Best practice visual management

In short, best practice visual management is powerful for at-a-glance communications. In other words, use visual management to instantly inform and support teams in a visual way.

Embracing visual communications

Humans exist in a highly visual culture. Best practice visual management harnesses this within the workplace. As a result, use visual communications. Above all, visual information is easier and quicker to absorb, at a glance.

Most importantly, best practice visual management communicates key messages visually. Likewise, in a way that is instantly accessible. So, it delivers visual prompts that are quick and easy to understand.

Implementing best practice visual management

Take time to make 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 of making it. Most importantly, encourage collaboration. Consequently, the process of implementing best practice visual management provides its own feedback. In other words, opportunity to assess operations. Likewise, to focus on priorities and make them visually accessible for all.

Best practice visual management adapts to your workplace

Above all, reflect on your own daily management operations. In addition, show the key performance indicators, targets and results that empower your team.

So, whether the focus is problem solving or upholding working standards, benefit from the rigour and focus that best practice visual management delivers. Above all, successful visual management reflects your processes, culture and working environment. Furthermore, where the process occurs. Above all, this supports Gemba Walks.

Best practice visual management builds and sustains positive habits (daily)

Successful visual management delivers daily tracking and other visual tools to build and sustain positive habits. So, great examples are Daily Management Boards. Likewise, 5S boards where “Sustain” is an important part of the 5S strategy.

Best practice visual management supports Continuous Improvement

Although highly effective, visual management cannot provide a standalone panacea. In other words, it needs to be embedded within 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.

Best practice visual management utilises visual controls

Above all, visual controls are universal communicators that work, at a glance. Furthermore, they have specific tasks. In addition, they make targets instantly visual. As a result, they drive action. Consequently, they break positive progress down into visual action points. 

Use visual controls to drive action. For example, to maintain your safety and quality standards. Most importantly, visual status indicators are extremely powerful and versatile visual controls.

Best practice visual management is engaging and easy to use

Visuals 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.

Further ideas

Find our more about Continuous Improvement and Daily Direction Setting.