Writing standard work instructions (SWIs) takes time and patience but they are worth the pain in the end.  SWIs help to ensure standardized procedures for optimal productivity.  This helps with consistency in production—which is what we want!  SWIs are also great for training new employees.  What better thing to leave the new worker with than detailed step-by-step instructions on how to do a job?  The objective of an SWI is to be able to explain the procedure to anyone not familiar with the system.

When writing SWIs make sure to include as much detail as possible.  This includes but is not limited to:  job title, purpose, scope, and job related definitions.  In the procedure section include the action and who’s responsibility it is to perform.  In this section step-by-step pictures are also extremely useful.

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Humility is one of the most important keys to gaining understanding, so let’s begin this post by eating some humble pie. Operations is not a magical skill set that a select few of us have but rather a practice that every person uses, consciously or subconsciously, on a daily basis. Operations encompasses such basic skills as ‘problem solving’, ‘time management’, ‘methodology’, and ‘planning’ that we have been engaging in since our kindergarten years.

 The truth is, all of us make Cost to Benefit Analyses (CBAs) on a daily basis. Should I switch to the new Droid phone? Should I lease or buy my next vehicle? Family time v. work time. What should I do this week-end? What’s the best way to get from point A to point B? The fact is that we instinctively do so much operations management in our day to day lives that everyone should count the years they’ve been alive on their resumes as ‘operations specialists’.

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If you are like me, looking into a student organization is always sketchy.  You’re wondering what types of people are in it, what you have to do to still be considered a member, but mostly how much of my time is this going to take and what am I going to get out of it.

I can say with 100% certainty that APICS is an excellent organization and I would not be nearly as connected without it.  For starters, I am doing this blog, this is my second semester in the organization!  Odds are if I rally a bit I will be an officer for the fall semester here too.  This is promotion in an internationally recognized organization which looks superb on a resume.

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On Friday February 12th, I had the opportunity to tour the Bush’s Baked Beans manufacturing facility in Augusta, Wisconsin. While there I learned much about the company as well as how quickly a continuously run line can actually work. In addition to that I also saw how a few semi-skilled workers along with a healthy amount of automation can streamline any operation.

When you walk in, you are required to wear a “Visitor” white button-up shirt; also you have to wear a hairnet and earplugs. After that they told us you are not allowed to have anything in your pockets above the waist, and then they said no jewelry. These precautions are necessary because you cannot have any of the above falling into the cans of beans. Then they gave us a little disclaimer saying that this plant was not designed for tours, so be aware of your surroundings.

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From the production of airplanes to making a sandwich operations is truly everywhere. The concept behind there is one best way to do everything applies to nearly every situation. What inspired me to talk about this was when I was donating plasma on Thursday and how unbelievably organized the entire process was, it seemed very much like controlled chaos.

To start one must call there automated call center to listen to how the plasma saves lives, the requirements to donate, then the possible risks involved. After that they ask you to press a button to speak to an operator to schedule an appointment. Once an appointment is schedule they remind you to arrive early, eat a good meal and drink a lot of water.

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This interview was with Susan Weinschenk Phd, CUA, Chief of UX Strategy, Americas, the “UX” stands for user experience. This interview taught me a lot about the profession as well as what to expect should when I (hopefully) join the ranks of working management. This interview also contains some general information about searching for jobs and resume preparation.

1. What made you choose management as a profession?

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A new project starting this month in Placer County! Very exciting!! As a PM assistant, it’s my job to prepare the “IIPP” (Injury Illness Prevention Plan) and “SWPPP” (Storm Water Pollution prevention Plan). They are both pretty generic binders with directions on how we will react when something happens. If I’m lucky, they will bring me on site to show me where they are putting in silt fence, sand bag, all those good stuff. Normally, they just draw “x”‘s on the site map and I make a new one accordingly.

I also compile a list of the equipments that needs to be submitted to the city before use. They range from these vales or meters to these big “self-cleaning trash racks”. I do a lot of filing at work, for all different departments. I went to a “P6″ training in LA area back in June and now I start helping with schedule updates. I plot big big schedules.

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“The Goal” is one of the best business novels I have ever read and is a highly recommended read for Manufacturing/Supply Chain professionals like us. The author looks into the manufacturing system of a plant and comes up with a step by step way to improve throughput, inventory and operational expense, hence saving a dying plant. The book is not only written to make the reader aware of an idealistic way to approach a manufacturing problem, but it also highlights common mistakes in strategy and how they may create bottlenecks at various levels of a manufacturing process.

The author introduces the Theory of Constraints (TOC) in the book. TOC and its refined forms have been successfully implemented by many companies worldwide as a method of continuous improvement. Many have started using TOC, Lean and Six Sigma in tandem to continuously improve their present processes which some call the TLC Methodology.

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