Prozanta Template
Standard Work / SOP
A standardised work instruction with time studies and quality points
Process:
Doc. no.:
Version: Rev:
How to use this template
Standard Work is a precise description of the best known way to perform a task — not the fastest, but the safest, most consistent and most quality-assured. It is the foundation for improvement: you can't improve what you haven't standardised.
When do you use it?
For all repeated, critical tasks — especially where variation leads to quality failures or safety problems. Use it for onboarding, on process changes and as a basis for 5 Why analyses when something goes wrong.
Takt time vs. cycle time
- Takt time = available production time ÷ customer demand (e.g. 480 min ÷ 96 units = 5 min/unit)
- It is the rhythm you must produce at
- Cycle time is the actual time to complete one sequence
- Cycle time ≤ Takt time = you're keeping up
- Cycle time > Takt time = you're behind
Step by step
- Observe the process as it's performed now — write down the steps, time each element.
- Calculate takt time: daily availability (min) ÷ daily demand (units).
- Identify quality points (★) and safety points (!) in each step.
- State the required equipment, materials and calibration status.
- Describe what to do about the most likely deviations.
- Train the employees in the standard and post it at the workstation — not in a drawer.
Watch out
- A standard written behind a desk without gemba observation is guesswork — go to where the work is done.
- Standard Work is not a punishment for independent thinking; it's the starting point for improvement.
- Update the standard when the process improves — an outdated standard is worse than no standard.
Example
Demand: 96 units/day, availability: 480 min → Takt time = 5 min/unit. Observed cycle time: 4 min 20 sec → under takt time, the process is keeping up. Critical quality point at step 4: torque check 12 Nm ± 0.5 Nm — 100% control.
Method: Toyota Production System Standard Work; cf. Mike Rother & John Shook, “Learning to See” (1998).
Department
Prepared by
Approved by
Valid from
Purpose and scope
Process purpose
Describe what the process produces and for whom...
Safety and PPE
State the required personal protective equipment...
Required materials and equipment
| Material / Part | Qty | Spec / No. |
|---|---|---|
| Tool / Machine | ID / No. | Calibrated |
|---|---|---|
Process description — standard work sequence
| # | Work step (what is done) | Time (sec) | Quality point / Critical point | Safety | Illustration/ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photo/sketch | ||||
| 2 | Photo/sketch | ||||
| 3 | Photo/sketch | ||||
| 4 | Photo/sketch | ||||
| 5 | Photo/sketch | ||||
| 6 | Photo/sketch | ||||
| 7 | Photo/sketch | ||||
| 8 | Photo/sketch | ||||
| 9 | Photo/sketch | ||||
| 10 | Photo/sketch | ||||
| 11 | Photo/sketch | ||||
| 12 | Photo/sketch | ||||
| Total cycle time | |||||
! = Critical safety point ★ = Quality point requiring 100% control
Deviations — what to do on a fault
| Possible deviation | Action | Contact person |
|---|---|---|
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Standard Work / SOP — Doc: _______ Ver: _______
Last revised: _________________