This document discusses standard work principles and tools that can be used by program coordinators. It defines standard work as documenting the current best practice for completing a task. This includes the steps, order, and process. Checklists, flowcharts, templates, and standard operating procedures are presented as tools to incorporate standard work. Using standard work saves time, reduces errors and stress, improves consistency and performance. The benefits of applying standard work to coordinator tasks are explained.

1. Understanding and Incorporating
Standard Work Principles for
Program Coordinators
Amy Motta
Program Coordinator
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
April 6, 2018

2. Learning Objectives
1. Understand what Standard Work is
2. Learn the tools used in Standard Work
3. Learn how to incorporate Standard Work
principles into program coordinator tasks
4. Recognize the benefits of Standard Work

3. What is Standard Work?
Lean
• A Lean principle
o Started with Toyota manufacturing in the 1990s
o Lean is a system for reducing waste without
slowing productivity by process improvement
o Concept of added value
• Similar to Six Sigma, 5S, DMAIC, PDSA, CQI

4. What is Standard Work?
Lean - 10 Types of Waste
• Processing
• Correction
• Inventory
• Wait Time
• Search Time
• Transportation
• Space
• Over-
production
• Complexity
• Underutilized
People

5. Standard Work
• Document the current best practice to
complete a task (this is the “standard”)
• Documents the steps you need to take to
complete a task and the order you need to
take them in
• Re-examine the process
• Make changes to the process

6. Benefits of Standard Work
• Save time
• Waiting, searching, fixing errors
• Less stress
• Improve job performance
• ACGME Annual Program Evaluation and Self Study
• Raise job performance to a higher quality
• More consistency in your work
• Promotes innovation

7. Tool #1 Checklists
• Great tool if you know the process well and,
if there are many small tasks over a
significant period of time

8. Tool #1 Checklists - Recruiting

9. Tool #1 Checklists - Graduation Checklist
 Pick date and reserve venue
 Add to MedHub calendar and announcements
 Tell Chair, PD, and APD
 Send save-the-date email
 Order food
 Order gifts
 Send invitation email
 Finish certificates
 Pay the venue/caterer

10. Tool #1 Checklists
• Use as a safety net to make sure tasks are not
overlooked
• Should be short and sweet
• Group items that are due at the same time
together
• Allow for natural breaks
• Use clear language
• Should be uncluttered
• 1 page
• Choose your format (Excel, Word)

11. Tool #1 Checklists
• Two ways to use checklists
• Read-and-Do method: Read the first task on the
checklist, then do it, repeat
• Confirm method: Do tasks based on your
memory, then use the checklist to confirm that
you completed everything

12. Tool #2 Flowcharts
• Great for tasks that others have some
responsibility for
• Can be made in Excel or Word
• Decide left-to-right or top-to-bottom
• Use symbols:
Start/End Process Decision Flow

13. Tool #2 Flowcharts

14. Tool #3 Templates
• Emails you send over and over
• Save as Word files
• Read before sending

15. Tool #4 Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs)

16. Tool #4 I ♥ SOPs
• SOPs are not Policies
• Policies state what must be done.
• Procedures describe how the policy will be
followed.
• Procedures are usually tied to policies.
• The “Purpose of Procedure” is to follow a
policy/ACGME requirement etc.

17. Tool #4 I ♥ SOPs
I. Purpose of Procedure
II. Procedure Scope
III. Definitions
IV. Equipment
V. Procedure
VI. References

18. Tool #4 I ♥ SOPs
Graduation SOP Procedure
1. Pick date and reserve venue (due 1 year in advance)
2. Add to MedHub calendar and announcements (due as
soon as you know the date)
3. Tell Chair, PD, and APD (due as soon as you know the date)
4. Send save-the-date email (due Jan 30)
5. Order food (due 2 months before)
6. Order gifts (due 2 months before)
7. Send invitation email (due 2 weeks before)
8. Finish certificates (due 1 day before)
9. Pay the venue/caterer (due 2 weeks after)

19. Tool #4 I ♥ SOPs
Graduation SOP Procedure
1. Pick date and reserve venue (due 1 year in
advance)
a. Email Sales Manager at Hotel Fabulous, use
template
b. Ask for the Friday in mid-June
c. Ask for the Presidents’ Room
d. Confirm date is okay with PD
e. If Hotel Fabulous is not available…

20. Tool #4 I ♥ SOPs
• Test your SOP on another Coordinator
• Have them only do what you read to them
• You will identify:
• Assumed knowledge
• Redundancies
• Lack of clarity
• Missing steps

21. Standard Work
• Use your tools every time you do the task,
updating as you go
• Choose one task and develop standard work
tools, something small like Work Hours or
Verifications, or aggravating like a paper-based
process

22. Learning Objectives
1. Understand what Standard Work is
2. Learn the tools used in Standard Work
3. Learn how to incorporate Standard Work
principles into program coordinator tasks
4. Recognize the benefits of Standard Work

23. References
• The Evolving Role of the Program Coordinator: Five
Essential Skills for the Coordinator Toolbox.
Stuckelman J, Zavatchen SE, Jones SA. Acad Radiol.
2017 Jun;24(6):725-729. Review. PMID: 28262520
• The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande, MD
• http://www.projectcheck.org/checklist-for-
checklists.html