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2022. 4. 20. | Time to read: 3 min
Drishti 이사회의 설립자이자 회장인 Prasad Akella박사는 기술을 사용하여 인간의 능력을 확장하는 세 번째 거대한 시장 카테고리를 만들고 있습니다. 1990년대에 프라사드는 세계 최초의 협동 로봇 (‘cobots’, 2025년까지 120억 달러의 시장이 될 것으로 예상되는 예상됨 코봇)을 개발한 제너럴 모터스 팀을 이끌었습니다. 2000년대 초, 소셜 네트워킹의 선구자인 Spoke의 공동 설립자로서, 현재 수조 달러의 가치를 가진 거대한 소셜 그래프를 구상하고 그 구축을 지원했습니다. 현재는 Drishti에서 AI 기반 생산이라는 형태로, AI의 인식력과 공장에서의 인간의 유연성을 조합하는 것에 임하고 있습니다. Prasad는 캘리포니아 마운틴 뷰에 기반을 두고 있습니다.
I’ve worked in many professional settings and have worn many hats, from sales to the most technical of roles. I have run across the idea of process standardization in many different forms — ”best practices,” “4 phase product development,” etc. Many people have reacted negatively to standardization, feeling they will be “boxed in” and limited in their own creative freedom, particularly in roles where a process and creativity appear to be oxymoronic. To be honest, early in my career, I felt this way too. As I have grown, I realize that more often than not, the issue is a poor, overburdensome or inflexible process rather than having standardization itself.
At this stage in my career, I want to make the case for standardization. In fact, going further, I believe that creativity is enhanced manyfold by a foundation of standardization.
A role for creativity in every walk of life
First off, creativity is not always correlated to stereotypical “artistic” roles. I have known many artistically creative mechanical engineers and coders. I have also known many analytical and numbers-focused artistic types, like writers and marketers. My conclusion? Creativity and role are not intrinsically tied together. What is common, however, is the need to be creative in every role, with certain roles intrinsically needing greater creativity.
When we think of creativity, we think of cerebral processes — designing new products, creating new art, writing a book. In my world of engineering, consider an engineer designing a new product. Would I rather that he worry about the mechanics of a process (e.g., what design template to use, whom to get the required approvals from, schedule these review meetings) or on the design itself? I’d submit the latter, which plays to the strengths of the engineer. When a process is established, the engineer knows there are preset decisions and decision milestones, leaving him or her to get creative with the important work.
Traditionally “creative” roles flourish with defined processes, too. Think about the role of a graphic designer or videographer, people who are responsible for making artwork. If you’ve ever worked with a designer, you know that early in the process, he or she requires a clear creative brief outlining the project specifications, along with key milestones, review processes, etc. Defined workflows make expectations clearer for all parties, leaving the designer free to focus on making the art.
Steve Jobs famously wore virtually the same outfit every day. This action allowed him to shed unnecessary decisions from his day. He wanted full mental capacity so that his creativity and intelligence could be unbothered by extra superfluous things. While this example is a bit extreme for most people, the point is taken.
It is this appreciation for building what I call “enabling standardized processes” that I have built as my hair has grayed. It's an appreciation that I see beautifully articulated in two situations. First, the renowned Toyota Production System (TPS) and its use of “standardized work” as a foundational element and Atul Gawande’s “The Checklist Manifesto” where he proposes a similar role for checklists in hospitals, including the emergency room which is considered to be the pinnacle of creativity amongst doctors.
Bringing this idea to the factory setting
I (along with the creators of TPS) would argue that the same is true of all roles, including technicians on the floor following their work instructions while identifying and resolving issues that you either have not anticipated or have been introduced since the last time the process was updated. You want them to be focused on doing their best work possible, not wondering about what comes next or trying to forge a process themselves. It’s one of the things that I love about Drishti. It allows everyone from the line associate to the plant manager to focus his or her attention and creativity on the most important aspects of their specific job.
The point is that standardization actually promotes creativity when implemented correctly. A good process lets your people focus on what you hired them to do while leaving the rest in an easy-to-follow and transparent set of actions that they shouldn’t have to think about.
Want to read more about standardized work, and how new technology is moving it into Industry 4.0? Check out our eBook.
