#Documentation of standards

Dear #CEO Have you documented your standards?

👀 Reading lean posts, I get the impression that unless a process is documented then there is no standard and the business is at risk of falling off the cliff!.
💪 Don’t get me wrong I’m all for documenting standards, particularly following a #kaizen event, if they are put into practice and provide real value.
💪 I don’t ask clients if they document standards, I go and see if they do or don’t and then make my judgement whether a documented standard is the right time and place for them.
💪 Most organisations run on #processmemory and there is nothing wrong with that, to a point.
💪Not even #toyota documents all its processes.
💪But you need to know what and why some processes need to be documented as #standardwork
💪 Clearly documenting standard sets the benchmark for #SQDC
💪Documenting process for a standard to exist protects the knowhow in the business, where an employee leaves.
💪 There is a crush on lean experts demanding documenting standards, particularly operator standard work.

Ok, but just as important, and in my view perhaps more important is this;
🍒 #leaderstandardwork and
🍒 minimum job role – MJR of #supervisors as well as
🍒 #management and #leadership #dailymanagement (it’s in your #hoshinkanri triangle and job role)

👀 You see, if the chain of command is doing what they should be doing, that is spending time at #genba and #genchigenbutsu and #coaching and not at meetings and at computer desks, your reliance on over documenting process to standards is no so critical.
💪 Rule 1: Document a process where #SQDC is needed as a #policy and where #expediency is not desired.
💪 Rule 2: Get management to #standardise their job roles, this brings more standardisation than any documented handbook.
💪 Rule 3: Use #visualmanagement reporting at the Genba for #SQDC preferably by the operators, this will show whether the standard ok or nok.

💪 Its great for a consultant to ask about documented standards, but its even better if you are experienced enought to support your client improve performance and engage employees without the need to standardise just for the sake of it.
👀 #processmemory exists in all organisations. #standardwork #documentworkprocess too, but get on your bike and focus on management and leadership putting in some standards for their work. You will outstrip the competition if you do.
#fullmanprocess best example is in the book, the Balance Of Excellence page 241, #takt time is used to allocate resources, not only to deliver #ontime in Toyota.
👀 Management’s role is to ensure the #direction and #speed of #continuousimprovement is moving in the right direction of both the #businessprogress wheel and the #peopledevelopment wheel.
That means management and leadership need to be on their bike where the action is.