Work standardization plays a key role in every organization, especially in the manufacturing sector, where it directly affects efficiency, quality, and process flow. Moreover, in a rapidly changing production environment, traditional approaches to work organization often prove insufficient. As a result, there is an urgent need to develop a new generation of work standards that are more flexible, modular, and easy to reconfigure. Such an approach enables companies to quickly adapt to changing production requirements without the need for costly and time-consuming reconfiguration of production line layouts.

At a certain point in time, Lodz University of Technology conducted a study involving a sample of 64 companies from various industries located in the Łódź region. The purpose of the study was to survey the use of work standardization within the selected group of companies and to understand whether it is currently a widely used tool or still requires particular attention from managers and future engineers. The results of the study allowed key conclusions to be drawn based on the percentage indicator confirming the implementation of standardization, where micro-enterprises accounted for 17%, small enterprises 32%, medium-sized enterprises 33%, and large enterprises 18%.

Taking these results into account, it is clear that standardization is progressing most rapidly in small and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, this article focuses on analyzing the need to implement standardized procedures in manufacturing plants of small and medium-sized companies, as well as on methods for improving them. The aim of this article is to provide practical guidance and methodologies that support the effective implementation and continuous improvement of work standards in the manufacturing industry.

What Is Work Standardization?

In its simplest form, work standardization is the process of documenting the steps of a work process, assigning roles, and defining the optimal sequence of these steps. Its purpose is to establish and maintain consistency. Moreover, work standardization forms the foundation of Lean Manufacturing, as well as all other continuous improvement programs. Work standardization ensures stability and reduces waste. It leads to increased operational efficiency and effectiveness, as well as greater job satisfaction among employees and managers.

A key element of effective standardization is the ability to identify and focus on the most important aspects of work. According to the Pareto principle, approximately 15–20% of tasks account for 80% of results. Therefore, when analyzing work processes, attention should be focused on these critical elements in order to achieve optimization and improve efficiency.

Lean Manufacturing – The Context of Standardization

To better understand the concept, Lean is a management approach (commonly used in manufacturing and healthcare) that aims to eliminate all forms of waste in processes. Waste may include wasted or underutilized materials, time, talent, space, and anything else that does not deliver value to the customer. Since achieving lean operations requires the removal of unnecessary elements from all processes, work standardization itself is a key component in achieving this goal.

To avoid ambiguity, it is important to distinguish between three related terms:

• Work Standards: These are specific statements regarding various working conditions, work methods, work management methods, and safety measures. They are typically organized into three main categories: Process Conditions, Control Conditions, and Operating Conditions.
• Standard Work: This term refers to a specific task or job for which content, sequence, time, and output have been defined. Since the output is the result of human motion, Standard Work describes this motion and its interaction with equipment and materials.
• Work Standardization: This term refers to the process by which standards are identified. “Standardization” means that the identified standards are then followed. Essentially, Standard Work is the final state and behavior resulting from identifying, teaching, following, and enforcing Standard Work and Work Standards.

Where Should Standardization Methods Be Applied?

Work standardization, as a foundation of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement, can be applied across a wide range of operational and organizational activities. Its purpose is to establish and maintain consistency, efficiency, and quality by precisely defining and documenting best practices.

Work standardization methods can be applied to:

• Operating procedures: Defining task execution steps to ensure consistency and minimize errors.
• Workstation layout: Optimizing the arrangement of machines, tools, and materials to minimize unnecessary movement and downtime.
• Machines or technologies used: Establishing standard operating and maintenance procedures to ensure reliability and efficiency.
• Production sequencing: Defining the optimal order of operations to minimize cycle time and maximize throughput.
• Safety measures: Establishing standard safety procedures to minimize the risk of accidents and injuries.
• Quality control: Defining standard quality inspection procedures to ensure products meet customer requirements.
• Employee–supervisor communication: Establishing standard communication protocols to ensure clarity and efficiency.
• Training and onboarding: Creating standard training programs to ensure new employees are properly prepared for their roles.
• Customer service interactions: Establishing standard customer service procedures to ensure consistent and satisfactory service.
• Materials management: Defining standard procedures for receiving, storing, and issuing materials to minimize waste and shortages.
• Project management: Establishing standards for planning, execution, and monitoring to ensure projects are completed on time and efficiently.
• Administrative processes: Standardizing administrative tasks such as document processing and data management to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Problem-solving: Establishing standard problem-solving methods such as the 5 Whys or Ishikawa diagram to ensure a systematic and effective approach.

How Can Work Analysis Serve as the Basis for a Standardization Approach?

In practice, job content varies significantly between companies and industries, as well as within a single organization. Some professions cannot always be clearly classified into specific job types. Employees often perform tasks of varying nature, combining routine activities with non-standard ones. The basis of this approach to standardization is breaking down the work process into component elements and identifying the knowledge and skills required to perform individual tasks.

The skills required to perform work can be divided into five categories:

• Basic skills: Necessary to perform a specific type of work, acquired through education or training.
• Knowledge of rules: Theoretical knowledge, such as knowledge of traffic regulations.
• Supporting knowledge: Skills that support the primary task, such as refueling a vehicle.
• Job-specific skills: Acquired through practice and experience.
• Accumulated know-how: Expert knowledge gained through repeated performance of tasks.

Work Instruction as a Standardization Tool

A work instruction is a key standardization tool that enables process consistency and improved efficiency. Its development begins with dividing work into task categories, taking into account required skills and repeatability. It is important to distinguish routine tasks from non-standard and auxiliary tasks, focusing on those that generate added value.

Key stages in creating a work instruction include:

• Identification of major steps: Describing the sequence of actions while omitting obvious activities.
• Definition of key points: Explaining how the work should be performed, with consideration for safety, quality, efficiency, and cost.
• Justification of key points: Explaining why a given method of execution is optimal.

The goal is to create clear and precise instructions that minimize variability and facilitate employee training. Effective implementation of work instructions requires understanding how individual activities affect the efficiency of the entire process.

Standardization of Work Processes in a Production Environment

In the context of manufacturing, it is crucial to understand how the nature of a given process affects the possibility and scope of its standardization. The internal conditions that determine the level of standardization arise directly from the specific characteristics of the tasks being performed. Regardless of the industry or individual employee preferences, it is essential to identify those features of work that require a differentiated approach to standardization.

By analyzing work not in terms of specific job positions (e.g., assembler, machine operator), but rather in terms of its general characteristics, certain patterns can be identified that apply to any production environment. Ch. Perrow proposed a classification based on two key characteristics:

• Task variety: This defines the extent to which a job requires an employee to perform a wide range of activities, use various tools, and apply different working methods. In a production context, this may relate, for example, to the number of operations performed on an assembly line or the diversity of machines being operated.
• Analyzability of the work process: This refers to whether the work can be broken down into a set of clearly defined, easy-to-learn tasks. In manufacturing, this means, for example, the ability to precisely describe individual production stages and sequences of actions.

Based on these two characteristics, four types of work can be distinguished, each requiring a different approach to standardization:

• Routine work: Characterized by low task variety and high analyzability. In production, an example is assembly line work, where tasks are repetitive and easy to define. In this case, a high level of standardization can be applied, covering all aspects of the work.
• Technical work: Defined by high task variety and high analyzability. In production, this may include the work of a maintenance technician who performs a wide range of tasks, each of which can be described using precise procedures. Standardization in this case may be high or moderate.
• Craft work: Characterized by low task variety but low analyzability. In production, this may involve, for example, the repair of complex machines, where knowledge and experience play a key role. Standardization in this case is usually moderate.
• Non-routine work: Defined by high task variety and low analyzability. In production, this may include the work of a new product designer or a process engineer. Standardization in this case is limited due to the creative and innovative nature of the work.

Understanding these differences is crucial for the effective implementation of standardization in a production environment. It enables process optimization, increased efficiency, and improved production quality.

Summary

Understanding and implementing work standardization is essential for the effective functioning of enterprises, especially in the manufacturing sector. Standardization, understood as the process of documenting and unifying procedures, leads to increased efficiency, reduced waste, and improved quality.

Work standardization is indispensable for process optimization, efficiency improvement, and quality enhancement. Implementing standardized procedures—particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises—allows for better adaptation to changing market conditions and the achievement of a competitive advantage.

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