Lean Standard Work: The Standard Pig Game – PowerPoint PPTX Template

BENEFITS OF THIS DOWNLOADABLE POWERPOINT DOCUMENT

1. Interactive Learning: Engages participants with hands-on activities that make understanding standard work concepts fun and memorable.
2. Practical Insights: Provides real-world lessons on the importance of clear instructions and repeatable processes, enhancing operational efficiency.
3. Easy Setup: Requires minimal equipment, making it simple to implement in any classroom or workshop setting.

WORKSHOPS PPT TEMPLATE DESCRIPTION

Standard Pig Game PPT by Allan Ung: Learn Lean Standard Work with this interactive exercise. Download the proven training tool to master Lean Six Sigma concepts and improve process flow. Lean Standard Pig Game is a 27-slide PPT PowerPoint presentation template (PPTX) with a supplemental Word document available for immediate download upon purchase.

LEAN STANDARD WORK: THE STANDARD PIG GAME FACILITATOR'S PACKAGE
A complete experiential learning toolkit designed by Operational Excellence Consulting to teach the power of Lean Standard Work – in under 30 minutes, with zero slides of raw theory.

Why The Standard Pig Game? The Power of "Learning by Doing"

In Lean management, Standard Work is defined as an agreed-upon set of procedures establishing the best, most reliable method and sequence for each process. But standard work is notoriously difficult to teach through lecturing. Telling your team about "maximizing performance while minimizing waste" and "creating stable, predictable, and repeatable processes" rarely leads to genuine cultural transformation.

The Standard Pig Game solves this challenge by bringing Lean principles to life through a simple, unforgettable activity: drawing a pig.

Through four rapid, progressive rounds, participants experience firsthand how the exact same simple task produces wildly chaotic and inconsistent results without a standard, and near-identical, high-quality results with one. The drawings on the wall speak for themselves – completely bypassing theoretical resistance and creating a lasting "aha!" moment for your team.

INSIDE THE EXPERIENTIAL JOURNEY: THE 4 PROGRESSIVE ROUNDS

The Standard Pig Game is structured to systematically demonstrate the progression from total process chaos to optimized visual standards. Each round lasts just 30 to 40 seconds under strict time pressure to simulate real-world operational constraints:

⏱️ Round 1: Total Autonomy (No Instructions)

•  The Task: Participants are told simply to "draw a pig" in 40 seconds. Zero instructions, guidelines, or templates are provided.
•  The Outcome: Wildly inconsistent drawings in every size, style, and pose imaginable.
•  The Lean Lesson: Without a documented standard, every worker interprets the process differently. There is no way to define "quality" or "the right way" when no baseline exists.

📜 Round 2: The Limitation of Text-Only SOPs (Written Instructions)

•  The Task: Participants divide their paper into a 3×3 grid and follow 13 complex, text-only written steps in exact order to draw the pig in 40 seconds.
•  The Outcome: The drawings show improved consistency in proportions, but major variations and errors still arise.
•  The Lean Lesson: Written SOPs are better than nothing, but text alone leaves massive room for individual interpretation. Terms like "draw an arc" or "cursive letter e" create ambiguity and operational bottlenecks under time pressure.

👁️ Round 3: Visual SOP Supremacy (Visual Reference)

•  The Task: Participants copy a clear, numbered visual reference diagram exactly in 40 seconds.
•  The Outcome: High process stability. Drawings are near-identical and closely match the target reference.
•  The Lean Lesson:A clear visual standard eliminates guesswork and interpretation, enabling any worker to deliver the exact correct result, every single time. This is what the customer wants.

🚀 Round 4 (Optional): Lean Continuous Improvement (Simplified Visual Aid)

•  The Task: A 30-second discussion-based reflection comparing the Round 3 visual standard against an even simpler visual aid with steps numbered directly on the image.
•  The Outcome: Teams realize that standard work itself must be continuously improved.
•  The Lean Lesson: The best standard work isn't the most detailed one – it's the simplest, most intuitive one that people can follow correctly and quickly without ambiguity.

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS FACILITATOR'S PACKAGE?

This complete training package provides everything you need to run this exercise successfully with zero prior preparation or Lean facilitation experience:

1. Premium Facilitator's Presentation Slide Deck (PPTX)

★ A beautifully structured, highly professional 27-slide deck to project during your session.
★ Includes ready-made visual instructions, built-in action cues, round transition dividers, and high-resolution diagrams of both the Round 3 and Round 4 pig standards.
★ Fully customizable to align with your organization's branding, colors, and specific workshop structure.

2. Detailed Facilitator's Word Guide & Scripting (DOCX)

★ Step-by-Step SAY / DO Facilitation Scripts: Complete conversational scripting for introducing the game, setting up the clock, managing the transitions, and leading the room.
★ Robust Discussion Question Bank: Facilitator notes detailing exactly what to ask and "what to listen for" during each round's debrief to successfully connect the drawings back to real-world operations.
★ Troubleshooting and Pitfall Mitigation Guide: Expert advice on handling common training hiccups (e.g., participants sneaking a peek at instructions early, running short on time, managing groups that finish at different times, or overcoming resistance from cynical participants).
★ Seamless Virtual/Remote Video Call Adaptation Notes: Explicit adjustments for running the game flawlessly over Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or Webex using the gallery grid view and camera-sharing.

TARGET AUDIENCE & APPLICATIONS

This training package is ideal for:
•  Lean Practitioners & Six Sigma Black Belts looking for an engaging icebreaker or simulation to kick off Kaizen events.
•  Operational Excellence Managers & Consultants seeking to demonstrate standard work principles to frontline workers and senior leadership alike.
•  Corporate Trainers & Agile Coaches establishing standard operating procedures across manufacturing, administrative, service, or software development teams.
•  HR Managers & Onboarding Coordinators looking to embed continuous improvement culture early in the employee lifecycle.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

What is the Standard Pig Game?
The Standard Pig Game is a short, interactive experiential training exercise designed to teach teams the value of Lean Standard Work and process stability. Participants draw a pig over multiple rounds under varying levels of standardization (from no instructions to detailed visual aids), experiencing firsthand how standards eliminate process variation and waste.

How long does it take to run the Standard Pig Game?
The core version of the game (Rounds 1–3 and discussions) takes between 20 and 25 minutes to facilitate. If you choose to run the optional Round 4 continuous improvement discussion, please allocate an additional 10 minutes (30–35 minutes total).

What materials are required to facilitate the game?
The game requires very basic, inexpensive office supplies: 1. One pen or pencil per participant. 2. Four blank sheets of A4 or Letter-sized paper per participant (one sheet for each round, plus spares). 3. Masking tape to stick the finished drawings to the wall. 4. Dedicated wall, whiteboard, or board space divided into zones to display the drawings side-by-side. 5. A visible timer or stopwatch to keep strict track of the 30–40 second rounds.

Can the Standard Pig Game be facilitated in remote or virtual workshops?
Yes! The package contains explicit virtual-delivery guidelines. Facilitators can run the session over video conferencing platforms (like Zoom or Teams) by having participants draw on physical paper at their desks, and using the gallery/grid view as the display "wall". The guide also outlines specific instructions on managing screen-sharing to keep instructions hidden until each round begins.

Do I need prior Lean or manufacturing experience to facilitate this game?
No. The Facilitator's Guide is specifically structured for first-time trainers with "no prior experience required". It provides a full, step-by-step SAY / DO script and exhaustive debrief guidelines that translate the results of the game into core Lean concepts for you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE CONSULTING (OEC)

This program was created and vetted by Operational Excellence Consulting (OEC), a premier management training and consulting firm based in Singapore.

OEC assists global organizations in dramatically improving business performance and operational effectiveness. Known for their unique "beyond the tools" approach, OEC focuses on developing deep internal capabilities and driving cultural transformations to achieve sustainable, world-class excellence and long-term competitive advantage. When you purchase an OEC training package, you are utilizing materials designed, tested, and deployed by practicing enterprise consultants in real corporate workshops.

Source: Best Practices in Workshops, Lean Game, Standard Work PowerPoint Slides: Lean Standard Work: The Standard Pig Game PowerPoint (PPTX) Presentation Slide Deck, Operational Excellence Consulting