We’re often asked, “How can we sustain the progress we’ve made so far?” A
simple checklist for auditing is a critical measurement in this regard. The only way
we know how to sustain an improvement is to audit the area by going and seeing
firsthand. The audit form in Figure 20-4 is for standardized work. By design, it’s
very simple, with yes/no questions. Someone equivalent to a group leader does
the audits based on a regular schedule set in advance, for example, every week or
perhaps every two weeks. The results are summed up in a score, which is posted
on a trend chart. There should be a target on the trend chart to judge progress rel-
ative to goals. Figure 20-5 is a sample audit form for a heijunka(leveling) system.
At NUMMI they have a somewhat more elaborate process for auditing stan-
dardized work. They have large kamishibai(story books) standardized work
audit boards on the floor resembling employee punch cards. For each job there’s
a card, with yes/no questions, in a vertical column of cards. The group leader
checks one process each day by observing the team associate performing the
process and comparing it to the standard work sheet. If there’s a discrepancy, he
notes it and describes a countermeasure. The card for the audited job is put in
the corresponding slot in the next column to the right to show that the audit was
done that day. If there’s a problem, the card is turned backward with a dark side
facing out to indicate there is some action to be taken. The assistant manager
comes through daily to check the boards. There are over 90 boards in the
NUMMI assembly plant. There are similar boards for Total Productive
Maintenance (TPM). Managers do a lot of walking in Toyota plants to verify
proper use of systems in each area.
Very often metrics are used in a passive way. Someone at the top reviews
collected metrics in order to find operations that are deficient and read the riot
act to the guilty party. What we have described with hoshin planning and the
audit boards are active measures. The people doing the work set targets, track
progress relative to targets, and take immediate action when they’re not on tar-
get. Managers come to where the work is being done to audit and discuss
progress directly with the people doing the work. This is not part of the culture
in many companies.
So the question is: How can you create a culture of continuous improvement
so you don’t have to measure everything to entice improvement, and instead let
motivated associates set aggressive goals and measure their own progress?
Changing Behavior to Change Culture
There’s a long history of social psychology studies concerning the relationship
between attitudes and behavior. While the list of research studies are lengthy
and the scientific terminology complex, the results are pretty straightforward.
When people are asked questions about what they believe, their answers may