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Getting standard work instructions right for fabricating

Communication is the key to less rework

The job traveler is a simple document, but perhaps one of the most crucial in any fabricating shop.

Without that document, a pallet of parts becomes a very large paperweight. The document provides the context to turn the act of value creation into cash. The traveler typically covers who the customer is; a part description; the quantity to be produced; due date; and job details, such as how the parts will be made (for example, small batches or all at once).

Should that document be more than a simple review of the basics? The tenets of lean manufacturing suggest “yes.” With the addition of refined work instructions (see Steps to Create Standard Work Instructions sidebar) on the traveler, the document becomes a continuous improvement tool. In a culture where employees are empowered and management listens to them, the work instructions evolve as work improvements are made or as the task changes.

What Is Standard Work?

Standard work is a written description of the safest, most efficient, and highest-quality method to perform a given task or process. Typical standardized work attempts to answer four questions:

  1. Who does what?
  2. When does that person do it?
  3. How is the work done?
  4. Why is the work done that way?

In fabricating environments where the same part or assembly is being made over and over, assembling good work instructions is straightforward. The position identified and estimated time required to complete the work elements are included. The most efficient work routine or steps needed to complete the job are included. The description of the quality check to ensure the work was done correctly before sending the part or assembly to the next step of the process also is part of the instructions.

Fabricators that make high-mix, low-volume products may scoff at the idea of standard work instructions. The might argue that every part is different, with little or no consistency in the type of parts or the quality requirements from one customer to the next. That may be true, but that doesn’t prevent work instructions from containing valuable guidance that can assist with continuous improvement efforts.

Making Adjustments for Job Shops

When looking to refine standard work instructions for a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment, the shop manager should first focus on those activities that have little to no variation from job to job. These instructions might cover routine machine maintenance and gauge and tool calibration. From a quality perspective, the operator can be directed to inspect material thoroughly before beginning a task and then conduct a final inspection at the end of the job. (This step shouldn’t be summarized in just one sentence. It should be expanded upon to answer questions about how often the inspection is done and where the findings are recorded once the inspection takes place.)

In addition, the steps required for discrepant parts should be well-documented, including how to document nonconformances or corrective actions.

Even a high-mix environment might have some opportunity for development of standard work instructions that actually detail manufacturing steps. The key is identifying “repeaters” or “runners,” those parts or assemblies that are similar in design and come through the shop on a regular basis. Those types of jobs often will have similar work steps, and their work instructions will be similar as well. When management creates detailed work instructions for what seems to be a one-and-done job, it is actually investing in a quality approach for all work because the same standard work instructions will apply to similar jobs.

Again, this is in line with the thinking that these types of documents should be used to maintain quality and eliminate waste in production. Without a critical look at parts/assemblies and the work processes tied to them, job shops can’t expect work instructions to have an impact on quality.

The Case for Leaning on Software

The ideal time to create standard work instructions is when the quote is prepared. The information is all there, and ideally the estimator has a good understanding of the fabricating processes needed to complete a job. The reality, however, is the sheer number of quotes that a fabricating shop sends out. It probably does not make a lot of sense to provide detailed work instructions when the success rate on quotes might be only 15 percent to 20 percent.

Figure 1
Shop management software makes collection and creation of work instructions simpler than having to create them from scratch for each new job sent to the shop floor.

That’s where enterprise resource planning (ERP) or shop management software can make a difference (see Figure 1). If work instructions have been created for a part that has been run before, the estimator can copy those details and include them on the new quote. If the part is new, the estimator can review previous quotes that might share similar traits, such as the material or part dimensions, and use the information to create work instructions for the new quote.

The software driving those efficiencies in quoting and creating standard work instructions also can play a part in maintaining the timeliness of the job traveler. After all, no matter how disciplined and organized a fabricating operation may be, the shop’s job traveler is only as good as when it was first printed.

This entails a move to a paperless environment. The traveler doesn’t disappear; it’s just accessible through a different means.

The bar code scanners and PCs with ancient operating systems are being replaced with tablets, iPad®s, and even smartphones. In some instances, PCs and zero clients (computing devices with no local storage but are connected to a main server or to the cloud) with advanced graphics capabilities can deliver the same information—after the shop floor technician takes a walk to the kiosk where the information device is located.

From these information devices, operators can get the latest information and work instruction revisions. The dispatch list is now in real time. Last-minute updates, a constant in manufacturing, are reflected as they are made.

One of the more noteworthy aspects of this type of real-time communication is the feedback that can be collected from the people actually doing the work on the shop floor (see Figure 2). In many instances, engineers who infrequently visit the shop floor create standard work instructions. As a result, they can deviate greatly from the realities of the shop floor. With this type of connected facility, shop floor personnel can write recommendations as part of the communication back to the front office. Once the recommendations are reviewed and verified, managers can change the instructions to reflect the process improvements that came from the feedback. They also can review floor notes on previous or current operations from co-workers.

The only way this type of feedback influences change at a fabricating shop is if the employees are comfortable with offering their opinions. Of course, that’s not always the case. If a company doubts it has a culture that encourages this type of employee participation, it might want to implement more personable managerial-to-shop-floor interactions, such as daily five-minute stand-up meetings before every shift that recap what happened the day before. A fabricating operation also might want to consider incentives, not necessarily monetary, to boost employee participation in providing feedback.

The opportunity to provide more sophisticated presentation of information is also available with these portable smart devices. For example, standard work instructions can be enhanced with actual video showing the individual how to perform a task.

It’s About the Employees

In the end, standard work instructions can be refined to become not only an information document, but a continuous improvement tool. The goal is to help the employee do the best job in the most efficient way possible.

These essentials of good work instructions are some valuable takeaways for the shops still relying on paper or the business committed to the latest in information technology:

  • Keep the instructions credible, so employees trust them.
  • Keep them clear, so employees understand them.
  • Keep them accessible, so employees can get to them.
  • Keep them consistent, so employees’ skill sets match expectations of work instructions.

Steps to Create Standard Work Instructions

  • Define the extent of the task. Where does the operation begin, and where does it end before heading to the next stage? If it’s a multifunction process, managers need to identify all of the key steps.
  • Document the current revision of the standard work instructions for each part. This includes the name of the process, the author of the instructions, the revision date, part number, task name, work sequence (check list and procedure, for example), and time allotted to complete the job.
  • Include best practices. The best way to accomplish a task, whether step-by-step instructions or reminders to tackle repetitive steps for varied work, should be clearly stated. The process should be observed several times and done by different operators. During this observation process, managers should document when variation occurs, why, and the impact of the variation on part quality. Best practices are changed as a result.
  • Create the standard work document. This traveler or shop paper has the basic information to complete the job in addition to written instructions and visual cues, if possible.
  • Train supervisors in the importance of using the standard work document and staying on top of revisions. It’s easy to slip into a scenario in which everyone is just working from a print.
  • Train employees in using standard work instructions. Encourage employees to provide feedback.
  • Regularly review the results. Managers should look for training needs and waste. This review provides a suitable time to identify and eliminate inadequate or redundant processes.
  • Make adjustments as needed and document revisions to the work instructions.
  • Figure 2
    Notice in the dialog box that the operator made notes explaining why a job took longer than the time set forth in the work instructions. Estimators can use that input and make changes to quotes so that they are more accurate.

    About the Author

    Dave Lechleitner

    Senior Consultant

    939 W. North Ave., Suite 750

    Chicago, IL 60642

    312-319-1411