Lean manufacturing resources

Lean Six Sigma combines lean's focus on eliminating waste and flow with Six Sigma's statistical approach to reducing variation. Learn what each methodology contributes, where they overlap, and how they work together in practice.

Standard work drifts without someone periodically confirming it still matches reality. Learn how formal standard work audits work, how they differ from leader standard work's daily checks, and how to build an audit that actually catches drift.

A work instruction is the granular, visual, step-by-step reference an operator follows at the point of work. Learn how to build one that people actually use, including format, photo standards, and how it differs from a job breakdown sheet.

A standard operating procedure defines the required, approved steps for a regulated or safety-critical activity. Learn how to write, approve, roll out, and maintain an SOP that people actually follow, not just one that satisfies an audit.

A job breakdown sheet does nothing on its own until an operator can perform the job the way it describes. TWI Job Instruction is the four-step method, Prepare, Present, Try Out, Follow Up, that transfers a standard reliably from the sheet to the operator's hands.

Standard work, standard operating procedures, and work instructions are often used interchangeably, but each serves a distinct purpose and audience. Learn what separates them, where they overlap, and which document to use for which job.

Standard work documents the operator's job, but leaves the supervisor's job undefined. Leader standard work closes that gap: a defined, daily routine of checks, gemba verification, and coaching that keeps the operator-level standard from silently drifting.

Standard work is documented using three distinct forms, each serving a different purpose on the floor: the combination table, the standardized work chart, and the job breakdown sheet. Learn what goes on each form, how to actually build one, and how the three work together during training and kaizen.

Takt time, work sequence, and standard in-process stock are calculated, not estimated, and each has a defined formula behind it. Learn exactly how to calculate all three, how they interact when demand changes, and the specific mistakes that produce numbers that look precise but do not hold up in practice.