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Standard Operations
Standardised work is the capture of the best current method of safely combining process inputs in order to achieve consistent Quality, Cost and Delivery (QCD).
The standard operation procedures (SOP) are documents that capture the standardised work.
The process of standardisation is important as it lays down the basis for managing effective utilisation of resources. This helps to satisfy customer demand by supplying a desirable product at a predictable cost. Standard operations are essential for ensuring that it is possible to produce a product of the required quality in the same time every time.
Click here to view the full benefits of standardisation.
Standard operations are a fundamental tool to capture and maintain the best status of the process and guarantee consistency of product. The achievement of standardized work will enable the process to be maintained through the standard operation procedure (SOP). Variations in the method will be removed through standardization.
Standard operations allow the current best way to perform a task to be captured and documented. If this 'know how' is not recorded, it may be lost when employees leave the company. Knowledge gained through experience over a period of time is often lost when experienced personnel leave the company. By ensuring that this accumulated knowledge is recorded, this experience does not have to be re-learnt. The standard operating procedure is the location for this knowledge.
The below picture shows examples of a S.O.P
Standard operations allow a current performance target to be set, against which the actual performance can be monitored in terms of cost of resources.
The presence of standardized work will also allow many other opportunities to be grasped as it becomes a more readily accepted 'norm' within the company.
Some examples are:-
- Reduce costs due to the standardization of the usage of consumables and tooling
- Introduction of product or process changes in a more organized manner
- Quotation of new products can be made with confidence, as current process data will be a reliable guide.
For more information about how FIRA can help you with Standard Operations please contact Bruce Lovell on 01438 777700 or email blovell@fira.co.uk
