Success in business is highly dependent on a company’s ability to continuously improve productivity. The most effective means for improving productivity is to improve workforce performance. This is done, not by focusing on labor efficiency, but by employing a system of disciplines that enables and encourages the workforce to perform its responsibilities to meet customer needs and expectations without error and without waste.

The Maynard Workforce Performance Model depicts the system of disciplines essential to improve workforce performance and eliminate waste. Instilling these disciplines directly impacts the productivity, quality and culture of an organization. Practicing any one of the disciplines will help an organization to improve. Instilling these interdependent disciplines as a system equips the organization to meet overall company goals and establish an environment of continuous improvement.

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The model groups the disciplines into three distinct series to demonstrate how they build upon one another. Each series introduces a new level of complexity, ranging from the application of basic work design principles to managing workforce performance using planning tools and reward systems. At the base is the Lean Workplace Series. The disciplines in this series are at the heart of improving the work. The disciplines found in the Standard Work Series are focused on documenting and implementing the improved work in the workplace. And finally, the Workforce Performance Series is focused on equipping and preparing supervision to manage work.

Each of the disciplines are described briefly below.

5-S is a structured approach to develop workplace discipline and prepare the workplace and workforce for improvement.

Work Flow Design focuses on improving transitions between operations, eliminating non-value added work, managing work-in-process inventories and balancing work loads.

Best Methods is a set of principles that ensures that value added work is performed in the most effective manner possible. Improvements are made to increase consistency, eliminate undue ergonomic stresses and reduce time and waste.

Setup Reduction is a systematic way to reduce or ultimately eliminate the time it takes to setup or changeover for a job.

Engineered Standards are an accurate, documented representation of the work method and time required to do a job.

Workforce Training involves the development and use of job aids, such as visual method sheets, performance-based training manuals and other tools to train and equip the workforce to perform effectively and consistently.

Staffing and Reporting involves designing and implementing measures, staffing models and timely management reports.

Wage Alignment is a structured process for reviewing existing wage systems including job structures, job descriptions, wage structure and incentive plans to ensure that they motivate the desired behavior.

Managing Performance uses a participative approach that involves supervisors in the design, development and implementation of the system of disciplines required to improve workforce performance and eliminate waste.