Standard Operating Procedure

By : Esayas Asefa &

Contents
 PART I. Introduction
 PART II. Basics of Standard Operation
 PART III. Developing Standard Operation
 PART IV. Implementation of Standard Operation
 PART V. Maintaining Standard Operation
 PART VI. How to Improve Standard Operation?

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Training Objective

At the end of this training, trainees will be

able to:-

 Understand and apply the concept of

Standardization

 Trainees will be able to understand

implementation stages of SOP

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PART I. Introduction
1.1 What is standard
1.2 Standard Operation
1.3 Standardization

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 I. Introduction
The practice of setting,
communicating, following
and improving standards
Standardization and standard operation.

Standard A set of work procedure

Operation that establish the best and
most reliable methods
sequence for each process
and worker

Standard
A rule or example that
provides clear explanation.

Figure 1: Relationship of Standard, Standard Operation and Standardization 5

1.1 What is Standard?

“It is a document that provides requirements,

specifications, guidelines or characteristics that
can be used consistently to ensure that materials,
products, processes and services are fit for their
purpose.”
International Standard organization (ISO)

“Something used as a rule or ‘BASIS OF

COMPARISON’ to evaluate quality, quantity,
value, etc..”
Webster Dictionary

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 What is standard cont . . .

 Standards can be categorized as managerial

and operational.
 Managerial standards relate to the
internal purpose of managing employees;
 Operational standards relate to the
external demands to achieve Quality, Cost
and Delivery (QCD) to satisfy customers.
Source: “Gemba Kaizen” by Masaaki Imai.

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“Standardized Work” …
What is standard cont . . .

“Where there is no standard,

there can be no kaizen.”
Taiichi Ohno

“It is impossible to improve any process

continuously until it is standardized.”
Masaki Imai

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 Sky diving as an example

The way to fold the parachute today is

the best, easiest, and safest way,
reflecting the
experience of many thousands of
parachutes and the aftermath of many
tragedies.

What are the consequences of not following standards?

1.1.1 Key Features of
Standards
1. Standards represent the best, easiest and safest way to
do a job - they reflect many years of wisdom and know how
on the part of employees in doing their job.
2. Standards offer the best way to preserve know how and
expertise – regardless of the comings and goings of its
individual workers.
3. Standards provide a way to measure performance - with
out standards there is no fair way to do this.
4. Standards show the relation between cause and effect - having
no standards or not following it, invariably leads to
abnormalities, variability and waste.

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 Key features of standards cont. . .

5. Standards provide a basis for both maintenance and

improvement - following standards means maintenance
and upgrading standards means improvement.

Source: ”Gemba Kaizen” by Masaaki Imai .

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1.2 Standard Operation (SO)
SO can be defined as:-
“An effective combination of workers, materials and
machines for the sake of making high quality
products/services in an affordable cost, quickly, and
safely”.

“The currently best-known method for

accomplishing the work” .Which assumes that it is the
safest and most efficient method to do the work that
meets the required level of quality.
It is an efficient production system which eliminates
wasteful procedures
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 What is SOP?
• An SOP is a set of step by step
instructions compiled by an organization to
help workers carryout complex routine
operation.
• SOP aims to achieve efficiency quality
output and uniformity of performance
while reducing miscommunication and
failure to comply with industry regulations.
• Sop should be available at the place where
the work is done.
 Standard Operation (SO) Cont . . .

Materials and Machine and Methods People Measurements

parts Equipments

Feed in Sheep to
Materials customers

Figure 2: SO a combination of workers, materials and machines

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1.2.1 Traditional vs.
Standardized Operation
Traditional Operation Standardized Operation
• Reacts to fires • Prevents problems
• Searches for things • Finds things easily
• Processes designed • Processes designed by
without input from staff & supervisors
staff • Work is human-
• Work is equipment- centered
centered • Follows and improves
• Uses a variety of the standard process
individual methods • Produces consistent
• Produces inconsistent results
results

Let’s discuss 15
 Traditional vs. Standardized Operation cont

Traditional: Standardized:
High Variability Consistency, Control
First First
Shift Shift

Second
Second
Shift
Shift

Third
Shift Third
Shift

 In KAIZEN context, SO means creating a consistent

way that an operation or a task can be performed in
the same manner by anyone at any time .
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1.2.3 Goals of SO
 Quality: “What quality standards
must the product meet?”
 Cost: “Approximately how much Standard Operation
should it cost to make the
Safety 
service/products?”
Quality 
 Delivery: “How many Efficiency 
service/products do you need Productivity 
delivered and by when?”
 Safety: “Is the manufacturing
work itself safe?”
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1.3 Standardization

 Standardization is the practice of setting,

communicating, following and improving
standards and standard operations.

 It is an attempt to eliminate variations that

exist in any activity.

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1.3.1 Kaizen and Standardization
Kaizen and Standardization cont . . .

Standardization
Level of Production Management

Continuous
result
KAIZEN
Standardization

Continuous
result KAIZEN
Case without
Standardization standardization

KAIZEN

Time 19

Figure 6: Relationship of kaizen and Standardization

1.3.2 Benefits of
Standardization
 Helps to improve and maintain quality
 Stabilizes working conditions
 Increases level of safety
 Allow for easier judgment regarding “normal”
versus “abnormal” situations
 Enables cost reduction
 Stabilizes operating time

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Exercise
(20 min)

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22
 PART II. Basics of
Standard Operation
“Everyone does the job the same way each time.”
The Process not the Person

2.1 Elements of Standard Operation

2.2 Requirements/ Prerequisites of
Standard Operation
2.3 Standardized work documents

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II. Basics of Standard
Operation
 Takt time
3 Elements  Work sequence
 Standard work in process (SWIP)

 Repetitive cyclical work

3 Requirements  High process and part quality
 Low equipment downtime

 Standardized work chart

3 Documents  Standardized work combination table
 Production capacity sheets

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2.1 Elements of standard
operations
Standard
Operations

TAKT Work Standard in-

Time Sequence process inventory
Figure 7: Elements of standard operations

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26
2.1.1 TAKT Time
 TAKT time is the rate at which a completed
product or service needs to be finished to meet
customer demand.

 TAKT time is NOT cycle time!

Total Available Production Time

TAKT Time =
Daily Customer Demand
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 Takt Time Cont . . .

Total Available Production Time is the

minutes/seconds available to do the work. It:-

 Should consider:  Should not consider:

 Breaks (scheduled)  Machine downtime
 Lunches (scheduled)  Defective input
 Team meetings  Material shortages
 Rework

Daily Customer Demand is the number of items

that are needed to satisfy the customer’s daily
schedule.
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Takt Time Is NOT Cycle Time
 Cycle time:
 Actual interval of time
to complete a work
sequence. Cycle Time is
measured with a stop
watch.

Takt time:
 Rateneeded to meet
customer demand.

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Example
1. Automobile Assembly Line;
 Available time = 7.5 hr X 3 shifts = 22.5
hrs or 1350 minutes per day.
 Demand = 1600 cars per day.
 Takt Time = 51 sec

2. Aircraft Engine Assembly Line;

 500 engines per year.
 2 shifts X 7 hrs => 14 hrs/day X 250
day/year = 3500hrs.
 Takt time = 7 hrs.
3. An assembly area must make 2,500 units of
product A and 17,500 units of product B in a
month. The area work is scheduled for two
eight hour shifts, and has a morning break of
10 minutes, lunch break of 20 minutes, and
afternoon break of 10 minutes.
 calculating units single shift and takt time?

 The customer requires a total of 20,000

units for the month, the customer
requirement per shift is 20,000 units ÷ 30
days ÷ 2 shifts = 334 units per shift.
 Takt time = 26,400 min/20,000 units

= 1.32min/units
2.1.2 Work sequence

 Refers to the order in which the worker

carries out tasks as he or she transforms the
initial materials into finished goods.

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 Work Sequence cont . . .

 The order in which an Incoming Process Outgoing

operator performs
Sequence

manual operations 3 10

Optr. A
 Every operator should 1 1 2 9

be able to perform all 2 1 4 8

tasks within the 3 2

Optr. B
3 7
TAKT time.
4 1 3 6
Optr. C

Work 2
Sequence 5

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2.1.3 Standard in-process
inventory
 Is the minimum amount of in-process inventory
that is required within the manufacturing cell
or process station for work to progress.

 Standard inventory between process is

generally unnecessary if work is carried out in
the order of machining process. What only
needed is items mounted on machines.

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2.2 Requirements/
Prerequisites of SO

 Repetitive cyclical work

 High process and part quality
 Low equipment downtime

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 Requirements/ Prerequisites of SO

 There must be a repeatable sequence to the work.

The work that is required must be in such a way that
the worker can do it the same way each and every
time.
 The materials used must be of high quality.
If the material/components are not of good quality,
there may be frequent instances of defects and
other quality problems that will be a constant source
that cause variation.

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 Requirements/ Prerequisites of SO

 Equipments, tools and workplace must be highly

reliable.
If any of these cause problems, either in time
variations per cycle or frequent downtime, the work
will be impacted greatly.
In addition
 Human must be capable of doing the work.

In other words, it must be work that a person can do

safely and ergonomically within the time required and
at the desired level of quality.

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2.3 Standardized Work
Documents
 There are three primary documents used for
developing standardized work, and many other
related or supporting documents. These are:
 Standardized Work Chart
 Standardized Work Combination Table
 Production Capacity Sheet

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2.3.1 Standardized Work
Charts (SWC)

• Serves as visual tool for leaders and

managers to confirm the status of the
work area
• is a simple instructional reference which
is Basis for continual improvement .
• Visual control tool in the work site.

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 Standardized Work Charts Cont . . .

Primary Functions:
1. Serves as a tool for discovering
problems / opportunities for continuous
improvement.
2. Serves as a tool for visual control
regarding the three elements of
standardized work, as well as quality and
safety issues.
3. Serves as a form of operator instruction
for repetitive tasks. 40
SWC Example
Standardized Work Chart

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 2.3.2 Standardized Work
Combination Table (SWCT)
 Is a tool which uses takt time as a basis for work
allocation and helps to establish the most efficient
sequence of work. Visually displays times for:
 Operator:
 Working, Walking and Waiting
 Automatic machine times
 Cycle Time compared to Takt Time

 It provides an excellent opportunity to distinguish

between “human work” and “machine” and discover
problems related to the combination of these items.

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SWCT Example Cont . . .

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PART III. Developing
Standard Operation
Steps to develop Standard
Operation

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Steps To Develop
Standardized Operation
1. Define the extent of the process for
which you are creating standard work (e.g.
starts at… ends at…)
 Standard work for each function in a multi-
function process
 People doing the same job will use the same
standard work
 The end point will be the starting point for the
next standard work sequence.

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 Steps To Develop Standardized Operation Cont . . .

2. Determine the appropriate SO

requirements
 Title
 Work area
 Author
 Revision date
 Takt time
 Work sequence
 Approvals
 Document location and ownership

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 Steps To Develop Standardized Operation Cont . . .

3. Gather the required information

 Whenever information is collected for standard
work, it is important to search for best
practices.
 Observing multiple people doing the same work is
a good way to let everyone see how much
variation there is from unit to unit and from
person to person.

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 Steps To Develop Standardized Operation Cont . . .
4. Create the SO documents:
 DO:
– Keep standard work simple
– Make it accessible
– Include all info on one, easy-
to-read document
– Create one standard work
document for each part of
the process
– Always look for ways to
improve the process.
 DON’T:
− Put standard work in a desk
drawer
− Change processes without
changing standard work
− Make standard work
difficult to change
− Give up on standard work –
it can be tough, but it’s very
important
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 Steps To Develop Standardized Operation Cont . . .

5. Train supervisors on the SO

This is an essential step. The supervisor is the
owner of the standard work and must understand it
perfectly and train others to do it perfectly.

6. Train employees to work on SO

Once trained, each employee must be able to
demonstrate their ability to perform the standard
work perfectly. Anyone who cannot perform the
standard work must be reassigned.

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 Steps To Develop Standardized Operation Cont . . .

7. Run the process and observe the

results
Once SO has been created and everyone is trained, it
is time to start the process and make observations.
This is the time to look for improvements. Look for:
− Training needs
− Inadequate processes
− Waste in any of the 7 forms (DOWNTIME)

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 Steps To Develop Standardized Operation Cont . . .

8. Make adjustments and modifications

to the standard work
− Standard work should be done as a document which
is subject to change; however, a process should be
implemented for making changes to the standard
work.
− Revision levels should be recorded each time
standard work is changed and old standard work
should be filed for future reference.

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PART V. Maintaining
Standard Operation
“Even Best SOPs fail if they are not followed”

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Why do we need to maintain
SO?

 To ensure it is being followed

 To ensure that it is still the best current
method
 Are there any changes to the spec?

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Ways to Maintain So
• Establish standard operations throughout the factory
• Make sure everyone understands the importance
• Trainers must be committed to the operations they

teach
• Post visual displays to remind everyone
• Post graphic and text descriptions
• Reject the status quo
• Conduct group improvement activities regularly
• Systematically pursue improvements in standard work

Proper Training and Follow-up:

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Audits
There are four levels of auditing that must take place:
1. Daily: This is usually done by the supervisor
choosing a position randomly once a day.
2. Each shift: This is usually done by the team or
group leader of the shift.
3. Weekly: This is usually done by the general
supervisor or to whom the supervisor reports.
4. Monthly: This is usually done by the plant
manager or a department head.

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 PART VI.
How to improve
Standard Operation

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Improvement Areas
 Improving methods of operation
 Improvement of motion in operations
 Improve equipments to better serve operations
 Improvement of devices which facilitate the flow of
goods and materials
 Improvement from specialized operations to multi-process
operations
 Improvement by establishing rules for operations
 Make machines more independent to separate people from
them
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 Improvement Areas cont . . .

 Improving equipment to prevent defects

 Improving the flow of materials
 Improving the efficiency of movement in operations
 Improvement in Placement of Parts
 Improvement in Picking Up Parts
 Improvement from One-Handed Task to Two-
Handed Task
 Improvement That Eliminates Walking Waste

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THANK YOU!

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