Standard operating procedure (SOP) and work instruction templates help standardize processes and present information consistently. We’ve seen thousands of examples of these templates and the only consistency is their shortcomings. 

Recently, I had a chance to visit one of our larger manufacturing clients. Of the many insights gained on that trip, one stood above the rest — tribal knowledge used to actually work. 

At Dozuki, we’ve made it our mission to make Standard Work an industry standard.  We envision documented standards and worker knowledge continuously improving alongside one another—finally removing them from their respective silos. 

While on-the-job training is practical for certain applications, manufacturers rely on it too heavily as a method for on-boarding and training employees.

After thousands of discussions with manufacturing companies, it’s clear to me that the industry is suffering. Due to outdated notions of the software industry, manufacturers aren’t evaluating their digital transformation properly. 

The conveyor belt on line one stopped running and production came to a halt. It was the second time in a week that this happened. The maintenance team and engineers spend the next 48 hours trying to determine what caused the issue. As it turns out, the downtime was due to a frayed wire that caused the conveyor to lose power.

Lean operations and manufacturers have used Standard Work for decades, yet many companies lack clarity when it comes to this fundamental lean methodology.

If Santa Claus ran a toy company, he’d have the best lean manufacturing operations in the industry. A lean analysis shows that he delivers custom tailored products to every one of his clients; providing immense value. He is also able to accomplish this with minimal waste and able to adapt to shifting demands of the market, every, single year.