Importance of standardisation

by pushpam
(mumnbai)

Question

My team is working on different activities. They are currently using their own way or process to finish these activities. I want to explain them through a game that if they have a standardised process in place their work could be easier



Answer

Get your team to play this game and debrief the process to help understand the importance of standardisation.

Divide the group into three teams. Assign each one a name as follows - base, centre, top. Give each team a bunch of straws - 10 to 15, and some ball pins.

Tell the group that the aim of the game is to build a tall structure using the material that they have been given. Only the final tall structure will be put together after each of the teams has built their part.

The 'base' team is incharge of building the base of the structure. The 'centre' team is in charge of building the central piece and the 'top' is in charge of buiding the 'top' structure.

They have twenty minutes to half-an hour to complete the task. While they have to work in their own teams they can send representatives to ask questions or share information, so as to coordinate the building of the final structure.

Once the individual team task is over, each one chooses a representative, who will take their particular piece and along with the other two representatives build the final structure.

Debrief questions:

• Describe the standards that were decided on


• Where these modified as the task progressed?


• Where the standards specfied clearly?


• What would have helped in the communication of these standards?


• Where there any glitches in the final assembly?


• Why did these glitches happen?

Use these questions to help the group understand the importance of standardisation.