TWI - Jim Huntzinger Lean Article on Standard Work

Jim Huntzinger of TWI Summit submitted an article to the Reliable Plant blog about Standard Work. For those of you who know Jim, no introduction needed.

For those of you who don't, Jim wrote the Roots of Lean article that turned our Vermont SME group onto TWI, while we were researching the topic of Standard Work. Jim has a very strong grasp of the history behind Toyota and I always enjoy learning some other little tidbit from him about our own country's industrial history.

Probably one of the most important lessons I've learned so far about Lean, is that we can learn a lot from the past. For example, what is really behind standard work? It is so much more than takt time, work sequence and standard WIP, as we are taught in mainstream Lean literature. So much more than documenting the job on a sheet of paper.

This is true for many things, not just Lean. Our political and economic history for example, is so drastically different story than the one we hear from our soundbite-and-controversy-obsessed media. And that is the second lesson I've learned from TWI. The J-skills reinforce the need 1) go and see, 2) get the facts and 3) grasp an understanding for ourselves. This is a simple, fantastic learning cycle that dovetails with the need to always improve standard work.

This lesson is in stark contrast to what we are taught our whole lives: 1) get an answer, 2) delegate the activity and 3) get the results.

In short, if it wasn't for Jim's insightful thoughts and writing, I'm not sure I would have felt the need to move down this path.

Thanks Jim!

For TWI Blog readers, don't forget to come to the TWI Summit this May in Ohio!