Ask any two people to design a layout for their standards, and you can be sure of one thing: the results will appear very different. Of course, we know this intrinsically. Imagine if every time you referred to a standard, it looked different, was unfamiliar, and contained different information than expected; this would be inefficient and disorienting. Defining what components an organisation’s standards must contain is vital to ensure they are understood and effective.
It’s not enough to have standards; first, you need a standard for writing them. This ensures that your standards will be clear, concise, and consistent.
Early on in the development of the Lean Production System, Toyota recognised this. They knew standardised work was needed to eliminate variability, reduce waste, and enhance productivity in manufacturing operations. But how can consistency be guaranteed? They achieve this by adopting the 1-1-1 process for building standards. This fundamental concept emphasised simplicity, clarity, and consistency in work processes. It involved breaking down tasks into three key components, Major Steps, Key Points, and Key Point Reasons Why to ensure that work is performed uniformly and efficiently across the organisation. For Toyota, the 1-1-1 standardisation approach became essential to achieve the consistent standardisation of work processes, which is crucial for achieving operational excellence and continuous improvement.
Let’s look at the three components of the 1-1-1 standardisation principle in a bit more detail:
1. Major Steps: This component outlines the sequence of steps or tasks that must be performed to complete a specific job or process. By identifying the major steps, organisations can establish a clear and structured workflow that enables employees to work efficiently and consistently.
2. Key Points: These are critical checkpoints or elements within each step that must be followed to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency. Key Points help to highlight important aspects of the process that need special attention or adherence to standards.
3. Key Point Reasons Why: This component provides a rationale or explanation for why each Key Point is important and how it contributes to the overall success of the process. Understanding the reasons behind each Key Point helps employees recognise the significance of following standard work procedures and encourages continuous improvement.
At GENEO, we have applied these principles to our best-in-class standardisation system. Our GEN-OPS Standard Work software uses the same fundamental components, allowing organisations to define the “one best way” to perform a task by following “a standard for standards”.
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