Are You Using Standards Effectively?

‘Standards are the Foundations for Improvement’ In this episode, Lee explains the different applications and interpretations of standards and how implementing them can effectively help solve problems in your business. If you want to understand when and why standards can help you to move forward then tune in now.   KEY TAKEAWAYS What is the Standard? A standard is a level of quality or attainment or something used as a measure, norm or model in comparative evaluations. In the context of improvement, a standard is an agreed way of doing something so the customer gets what they want irrespective of who is completing the task in a repeatable process. There are 2 main types of standard – one is a measure of the target condition, one is a measure of conformance to process. When do you need a Standard? This ultimately depends on the problem that you are trying to solve A standard will help to increase the speed of a process if everybody follows the steps correctly to get to the desired outcome. By understanding the problem to be solved you will understand the standard required to solve the problem. Standards are complex but delivered in a very simple way. A standard should be the basis for improvement of a process with a repeatable output. A standard should not restrict and needs to absorb human variation. A standard should be produced in its simplest form to address the particular problem you are trying to resolve. A standard should be developed by those who complete the work.   BEST MOMENTS ‘There are differing viewpoints about standards and the level of granularity that should be captured ‘ ‘People are a cause of variation and everybody is different’ ‘This is about the complexity of the problem and possible complexity of the solution’ ‘Ultimately a standard is what should happen, not how it should happen’ ‘What are you improving if there is no baseline’   VALUABLE RESOURCES Business Problems Solved Podcast   ABOUT THE HOST What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Spending time with my 2 young children Jack & India, listening to/reading business & personal development material.   What profession are you/have you been in and how much experience do you have in it? For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improvement capability of individuals, teams and businesses.   CONTACT METHOD You can contact Lee Houghton on: [email protected] / 07813342194 / LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter by searching for Lee Houghton THE Business Problem Solver