ABSTRACT
We find standardization in all areas of Lean manufacturing, so it does not come as a surprise that there is also standardization in problem solving. Common sense is what drives us to do many things, including problem solving. Many times in problem solving we jump to a fix for the problem based on our past experiences, better known as gut feel. What we really want is a problem-solving method that will apply logic rather than gut feel to correct the issue. This can be very difficult for some employees to understand. In small companies that have had some of the same employees for many years, it can be traumatic. When introducing the standardized problem-solving method, some employees will feel that you no longer trust their judgment. For these employees, you will have to spend some time working with them to accept the change; their expertise is needed as much now as ever before. They need to understand that you have created a structured approach to problem solving, one that will get to the root cause of the problem and not just patch it to have the problem return at a later time.
