120 THETOYOTAWAYFIELDBOOK
Quality standards are generally incorporated into operator instruction sheets for
detailed description of what type of condition to look for, where specifically to look,
and how to make a judgment determination of good/no good. Operations people
use the feedback from quality audits to determine the primary conditions to look for,
as well as the most common areas of occurrence. This provides the ability to create
a specific inspection method that can be incorporated into the work to ensure that
key areas are checked for the most common problems. It promotes a higher level of
quality at the source. The inspection step is not spelled out in detail in the standard-
ized work documents but is shown as a single element (inspect the part).
Written quality standards that require a visual disposition of a product are
subject to interpretation and are somewhat subjective. For example, the interpre-
tation of “acceptable surface appearance” depends on the subjective opinion of
“acceptable.” In these situations it is essential that the quality department provide
tangible examples of the desired quality levels. These are referred to as “boundary
samples,” and they represent the limit of acceptability for a particular issue.
The company generally establishes safety and environmental standards to
follow state and federal regulations. These standards are usually created by the
specific engineering departments and are not modifiable by other employees or
management without approval from that engineering department. However,
these requirements are provided to the employees who will develop standardized
work methods to achieve the necessary operator and environmental safety.
The work team or management for that area may develop safety requirements
specific to a particular job. Examples would include specific injury risk, such as
lacerations, or equipment pinch points. These potential safety concerns are
noted by the safety cross on the standardized work document.
Standard Specifications
These specifications provide the technical information on the correct operation of
equipment and certain process specifications required for producing a product.
Examples include:
TIP
Store Your Valuables for Safekeeping
Boundary samples are very important items and must be treated
with a degree of care. They should be stored in a safe place, and
possibly locked, with access limited to a supervisor. They are
not used frequently once operators develop judgment ability.
Boundary samples must be signed and dated by the authorized
quality representative, and it is manufacturing’s responsibility to
request and maintain them. Treat them like an investment!