Standardization provides a number of potential benefits. Standardization is used to improve quality of a product or service. Standardization provides consistency, valued by your consumers and leading to greater levels of loyalty and retention. Standardization provides a platform for continuous improvement and standardization provides a framework for accountability.

For you, the objective of standardization may vary depending somewhat on context. Are you a sole proprietor turning out dozens of similar bowls in a production shop or are you an artist inspired to create one-of-a kind pieces? Are you a hobbyist trying to make the most efficient use of your limited spare time? Maybe you are one of many on a team of associates working together to grow a business?

At its most fundamental level standardization can be defined as “the best way I/we know how to      (fill in the blank)    .”  It may not be the absolute best way to accomplish a given task. There may be room for improvement, but a standardized way is the best way we know how to…      (fill in the blank)     today.

Think about this definition for a moment. If each day you sanded wood randomly in relation to the grain, some days you would may end up with a nicely finished piece of wood while on other days you would be less than satisfied. Let’s further say that you recognized the poor quality on a given day and changed the your sanding pattern to be in line with the grain. For that day your results improve, right. But if you approach the wood randomly the next day (no standardization) quality falls and work effort increases.

One objective of standardization is solidifying improvements. If we have learned to sand with the grain, improved quality and reduced work, by making this new approach a standard we have forever more locked in the productivity and quality improvements with standardization.

While consumers needs, wants and expectations can vary wildly, two characteristics that all loyal, retained customers share are a desire of value for their money and consistency in service levels and quality. Today you visit a new restaurant, the meal is delicious, the service outstanding the price is low. Next week you return and the food is cold, the service is slow and the price is higher. What are the odds you will try a third time? Standardizations provides the consistency that loyal customers crave.

Over time, we often learn naturally through trial and error how to produce better results. Intrinsically we learn to sand with the grain. We have standardized our approach and established the best way we know how…. today. It’s at this point that we can now leverage the greatest opportunities of having standardization. To quote a great man, Taiichi Ohno, “without standardization, there can be no kaizen (improvement)”

Once we have standardized our approach to a task we now have a platform for continued improvement. If sanding with the grain is better than sanding randomly, what is the next opportunity to improve quality or reduce the effort required? Would a sanding block help or a different brand of sandpaper? Would a progression of finer grit sanding paper help? Maybe it’s a larger variety of grits that we need. Instead of 80 to 120 to 220, would 80 to 100 to 120 to 180 to 220 produce better results faster?

For virtually everyone, the objective of standardization is to aid in producing consistent levels of quality in the most efficient manner known. But if you are part of a larger group, company or organization there are other benefits that should be recognized. Standardization provides a framework for accountability and documented standards provide an excellent tool for training and development.

Accountability is a word often used but seldom applied. In many businesses today, associates are held accountable for “standards” that are often poorly documented or conveyed. By documenting a standard and setting an expectations there is clarity for all and a basis for accountability.

Lastly, in an organization a clearly defined, documented standardized process provides and excellent tool for training new associates or for coaching existing associates to improve their performance.

Many that I ask will claim that in work and at home they often make efforts to improve. When I ask for examples of actual implemented change in the last two weeks, it’s generally quiet. At most, I might get an example of a major project underway, or one that that was already completed. Few people can name more than a handful of improvements made over the past year big or small.

Kaizen however is not about big innovative changes. It’s not about installing new systems, computers or equipment. It’s not about contracting with another vendor to handle the work you don’t like. It’s not about fundamental changes in your approach toward business.

Kaizen is about making small, incremental improvements to what you already have by means of elimination of wastes first and adding value second. Kaizen is about making dozens or hundreds of small changes over time.

Life is filled with nuisances. In work and in life, we all find reasons to complain that things take too long, move too slow, and cost too much in time, effort and energy. Kaizen is about eliminating these nuisances, all of them. And the more you look, the more you learn to see.

In the shop, it continues to amaze me how many nuisances there are. So many little inconveniences that slow you down, make your work harder than necessary, and impact the overall quality of your work.

As an example, band-saw blades have been a nuisance to me for years. When new and neatly rolled it seems easy to find a place to store a few. While I have occasionally gotten lucky trying to re-fold them once used, it’s a puzzle I’ve tired of battling. As a result I’ve hung used blades wherever I could find a spare spot. These large bands of sharpened steel inevitably get knocked off the wall.  

In less time than I have spent wrangling band-saw blades in the past, I glued up this practical while not aesthetically pleasing blade storage rack. Hung from a French cleat, I can move it as necessary around the shop. The upper portion is stationary. The vertical bar is affixed to the bottom and slides up and down in a groove of the top. All used blades can be stored in one of two sections, unfolded, while new blades hang conveniently in the center.

This is just one example of a good kaizen project, improving the current environment. It was quickly implemented for a nominal cost in time and money. I will forever on know exactly where all my blades are and none will be accidentally knocked off the wall. Nuisance eliminated!

How many more opportunities are there?

From the very first day I had a lathe I wanted to try my hand at segmented turnings. These projects can be quite intimidating. For some pieces you must cut hundreds of segments just right before you can ever hope to glue up a piece for turning.

There are several good articles I have found that help you with layout and technique. Kevin’s Woodturnings is one site that really helped me! but I still struggled with the math and figuring out how big to cut each piece.

Here is a tool that should help you, it certainly helped me. I have created an excel spreadsheet that has a separate page for both open and closed segmented turnings. Each page has columns for the nuber of segments in the finished ring. From there the calculations do the rest.

As an example, for an 8 segmented closed circle you would need each division to be 45 degrees. Since you are cutting two pieces to be glued making this 45 degree angle each piece being joined would be cut at 22.5 degree. Simple enough so far….

Next you simply look down the chart to find the radius of the circle you want to make. If it is a 5″ radius, meaning you want a 10″ wide ring, the outer most edge of the segments would need to be cut 4-2/16″ wide.

Cut 8 pie shaped pieces with this dimension and you will be able to glue up a 10″ 8-sided ring.

There you go… have fun, experiment…. but please give me feedback! Let me know if it works, send me a picture of your piece. I’d love to have an example or two to present in my site!

To download the excel file, Click Here  segment-turning-math