Identifying internal best practices and propagating standard work

Abstract

Standard work is commonly used in manufacturing and assembly operations to minimize process variation by providing detailed instruction to operators. Internal best practices are processes within the firm that achieve a more beneficial result when compared to alternative existing methods. Standard work is one approach to share best practices, and the challenge is in identifying their existence and effectively capturing the information in written documentation. Best practices are often tacit in nature, being difficult to codify and to put into writing. Effectively finding internal best practices and transferring them from tacit to explicit form as standard work is a desirable objective, improving knowledge transfer and operational efficiency within the company. There are techniques that can be applied to the standard work development process that increase the likelihood of successful best practice capture and organizational adoption. These techniques are developed and implemented through application at Sikorsky Aircraft, in creating and deploying a system of standard work titled, the "Assembly and Flight Operations Franchise Book." Major process steps in developing and sustaining standard work include an initial planning phase characterized by an upfront analysis, organizational structuring, and content framework development; and a sustaining phase characterized by a repeating cycle of best practice discovery, documentation, and sharing.