SOPs and standard work your people will actually use
A process that lives in one person’s head is a risk. We help Nevada operations write down how the work is done, so that it can be taught, checked and improved.
Book an intro call →(775) 287-6168
Who should write the SOP
The person who runs the process day to day, such as the line leader, the supervisor or the group leader, should own the SOP. The people who understand its risks, such as legal, finance, safety and compliance, should supply what goes in it. By default, it should be neither the operators doing the value-added work nor the Lean Managers. Rishi Malhotra explains why in Who should write SOPs?
What the work looks like
- Map the process with the people who do it, at the place it happens.
- Fix before you freeze: remove obvious waste first, so you don’t standardize a broken process. This is often done as a kaizen event.
- Write standard work and SOPs at the level the user needs, with visual controls where a picture beats a paragraph.
- Hand over ownership to the process owner, with a simple way to keep the document current.
For an example, see documenting a thirty-year process before retirement.
Questions
Do you only document manufacturing processes?
No. Much of our work is business process, such as finance, customer service and dispatch, as well as the shop floor.
Where do you work?
We work from Reno across Nevada, including Carson City and Las Vegas, and from Atlanta.
How do we start?
Call (775) 287-6168 or book an intro call.