Business – 9.3 Operations strategy – Lean production | e-Consult

Standardised work provides consistency and reduces waste, but it can also create the following constraints:

1. Reduced employee autonomy: Workers may feel discouraged from suggesting improvements if procedures are rigidly prescribed.
2. Difficulty adapting to new products or processes: Standard routines may need extensive re‑documentation before changes can be implemented, slowing response time.
3. Innovation bottleneck: Continuous improvement (kaizen) relies on incremental changes; over‑standardisation can stifle radical or creative solutions that fall outside the existing framework.

Balancing standardisation with empowerment mechanisms—such as suggestion schemes and cross‑training—helps mitigate these limitations.