Standardised Work Audit

A standardised work audit reveals whether standards work in daily practice or exist only in documents. We check instructions, employee training, instructor and leader competence, adherence to standards in the gemba and how standards are updated and improved.

Standardised work audit: what do we examine?

We go beyond asking whether an instruction exists. We verify whether employees on every shift receive the same knowledge, use the agreed method and know how to respond when the process changes.

Standards management: priorities, owners, approval and updates.
Work instruction quality: important steps, key points, reasons, photographs and alignment with the actual method.
Gemba adherence: comparing documentation with the work of different people and shifts.
On-the-job training: preparation, delivery and follow-up.
Instructor and employee competence: instruction observation, the 20Q Audit and skills matrix use.
Supervision and Kaizen: roles, KPIs, audit rhythms and turning improvements into new standards.

We audit in the natural working environment. We speak with operators, instructors and leaders, observe operations and compare the declared system with practice. The outcome is a report covering strengths, nonconformities, risks, quick wins and an action plan.

The audit can be a standalone service or the starting point for TWI Job Instruction, TWI Job Instructions or the full Training Within Industry system.

Our role is to move from diagnosis to specific action. We establish the maturity of standardised work, identify priorities and help implement recommendations.

We design the audit scope: business objectives, processes, shifts, employee groups and operation samples.
We analyse documentation and risk: instructions, Job Breakdown Sheets, skills matrices, training records, safety and quality.
We audit in the gemba: observing work and comparing performance with standards across shifts.
We audit instructions and training: assessing standard structure, photograph quality, instruction and instructor competence through the 20Q Audit approach.
We interview operators, instructors and leaders: checking access to standards, responses to change and deviation management.
We assess management: roles, RASCI, KPIs, audit rhythms, skills matrices and links with Kaizen.
We classify nonconformities and quick wins: separating critical risks, system gaps and easy-to-implement actions.
We prepare the report and closing workshop: agreeing priorities, owners and a 30–60–90-day action plan.
We support implementation: reviewing progress and conducting a follow-up audit where needed.

+ standardised work audits conducted by the LeanTrix team

+ nonconformities and quick wins identified for improvement, usually with low effort and high organisational benefit

+ years of experience in standardised work, TWI and auditing on-the-job training systems

We provide support based on the Kata process, which allows us to adapt our activities to the specifics of your organization, taking into account the jointly set goals. The Kata process consists of four key elements that enable effective implementation of assumptions.

Determining the course of action

Designing a concept that responds to the organization's goals and challenges.

Determining the current state

Learning about the current situation and collecting input data to define the next step.

Determining the target state

Determining the desired and measurable end result and a plan for its implementation.

Experiments - consultations

Implementation of activities in accordance with the established cooperation model, based on PDCA cycles.

P

PLAN

We agree the audit objective: for example, improve quality, shorten onboarding, reduce errors, prepare ramp-up, transfer a process, improve safety or align work between shifts.
We define scope: a plant, department, line, process, workstation group or pilot area. Starting with the whole organisation is not always appropriate.
We select an operation sample: prioritising processes critical to safety, quality and customers, frequently taught, performed by many people or subject to high variability.
We collect input documentation: instructions, SOP/WI, TWI Job Breakdown Sheets, skills matrices, training procedures, audit records and quality and training data.
We establish audit criteria: covering the standard’s entire lifecycle—development, approval, training, application, auditing, updates and improvement.
We map roles and responsibilities: process, standard and training owners; document approvers; auditors; and change initiators. We use RASCI where appropriate.
We establish KPIs and reference data: such as time to independence, errors, complaints, accidents/near misses, turnover, competence, productivity and instruction quality.
We plan gemba observations and interviews: scheduling different shifts, employees with different tenure, instructors and leaders responsible for standards.
We prepare reporting rules: agreeing classification of nonconformities, quick wins, critical risks and systemic recommendations so the report is immediately actionable.

D

DO

We hold a short opening meeting: confirming scope, safety rules, contact people and the key problems to verify.
We go to the gemba: observing actual work and comparing it with current standards and instructions.
We observe several people performing the same operation: different shifts and tenure reveal whether the standard is shared or individuals use their own versions.
We audit work instructions: document structure, important steps, key points, reasons, photographs, language, version control, availability and alignment with the actual process.
We verify standard development: who collects data, whether authors work in the gemba, experienced employees’ involvement and approval before changes are implemented.
We observe employee training: learner preparation, job presentation, understanding checks and follow-up. Where scope includes instructor certification, we can use the 20Q Audit.
We check skills matrices: whether levels are current and evidence-based, and whether the organisation knows who can independently perform or teach an operation.
We interview leaders and operators: about standard changes, documentation access, training problems, typical deviations and responses to nonconformities.
We assess standards oversight: audit frequency, auditor roles, result analysis and closure of corrective actions.
We check the Kaizen connection: whether improvements lead to updated standards and retraining of affected people.
We record nonconformities, risks and quick wins throughout: many straightforward issues can be identified during the gemba visit without awaiting the final report.
We document examples: with the organisation’s permission, photographs and examples of good and weak practices support the report and closing workshop.

C

CHECK

We organise audit evidence: combining gemba observations, documentation, interviews, data and instruction assessment results.
We separate symptoms from system causes: an outdated instruction may reflect missing standard ownership, a weak change process or unsuitable responsibilities.
We classify nonconformities: critical risks, system gaps, local issues and quick wins resolvable with little effort.
We assess standardised work maturity: showing where systems are stable and where standards still depend on individuals.
We verify consistency between documents, training and execution: all three must communicate the same working method.
We prepare a management report: an executive overview, key risks, strengths and principal recommendations.
We prepare a detailed nonconformity register: each entry has a description, example, priority, recommended action and suggested owner.
We build a priority matrix: from simple, high-benefit actions to issues needing a project, training or systemic change.
We define an action plan: what to do within 30, 60 and 90 days and what belongs in a longer implementation programme.
We agree KPIs and measurement: such as current-instruction coverage, standard adherence, time to independence, errors, instruction quality and skill coverage.
We facilitate a closing workshop: discussing findings, confirming priorities and clarifying responsibilities with management and process owners.

A

ACT

We initiate quick wins: the organisation can immediately resolve simple issues with instructions, standard access, responsibilities and document updates.
We improve the highest-risk standards: refining instructions, key points and reasons, updating photographs and aligning how work is described.
We strengthen training: where gaps are identified, we implement or develop TWI Job Instruction, instruction standards, checklists and follow-up.
We develop instructors and trainers: the organisation can progress to TWI Instructor certification, Train the Trainer and independent internal standards auditing.
We update skills matrices: clarifying level criteria, independence confirmation and links between skills and specific standards.
We standardise the standard-change process: significant method changes should trigger documentation updates, communication, retraining and competence confirmation.
We establish an internal audit rhythm: defining frequency, samples, responsibilities, nonconformity recording and escalation of system problems.
We introduce management reviews: leaders regularly analyse KPIs, nonconformities, action status and standardisation quality.
We return for post-implementation consultation: checking progress, helping close difficult nonconformities and assessing whether solutions work in the real process.
We conduct a follow-up audit: after an agreed period, we resample processes, compare against the baseline audit and confirm maturity improvement.
We scale the solution: once the pilot is stable, standards, training and auditing extend to further lines, departments or locations.

(…) Mr. Kamil Müller led each workshop in a very interesting and engaging way. The workshops were 100% practical, based on many examples and exercises. Mr. Kamil was very willing to share his knowledge and experience with the workshop participants, creating a great atmosphere (…)

(…) Each training conducted by Leantrix Sp z o.o. was conducted reliably and adapted to the needs of our organization, which additionally strengthened the effectiveness of the activities. The experience of the trainers allowed us to meet the challenges posed by our specific production.(…)

(…) Leantrix Sp. Z o.o. demonstrated reliability. The company was open to our comments and suggestions, ready to modify the training program and develop individual solutions to enhance the effectiveness of the activities.(…)

Standardised Work Audit

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