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The Importance of Being Standardized

I do the same thing every morning.

I get up, I walk downstairs, and I turn on the coffee pot. While it readies itself, I grind the beans, get my favorite cup, and pour milk into the frothier. Once the desired temperature has been achieved, I press the illuminated button, put my supplies away, and once the cycle has completed, take my morning brew to my office to start the day.

I have set up my environment to support this routine. My coffee cup is above the machine, as are the beans. The milk is four steps away (plus one-half step back to open the door to the fridge), a spoon resides beside the coffee maker for stirring.

Should an anomaly be present (no beans, low water, etc.), I am able to react and adjust quickly because I have spent time ensuring there is a place for everything and everything is in its place. Some mornings may get derailed due to events out of my control, however for things I do control, I have planned and prepared to increase the probability of a consistent morning routine.

And while some may call me predictable, I disagree.

I am standardized.

Benefits of Standardization

Standardization is not only an important part of a chaos free personal life, but also a crucial component to a well-run warehouse.

 Standards are the foundation of a performance driven culture and play a key role in:

  • Quality and Customer Satisfaction
  • Productivity
  • Operational Cost Control
  • Workforce Turnover Minimization
  • Safety
  • Business Continuity Planning
  • World Class Performance

Standardizing work processes allows an organization to:

  • Set business expectations through minimum mandatory requirements, governance, and accountability
  • Establish metric alignment to provide trend data thru increased predictability
  • Minimize risk through proactive preventative approach vs. a reactive situational response
  • Establish consistency across 3PL and company owned sites
  • Develop contracting conditions with logistics partners based on established standards and metrics
  • Encourage continuous improvement
  • Streamline root cause failure analysis

Implementing Standardized Processes

The value and savings standardization can contribute to the business is directly correlated to the commitment and involvement of the organization’s employees and leadership to the culture.

While the gains are significant, it is important to understand that the process of introducing standardization can be challenging, as well as time consuming. There may be resistance to the change.

Moving a work force from non-standardized to standardized is best done in phases. When deciding how to roll out task standardization consider the following:

  • Is there a task that is already 60-70% standardized
  • Is there a training team that could be utilized in one area as the “startup” team
  • Is there a smaller workgroup that might be easier to train on new process
  • Is there a process that has less complicated steps or less exceptions

Regardless of the task strategy, plan for potential workforce challenges by engaging in common change management techniques:

  • Communicate change is coming and why
  • Ensure employees understand the benefits of the change both from an individual and organizational level
  • Speak to WIIFM (what’s in it for me) and address fears
  • Focus on training and education; provide resources as needed
  • Monitor progress of the change and adjust roll out as needed
  • Reinforce the standardized process and provide feedback
  • Most importantly Be Patient, Be Present

As you progress in creating predictable routines, examine the environment and ergonomics associated with each task. If the environment supports the standardized process by bringing tools and resources closer to the task, it is more likely the standardized approach will be chosen.

Once the implementation is complete, audit the results. Creep can happen over time. An audit or observation program will ensure sustainable change through positive and corrective feedback, training, and accountability.

In summary, standardization allows warehouse operations to measure critical KPI’s in the business with better accuracy and predictability. By implementing standardized work processes, organizations can manage costs, as well as understand opportunity for improvement better. Implementation of standardization however is best undertaken with a solid change management and communication plan in place, as well as understood as an ongoing process of auditing and accountability to ensure continued success.
 
—Dawnya Brown, St. Onge Company
 
 

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St. Onge Company is Proud to Once Again Have Been Ranked Among the Highest-Scoring Businesses on Inc. Magazine’s Annual List of Best Workplaces for 2024

We have been named to Inc. Magazine’s annual Best Workplaces list for the second year in a row! Featured in the May/June 2024 issue, the list is the result of a comprehensive measurement of American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company culture, whether operating in a physical or a virtual facility.

From thousands of entries, we are one of only 535 companies honored.

Click here to see our listing!