TWI: An Essential Ingredient in Standardisation

An overview of standardised work through the lense of Mr Isao Kato.

In 2018 and 2019 groups from the TWI Institute spent time in Japan with Mr Isao Kato. Mr. Kato has entrusted the TWI Institute and its partners with the exclusive rights to extend his program so that, in his words, “…it is accessible to people outside of Japan.”

This program provided AME participants with a "unified theory" of standardised work and its relationship to TWI.

In this 4 Hour workshop the group experienced:

• An overview of standardised work through the lense of Mr Isao Kato.
• The "why" and the "what" of the TWI skills of Job Relations, Job Instruction and Job Methods.
• The first thing.....“Without Work Standards there will be no standardised work” (Mr Kato).
• TWI skills being "pulled in" throughout standardisation.

Like many lean concepts we "standardised work" has been in some ways watered down and in other ways overcomplicated. 

Key Take Aways:

Our facilitator Oscar Roche did an excellent job of clearly defining work standards, standard work and standardisation.  He provided great examples and training on how to define normal and develop output work standards and people work standards.

He touched on:

TWI Job Instructions – How to train staff to follow the standard.  Developing Job Instructions.

TWI Job Relations – Leader gets their results through people.  How to communicate intent to team and how to get there.

TWI Job Methods – Breaking down the process, the why, what, when, who, how, and ideas for improvement.