Types of Visual Management

Lean Followers;

I wanted to blog this time about the different types of visual management. When I walk through the workplace (Gemba), or when I am coaching teams, I spend a large proportion of time talking about, developing, and discussing the concept of visual management. It is through visual management that the improvements come to life, and more importantly, where the results are sustained.

The principle of visual management is commonly thought to be a system that shows normal conditions from abnormal conditions. This is generally true. However, visual management is much more than that. Visual management is the system that provides the staff the knowledge and motivation to succeed. Succeed at what? Succeed at satisfying the customer; succeed at developing oneself and one's team; succeed at meeting organizational targets, and succeed at improvement. Taken all together this visual management system is a pretty powerful tool.

I have now settled on the opinion that there are three facets to visual management. The first area of visual management is the management of outcomes. This system is a collection of trend charts showing results and targets, as well as the corresponding action plans to deliver on these targets and the status of these plans.

The second area of visual management is the system of managing process. This system shows hour by hour status of the process and highlights when the system is not operating as designed. Variations from standard are identified and if possible fixed in real-time. If the issues cannot be resolved in real-time, then the sources of variation need to be identified through a histogram/Pareto diagram so they can be prioritized for problem solving. Problem solving is best done using a 5W and 2H approach that gets to root cause, where the direct cause can be identified and the problem can be countermeasured for permanent solution. we'll discuss problem solving in a future blog. The final piece of the visual management for process involves the action plan for resolution. Summarizing, visual management of process involves seeing normal operations from abnormal operations, capturing the frequency of deviations from standard, and documenting the corrective actions for resolution. All posted in a transparent manner for everyone to be able to see.

The third area of visual management involves management of the workplace. What I am talking about here is a robust 5S system. this will be the topic of next week's blog. 5S is a management system that visually creates a high performing work area. Many wastes are eliminated through 5S, and I consider 5S to be a basic staple of any improvement system and everyone should begin with this system.

A world class organization has all three elements of visual management in place, current, and followed. These elements include visual management of outcomes, visual management of process, and visual management of the workspace.

These three discoveries were great inventions for the 21st century manager to capitalize upon. Please take advantage of visual management.

Lean Blessings;

Ron

Ron Bercaw
www.breakthroughhorizons.com