Standard work, 5S, and visual management
Standard work, 5S, and visual management tests whether you can establish a stable baseline, make abnormal conditions obvious, and sustain the gains through audits and leader routines.
Core rules
- Standard work specifies takt time, work sequence, and standard WIP. It is the current best method, owned by the team, and the baseline for kaizen; it is not a rigid rule imposed from outside.
- A standard work combination table shows manual, walk, machine, and wait time against takt. Any wait or overtime reveals imbalance or variation to investigate.
- 5S is sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain. The first three create the condition; the last two make it durable. 5S is not a cleaning campaign.
- Visual management makes the normal condition and the deviation visible at a glance: floor markings, kanban, andon, shadow boards, hour-by-hour boards. Every visual control needs a response plan.
- Audit the process and the standard, not just appearance. Leader standard work includes checking standards, asking about deviations, and removing barriers.
Worked example
Demand is 420 units over a 420-minute shift, so takt is 1.0 minute. An operator's tasks total 48 seconds of manual work, 9 seconds of walking, and 3 seconds of waiting, totaling 60 seconds against takt. The line appears balanced, but the wait is a symptom: the operator waits for a machine cycle. If walk time is cut to 5 seconds by relocating a tool, the total becomes 56 seconds, creating 4 seconds of capacity per cycle. The reasoning: do not simply fill the operator with more work; use the freed time to stabilize flow, perform first-piece checks, or absorb variation. Update the standard work sheet and train to it.
Traps
Do not treat 5S as housekeeping or a one-time event. Do not post visual boards without a response owner. Do not confuse standard work with written instructions that no one follows. Do not change the standard without a trial and training.
Key points
- Standard work = takt, sequence, standard WIP; it is the kaizen baseline.
- 5S last two S values sustain the first three.
- Visual control needs a response plan, not just display.
- Audit the standard and update after improvement.