| Step | Work element | Manual | Auto | Walk | Time, 0 to 66 s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unload the pressed tube, load a new tube and two bearings, start the press | 9 | 18 | 2 | |
| 2 | Fit the first retaining ring on a shaft | 10 | 2 | ||
| 3 | Insert the shaft into the pressed tube and fit the second ring | 14 | 2 | ||
| 4 | Spin-test the roller | 8 | 2 | ||
| 5 | Label the roller and place it on the outgoing rack | 3 | 2 | ||
| Total, in seconds | 44 | 18 | 10 | Cycle time 54 s, takt time 60 s |
- Manual work
- Machine time
- Walking
- Takt time
Four documents of standard work.
- Process capacity sheet The capacity of each machine in the process, including tool changes.
- Standard work combination table Each step’s manual, machine and walking time, plotted against the takt time.
- Standard work sheet The layout of the cell, the operator’s path, the standard work in process and the quality and safety checks, posted at the workstation.
- Job instruction sheets From Training Within Industry: each step broken into its important steps, key points and the reasons for them, to train operators.
Standard work, SOPs and work instructions.
| Criterion | Standard work | SOP | Work instruction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Sequence, timing and work in process of repetitive work, at takt | Who does what in a process, and when | How to do each step of one task |
| Written by | Team leaders and operators, with production engineering | Process owners and quality | Engineers, technical writers and experts |
| Changes when | Demand, the layout or the method improves | The process or the responsibilities change | The product, the tooling or the method changes |
| Usual form | Standard work sheet and combination table, posted at the cell | Controlled document | Step-by-step instruction with photos, drawings or 3D views |
Read more about standard operating procedures and work instructions.
Set it up in six steps.
- Calculate the takt time from customer demand and the available working time.
- Watch the task several times and time each step, separating manual, machine and walking time.
- Fill in the process capacity sheet and the combination table, and balance the work to takt.
- Draw the standard work sheet: layout, path, standard work in process, and quality and safety checks.
- Train the operators on the sequence, with work instructions for the key points.
- Post the documents at the cell, check that the work follows them, and update them after every improvement.
TwinWorks
Work instructions hold the how of each step.
In TwinWorks, they open in a browser at the workstation from a link or a product QR code, with the 3D model showing each step.
Questions
What is standard work?
Standard work, or standardized work, is the current best known way to do a repetitive task, written down and followed by everyone who does it. It comes from the Toyota Production System and rests on three elements: the takt time, the pace at which customers buy; the work sequence, the steps in the order that works best; and the standard work in process, the minimum number of parts that must wait between steps. It is the baseline that every improvement, or kaizen, starts from.
What are the three elements of standard work?
Takt time, the pace at which customers buy; the work sequence, the order of the operator’s steps; and the standard work in process, the minimum number of parts that must be in the process for it to run smoothly.
What is the difference between standard work and a work instruction?
Standard work fixes the sequence, timing and work in process of a repetitive task against takt time. A work instruction explains how to do each step, with the tools, settings, key points and checks. Standard work relies on work instructions to train operators.
What is the difference between takt time and cycle time?
Takt time is the pace that demand requires: the available working time divided by the quantity customers need. Cycle time is how long the work actually takes. Standard work keeps the cycle time at or below the takt time.
Is standard work the same as standardized work?
Yes. Standard work and standardized work are two names for the same lean method, which comes from the Toyota Production System.
Write the instructions behind your standard work
Use the free work instruction template to capture each step, its key points and its checks, ready to use at the workstation.
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