Overview

Poor performance and failure to adhere to standard work often correlates to inefficient or lack of quality training. In efforts to increase team performance, I distributed job aids across the warehouse that educate the team about standard work and the whys behind each process.

The Problem

Associates are often bombarded with new information during their first couple days at work. Key information regarding their processes can often be drowned out and forgotten. Through completing safety and standard work audits, team identified that over 90% of below average performers were not following standard work.

The Solution

Inspired by restroom flyers and breakroom table-toppers, I created job aids to post up throughout the warehouse that associates could read during downtime or water breaks. Job aids were meant to act as a reinforcement to associates’ initial training and day-to-day coaching. Job aids also enabled managers and trainers to refer to a visual guide when coaching associates.

Content - Job aids contained information about the whys pertaining to safety and quality. For example, it is important to stand on a specific side of equipment to reduce the changes of bumping into the equipment; we need to stack our bags a certain way because it affects drivers’ (our downstream customers) loading experience.

Format - Points made in the job aid were concise with only 2-3 sentences of key points. I avoided using industry/company-specific vocabulary and instead opted for language that is more commonly used in regular day conversation.

Visuals - Each job aid had no more than three colors to avoid visual clutter. Graphics were made with simple shapes and blocks.

The Results

Team saw 19.9% increase in key process standard work compliance and 18.5% increase in process rate over the course of 4 months. Through surveying the team, many individuals also stated that they enjoyed the job aids because they were able to intake the information at their own pace. They enjoyed reading about the whys behind standard work, and one person noted the job “made more sense” after seeing one of the points made on a job aid.