How do you use visual management tools for more efficient work?

A great visualizer for 5s is an operating room. When you're having heart surgery no one wants to have to run down the hallway for a clamp! Operating rooms are the standard for 5s.

When you start the 5S journey remember it is about workplace organisation and not just cleaning. In addition, realise that each "S" is harder that the one before to complete and maintain - be prepared to fail.

Visual Management is a pictorial communication way that make easier understanding of planning, control, flow, productivity, performance, Improvements at every level of organization, just in single glance. No need for questions rather generate enthusiastic, self motive approach to make decisions and action plans.

5S is simply a mindset that promote discipline or standard and makes workplace safer, cleaner and efficient. 5S enables to get a safer workplace, with maximum productivity and best quality. Let's have a scenario. Operator A has to tight a screw but he is struggling to find a screw driver due to messy arrangement. Here, a potential risk is there, he might get injured as he is in a hurry and panic mode. (Safety risk) He somehow finds screwdriver and tighten the screw. Now he has to start production but eventually as his major time was lost in finding the tool, his production rate will get effected. (Productivity loss) He is in a rush condition and doing production irrespective of quality conformance. (Quality risk)

In my experience for last 15+ years I can share that 5S is many times taken as a not needed tool or it is wrongly applied. That’s created a bad impression and decreased the credibility of the method in some companies. Once implemented properly and management understands how it can contribute to the company success, they are just demanding to have it everywhere. Usually its a bumpy road especially at the beginning of the implementation process. Start small, create one example and starts spreading across company. Business with relatively healthy cash flow don’t see a reason to implement improvements as they still make a profit even in messy conditions.

I work on a CE for repair and maintenance for O&G tools and equipment, with a very demanding and variable tak time, based on this we have the need not just to set up min and max levels for the parts and consumables to set up a clear Kanban, but we also require Pre-assembled sub modules to improve overall production allowing us to respond using a JIT approach. It is paramount to update min max periodically considering the client needs (tak time) and the internal constrains such as provider lead time and internal lead times.

"Kanban" is a Japanese term meaning "signboard." As a Lean office tool, it is often used in project management to view and classify tasks as "on track", "late", or "completed. As a Lean manufacturing tool, the underlying Lean concept "pull system" should be introduced as well. As one commenter remarked, most factories are set up in a "push system", which focuses on each station producing and moving work in process (WIP) to the next, without regard to the overall capacity, customer requirement, takt time, etc. A pull system considers all that, hence may seem paradoxical or difficult to grasp: slow down to produce more. This means if the station is not a bottleneck, distribute resources so the rest would catch up and satisfy customer demand.

Visual management tools such as gantt charts and kanban boards streamline work flows and track progress.5s methodology and andon systems improve orgonization and reduce downtime.visual work instructions and huddle boards enhance collaboration and accountability, ultimately increasing work efficieny.

A “pull system” is essential to Kanban. Many systems have been set up to push production. That is to make as much product as possible and push it to the next this leads to too much Work In Process (WIP). WIP is undesirable because if there is a defect, all of the WIP will need to be reworked to fix the defect. Also, WIP costs resources in that WIP represents raw materials in parts that we have used, but that are not yet ready for sale.

Kanban majorly contributes to the Operational efficiency in a way that liberates extra cash, how? Following Kanban rigorously and religiously help you eliminate WIP and Overproduction this way you don't have Finished Good (which is not yet demanded by customer) so your cash is held in FG inventory. Using Kanban no extra FG is produced and hence the cash liberated can help the organization with more working capital that can be reinvested in Marketing, Promotions etc

Simply put an andon is a traffic light. Red means stop there is potentially a problem,Yellow there is potentially a problem, Green all systems say GO. It is not much more than that. Tools can be used to address the problem much like an accident and tow trucks, fire & rescue, police all to minimize the potential damage. Root cause of the accident can then be done using proven methods like problem solving or Failure mode analysis to get to the root cause and develop preventative or predictive measures possibly a poka yoke.

Modern HMI and control systems have added vast capabilities to the andon concept. Most companies are barely scratching the surface of these capabilities. I’ve recently worked on the addition of andon style alerts to delays in planned downtime events such as clean-in-place (CIP) sanitation processes in food manufacturing. Delays in planned events often go unnoticed until the expected end of the event, at which point time losses can be huge. Automation usually repeatably imitates human-performed functions. This is true of troubleshooting. Take the time to document and automate troubleshooting efforts with the andon concept.

We use this system in Amazon. Another tool you can use is FMEA— FMEA is a step-by-step approach for identifying all possible failures in a design, a manufacturing or assembly process, or a product or service. It is a common process analysis tool.

With limited resources on off-shifts, andon indicators are essential for visual queues on the floor. Supervisors can look down a production row and see what andon lights are red, green, etc. They can either react or move in to the next area. This gives efficient supervison of a large area. Where to call for support where to move material or resources.

I always like to use vehicle examples. Your check engine light, temperature gage, gas gage, etc. The dinging bell in your vehicle when you don’t have your seatbelt on.

A GEMBA walk, also known as a "go and see" walk, is a Lean management technique where leaders and managers visit the actual work areas to observe processes and should take the time to try to understand the purpose. Gemba walks should be scheduled in advance and often. Teams should practice active observation, engage employees, identify potential areas for improvement, and implement the agreed-upon changes and/or improvements in collaboration with your team. Inspire your team and colleagues to also engage in Gemba walks and adopt a culture of continuous improvement. Sharing the benefits of these walks can lead to positive changes throughout the organization.

Gemba is the best place where you can discuss all complications in your processes in an open manner. It is also giving a big chance to new comers or people who are not deeply involved in topic a very fast training!.

Agree 100% with @Rhonda Depriest MBA, i would add that the Gemba or real place for some managers that might visit the work place once a month might not be as "real", these managers might be seen with a policing attitude and might not get to see the real Gemba that's why its so important to be there, present everyday, on their operations and support the team needs in order to reduce waste and implement CI.

Gemba should be done across all shifts to ensure there is no difference in the ways the operators complete the tasks. A gemba can provide crucial clues about process breakdowns.

Gemba is simply "Killing the Assumptions" by "Going and Seeing". This is an amazing strategy to get to the Root Cause --> Solution --> Getting things done especially in a manufacturing environment. No root-causing can happen inside huddle-rooms, the team needs to be on the floor observing the transformations generation problem.

Operational Excellence Managers in Organizations need to continuously ask themselves what they want to achieve out of new regimen, new standard, new control ? Control just for the sake of control is of no use instead it can be a waste of effort as well as demoralizing for the floor teams. The problem being resolved needs to be significant and the floor team has to be part of the solution you are implementing so that they buy the whole change and do it wholeheartedly.

I am still seeing companies struggle with basic visual controls (and 5S), even as they start their digital transformation. A common question I ask is, "what is your standard for 5S and Visual Controls?" Often I get a blank stare. They might have standard work for operations, but seldom the support systems. A great way to re-energize this effort, and maybe get a higher level of sustainability, is to create a basic standard in a digital learning platform, then use the concept of LPA (guided by these digital standards) to reinforce the standard and a bias for improvement. Once a standard is established, trained, and reinforced companies will see the true benefits of these methods, while establishing a foothold for digital transformation.

Many individual workers will resist 5S as they incorrectly believe that others will be setting up their work areas. The workers to do the work should be the ones who conducts the 5S after initial training, and with some guidance.

I agree but not all tools above are visual management. They are great lean tools and can help to improve your operations. You can also use special dashboard made by operators to track production, delay and quality.

Visual controls require iterations to get useful information to make informed decisions. Good visual controls minimize miscommunication issues too.