We have mentioned Standard Work Documents (SWD) several times in these modules, and now we are going to explore how to use them. Basically a SWD is a companies collective knowledge of the most efficient way to manufacture a product. A SWD creates a standard way of completing a task that everyone adheres to. As improvements that have been shown to add value to the process are implemented through the Kaizen/PDCA process, they are incorporated into the SWD.

By following a SWD the data generated can be examined to suggest improvements that may not be readily visible. This standard way lets us take meaningful measurements and pull data confidently knowing that each person is doing the work in the same way. If you remember we measure improvement based on quantifiable data and having a standard way of completing a process means the data collected can be used to measure the overall efficiency of the task for the process as a whole.

In this module you’ll learn about

- What a standard work document is, and
- How to follow a standard work document in order to improve efficiency