Visual Management allows all employees to identify process abnormalities and make improvements.
This is especially true in your administrative functions where work flows are hidden making it difficult for associates to see progress and define what needs to be improved.
Empowering Natural Work Teams
Creating visual standards for process flows allows natural work teams to monitor progress hourly, daily, weekly, monthly – so they can organize their time to respond to fluctuation in customer demand and staff accordingly. They can also gauge progress against targets and immediately see problems which can be addressed before negatively impacting customers.
Tying Improvement to Daily Work
Visual Management is more than simply a lean manufacturing tool, it marries improvement to daily work and sets a foundation that ensures all team members, individually and collectively, share the same vision and completely understand their role in the improvement process. In addition to overall process improvement, visual standards make everyone’s work easier while promoting knowledge sharing and skill development.
Our experienced lean consultants can train, coach and mentor team members and supervisors in developing and deploying a Lean Visual Management system and can support them throughout the implementation process.
Case Study
Visual Workplace Rollout
Company: Global 1000 Aerospace & Automotive Manufacturer/Supplier
Engagement: 2 years
Objective: Comprehensive implementation of Visual Workplace; 10 facilities
Approach:
- Deliver Visual Workplace leadership overview to strategic business unit executive sector
- Customized training events in 5S, visual display, and visual control; critical mass
- Post-training, site-specific implementation coaching, audits, and project management
- Delivery of Train-the-Trainer Certification; certified 10 Visual Workplace trainers
- Visual Office training and site-specific implementation coaching
Outcome:
- Reduced non-value-adding floor space up to 50%
- Reduced non-value-adding search time up to 50%
- Direct supporting role in reduction of total inventory by 70% and total manufacturing cost by 40%
- Positive impact on morale and employee empowerment.
