In short, here are 5 steps to successful visual management:
- Integrate visual management step by step
- Implement visuals that build habits and drive improvement
- Embed visual management as part of Continuous Improvement strategies
- Make visual management boards engaging and easy to use
- Ensure visuals are visually intuitive and accessible at a glance
Visual management is powerful. It informs and supports teams in a visual way. In other words, successful visual management communicates key messages visually. So, it delivers visual prompts that are quick and easy to understand.
Humans exist in a highly visual culture. Successful visual management embraces this within the workplace. As a result, use visual forms of communication. Above all, visual information is easier and quicker to absorb, at a glance.
So, follow these 5 steps to successful visual management
Firstly, implement visual management in stages
Take time to chip away at making your site a success in terms of visual management. Above all, work logically and take one area at a time. Quality visual management comes from diligently working through the process. Likewise, in achievable steps.
Creating, for example, a daily management board, means working through the process. Most importantly, encourage collaboration. Above all, reflect on your daily management operations. In addition, showcase the KPIs and results that most empower your team.
The process of successfully implementing visual management provides its own feedback. In other words, an opportunity to assess operations in terms of what matters most. Likewise, to hone in on priorities and make them visually accessible for all. So, whether the focus is problem solving or upholding working standards, benefit from the rigour and focus that implementing visual management brings.
Secondly, build habits in a visual way
A successful visual management board is one that is up-to-date. Therefore, it is important that it is quick and easy to update. Furthermore, that it delivers daily tracking and other visual features to build and sustain positive habits.
Next, understand that visual management supports Continuous Improvement
Although highly effective, visual management cannot provide a standalone panacea. In other words, it needs to reflect a culture of Continuous Improvement. Certainly, it plays an exceptionally important role in supporting Continuous Improvement strategies. Nevertheless, it works as a visual reflection of those strategies.
Above all, think engaging and easy to use
Visual management boards need to be self-explanatory. As a result, if further guidance is needed to understand them then they are not working as well as they could. Likewise, if they are not quick and easy to engage with then they are falling short. Furthermore, it should be super quick to update it in real time. Updating is crucial. Firstly, because visually stale information will not generate engagement.
Finally, remember visual at a glance
Most importantly, use visual controls for instant accessibility. Likewise, visual status indicators for at-a-glance recognition. In addition, know that these changing visual management features ensure content never looks stale. As a result, the team continue to engage. In other words, if content remains unchanging then there are two outcomes. Firstly, stale information could mean a deadening to the visual input from the board. That is to say, if content continually remains the same, then why keep looking at it? Secondly, changing visual controls is imperative to show a process in real time. In other words, how it is operating right now.
Implement visual management step by step. So, start in one area, zone or department. For example, engineering.
Use action plans, trend charts and daily tracking (shown below) to sustain habits
Daily tracking visually builds daily engagement with key management processes and targets
Find visual ways to make information visible and to drive the team to engage with and update the boards
Visual management is excellent for supporting Kaizen, Kanban and numerous Continuous Improvement strategies
Visual status indicators are instantly clear and highly effective visual controls
Examples of our Dry Eraze Visual Management
Update status easily
Update your KPI progress
Update targets easily
Track trends with dry eraze updates
Incident reporting with dry wipe
5S dry wipe updates
Make problem solving easy
Department dry wipe shift board
A3 practical problem solving
Activity Planning board for Education
Update magnetic tickets
Status circles and graph chart progress
Use dry wipe to update your safety cross
Handheld printed whiteboard
Daily updates with dry wipe option
Combine status meters with dry wipe
Safety cross updates
Track progress with dry wipe status
Update easily with dry wipe option
5 Why problem solving method
Investigate the 'Why'
Monitor targets easily
Dry wipe updates on a PSQDC board
Continuous Improvement overlay
Use to update your objectives progress
Store your dry wipe tools on your board
Choose dry wipe option to update
Add document holders and labels
Magnetic headings & document holders
Team management board
Add dry wipe labels
Team management board
Contractor management board
Practical Problem Solving overlay
Use dry wipe and status meters together
5S dry wipe status indicators
Document holders on dry wipe board
Convenient to update team info
Update your SQDC targets easily
Add dry wipe status
Make your dry wipe board multilingual
Status circles are highly visual
Colour coded dry wipe status
Status circles with dry wipe option
Safety cross on SQDP board
Dry wipe status circles
Make easy and instant updates
Daily meetings board
Magnetic document holders
Real time status
Display progress in real time
Add team members easily
Food production board
Incident board
Easy to clean and update
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Our Approach
We create visual management boards everyday. As a result we have plenty of experience. We work for organisations in food production, the power industry, national rail, pharmaceuticals, education, healthcare, packaging and distribution.
Our team works with a simple idea or sketch and creates a professionally designed layout. This is then turned into a highly functional visual management board.
We offer customised options because we want to create the perfect board for you. So, here are a few examples. We can add magnetic areas or a dry-wipe finish (for use with whiteboard pens). Furthermore, you can choose Red/Green sliders or R.A.G. (Red, Amber, Green) status dials so you can quickly and visually update your board. These are just a few examples of the ways in which our boards can be tailored to meet your needs. You may also be interested in whiteboard overlays that can be used on top of an existing magnetic board.
