Reconfigurable standardized work in a lean company: a case study

Abstract

A Lean company is always in a journey of continuous improvement and innovation. Every process, procedure and/or tool are critically studied in order to highlight problems and satisfy the customers’ needs without any waste. In the studied Lean company there are many production support tools that were developed as a temporary solution to solve a specific problem but, frequently, remain definitive and became themselves a problem. Examples of these tools are Standard Work Sheets (SWS) and Control and Fabrication Instructions (CFI) that demand updated, easy access and trustworthy information. Improving these tools (e.g. by automatizing) is an opportunity for a company to become more competitive. The SWS and CFI are indispensable tools for Process Engineering and have implications on product quality and productivity. The development process of SWS and CFI involves many human resources, resulting in a long task that is susceptible to the introduction of errors. By including the process of documentation for all shifts, it facilitates the coworkers training and reduces both variability and irregularity. Currently, the SWS in the studied company is not automatically performed and articulated with the updated real time knowledge of CFI, production quantities and assembly lines coworkers’ availability. This generates inefficient resources utilization. The objective of this paper is to present an undergoing project that intends to automate the SWS and CFI development process and to facilitate their integration with other company systems information.