Standardization and Human Resources

3. How would you begin the standardization process?

        In an increasingly globalized world where mergers and acquisitions are becoming fairly common, the process of standardization becomes of utmost importance. The process of standardization after a merger ensures that employees from both organizations operate in a consistent manner. Implementing standard operating procedures would aid in reducing confusion, increasing safety, increasing quality of treatment, and also increasing efficiency and morale.

        In order to begin this process, it is crucial that we revisit the previous standards that have been set for these employees. These standards could be documented or undocumented. In the case of documented standards the gathering of information becomes much simpler. However in the case where they aren’t documented information could be gathered through interviews, observation, etc. Once this information is gathered, management must make it a point to involve the operating employees in the process of objectively analyzing the processes at hand. According to an article published in the Printing Industries of America Magazine:

        Although company management and support personnel should be part of the group, the majority         of the group's membership should come from the individuals who operate the equipment and         execute processes and who will know whether current procedures are truly effective or if         revisions are necessary. (Rizzo, 2010)

During this stage, it is important to identify if there are more than one standard procedure set for a particular process, analyze how efficient they are, and determine if either of these procedures conflicts with the current strategies and processes of the organization.  

        Then, the team can begin to formally document and develop a common framework that can be used for all standard operating procedures. This framework must be clear and demonstrably define the desired outcomes and results. It should also attempt to establish a common language within the organization, as it is unlikely that both organizations used the same vocabulary when referring to systems and processes.

        The team could now focus on articulating the optimal standard operating procedures for each process. At this stage the team should focus on error-proofing the standard procedure so that when followed appropriately errors can be minimized or avoided all together. Procedural checklists and daily operation logs would assist in minimizing errors and keeping these procedures consistent. Furthermore, these standards should be reviewed frequently. Employees should be provided with an effective process to voice concern and improve these standards when change seems necessary. A popular method for implementing continuous growth is the “Kaizen Events” approach.