One popular application of the EZ-GO app is to clearly communicate One Point Lessons (OPLs). What are One Point Lessons, how do they aid in your process and why would you digitize them?
One Point Lessons are simple instructions, intended to explain and standardize Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on the job. They are step-by-step instructions for a specific operational activity, such as how to store a certain material, how to clean a part or how to replace adhesive tape.
The point of One Point Lessons
One Point Lessons are a great way to train people on the job, quickly and uniformly. Especially in an environment with a lot of churn or frequent temp workers, One Point Lessons are a must-have. Plus, they make for a great recording of the desired (optimal) way of performing these tasks, while providing excellent reference material as a refresher.
Who should be creating One Point Lessons?
There is always someone who coordinates the creation of One Point Lessons. This should be someone who understands the subject matter. Even more importantly, the operators should be involved themselves. They know the process better than anyone and making them part of this process ensures their support for the instructions. Plus, the presence of certain instructions often turns out to stimulate suggestions for improvement.
What are the criteria that a One Point Lesson must meet?
An effective One Point Lesson is:
- Simple: a step-by-step instruction that is clear to all.
- Unambiguous: the instruction can only be interpreted in one way.
- Visual: a bird’s eye view of what needs to be done as well as the end result. This is why many companies use a hard-copy sheet with several photos and a textual explanation.
- Standardized: the instruction is the same in multiple places within a production location and preferably across production locations.
- Easily accessible: not a hard-copy sheet in a folder on a shelf, but something that operators can consult easily and quickly.
- Easy to update. Improved insights and process changes may prompt the need for a One Point Lesson to be updated. Make it easy to keep them up to date.
- Learn from it: if you can register whether the instructions are being followed consistently, this will make for some valuable input for improvements.
What is the benefit of digitization?
Taking the list above into consideration, the limitations of hard copy are self-evident. Sure, instructions can be made simple, unambiguous and visual on a piece of paper. But standardization across locations is a lot more difficult that way. And let’s be honest, they aren’t usually easy to access, updating them is a lot of work and records of execution are virtually non-existent in hard copy. And if they do exist, they are very time consuming.
There are a lot of benefits to digitization through a platform like EZ-GO.
- Visual: you can use video in addition to photos. Videos provide a great added value, especially when it comes to work instructions that require multiple actions.
- Standardized: work instructions are easy to copy and use at other locations.
- Easily accessible: operators use iPads on the job and receive work instructions proactively.
- Easy to update: if it turns out that a certain step can be simplified or needs to be changed for whatever reason, the operator can take a new photo and upload it using the iPad. Depending on how you’ve organised this process, they can proceed autonomously or upon deliberation at a work meeting.
- Continuous improvement: marking an action as completed (‘completion & compliance’), provides an understanding of the quality of the operation. Tasks that fail to complete on a regular basis or where problems are reported, can be discussed at the work meeting as well as ways of improving them.
The benefits don’t end here. Working with a digital app will prove quicker and less error-prone. It becomes easier to train new employees and tasks are always executed in the same way.
Want to have a chat about improving efficiency within your factory? Feel free to get in touch: https://ezfactory.nl/en/contact/.