Learn SOPs
SOPs give your team one clear way to do the job right, every time, on every shift.
Learn how SOPs work in real manufacturing environments. You’ll see how to write standard work that operators actually follow, cut down on training time and reduce errors on the floor.
15min Guide
How to Write a Manufacturing SOP
Our comprehensive guide walks you through how to write an SOP for a manufacturing process the right way – from identifying what type of document you actually need, to building it at the Gemba, to making sure people are properly trained against it.
5min Guide
Why Your Team Won’t Follow SOPs (And How to Fix It)
Most manufacturing companies think they have SOPs. Fewer actually use them. If you’ve wondered why your team ignores the laminated procedure on the wall, the answer probably isn’t what you think.
Posts
SOP news & updates
Inside: Applied Concepts
An Irish manufacturer that cut flagship build time from four weeks to one day using standard work, one-piece flow, and GembaDocs SOPs on the shop floor.
Why Your Team Won’t Follow SOPs (And How to Fix It)
Most manufacturing teams resist SOPs not because they hate standards, but because those standards are written without them. This article breaks down why SOPs fail on the shop floor, the five real benefits of getting them right, and what it takes to build procedures people actually use.
How Die Co., Inc Runs Lean Operations – AME Tour Highlights
See how one workshop transformed their daily operations with visual SOPs and Kanban systems. Simple, practical improvements that anyone can implement to make work easier, safer, and more consistent.
Videos
SOPs on the Gemba
These videos take you straight to the Gemba, where you can watch SOP and GembaDocs in action. You’ll see how real teams use GembaDocs to manage processes, share work instructions and cross-train staff.
Playlist
We also have a YouTube SOP playlist with a wealth of SOP videos showing SOPs in action on the shop-floor.
Taranto
What started as a few simple improvements has transformed his workshop into a model of organization and efficiency. No complex systems. No extensive training programs. Just practical solutions that make his work easier, safer, and more consistent.
Tennessee Cheesecake
“Having standards now has completely changed our training”.
That’s what Jennifer commented in the recent AME Lean Tour at Tennessee Cheesecake – a 45-year-old cheesecake bakery in Nashville that has been on their lean journey for just two years.
But that’s not all they covered in their tour. They covered ALOT.
Applied Concepts
Walk into Applied Concepts and it’s clear that standard work isn’t an aspiration, it’s how the place runs. Every product has its own jig, its own drawing, and its own GembaDocs SOP posted at the point of use, with a QR code on the fixture that pulls up a step-by-step build video on the spot. Variation is designed out before an operator picks up a tool.