Tag: visual communication

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Visual Management

Harnessing the Power of Visual Management: Elevating Workplace Efficiency and Effectiveness

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced and dynamic work environments, effective communication, organization, and efficiency are paramount for businesses to thrive. One powerful tool that has gained prominence in achieving these goals is visual management. Visual management utilizes visual cues and indicators to enhance productivity, streamline processes, and foster a culture of transparency and accountability.

From Kanban boards to performance dashboards, visual management techniques offer numerous benefits for organizations. In this blog, we will delve into the significance of visual management in the workplace and explore why businesses need it. We will discuss how visual cues can improve communication, the impact of visual indicators on organization and efficiency, and practical insights on implementing visual management techniques effectively.

1] Understanding Visual Management
Visual management is a methodology that utilizes visual cues, such as charts, graphs, color-coding, and other visual indicators, to convey information, track progress, and facilitate decision-making in the workplace. By presenting data and information in a visual format, it becomes easier for individuals and teams to comprehend, analyze, and act upon.

Visual management can take various forms, depending on the specific needs and processes of an organization. Kanban boards, for example, provide a visual representation of work stages, allowing teams to track progress, identify bottlenecks, and allocate resources efficiently. Performance dashboards, on the other hand, offer visual metrics and indicators that enable quick assessments of performance and facilitate data-driven decision-making.

2] The Benefits of Visual Management
a. Improved Communication: Visual cues provide a common language that transcends barriers of language and comprehension. When information is presented visually, it becomes easier to grasp complex ideas and concepts. Visuals can simplify complex data sets, highlight key points, and present information in a digestible manner. This clarity of communication reduces misunderstandings, improves collaboration, and fosters a more efficient workflow.

b. Enhanced Organization: Visual management techniques help in organizing tasks, projects, and workflows. Kanban boards, for instance, allow teams to visualize the flow of work, from initiation to completion. By using visual indicators such as cards and columns, teams can easily track progress, identify work priorities, and allocate resources accordingly. This visual representation facilitates a better understanding of the overall workflow and ensures that tasks are completed in a timely and organized manner.

c. Increased Efficiency: By providing a visual overview of processes, visual management enables teams to identify inefficiencies and optimize workflows. Visual indicators, such as performance dashboards and metrics, allow for quick assessments of individual and team performance. Real-time visibility into key metrics and indicators helps in identifying bottlenecks, addressing issues promptly, and making informed decisions. By continuously monitoring and analyzing visual data, organizations can identify areas for improvement, streamline processes, and enhance overall efficiency.

d. Transparency and Accountability: Visual management promotes transparency by making information visible to all stakeholders. When key metrics, goals, and progress are presented visually, it creates a sense of transparency and fosters a culture of accountability. Team members can see their contributions and impact on overall performance, which encourages ownership and a commitment to achieving shared goals. Visual management tools facilitate collaborative problem-solving, as team members can easily identify and address any issues or roadblocks. Moreover, visual indicators help in measuring individual and team performance, facilitating fair evaluations and recognition.

3] Implementing Visual Management Techniques
a. Identify Goals and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Begin by defining the objectives and metrics that are critical to your business. This will help determine the visual indicators and tools required to monitor progress effectively. Consider key areas such as productivity, quality, customer satisfaction, and cycle time. Set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals and identify KPIs that align with them.

b. Choose Appropriate Visual Tools: Select visual management tools that align with your organization’s needs and processes. Kanban boards, Gantt charts, performance dashboards, and visual displays are among the popular options. Think about things like usability, scalability, accessibility, and compatibility with your current systems. Choose tools that provide the level of visibility and customization required to meet your specific requirements.

c. Design Clear and Engaging Visuals: The visual cues and indicators should be designed in a way that is easily understandable and visually appealing. Use colors, symbols, graphs, and other visual elements strategically to convey information effectively. Ensure that the visuals are regularly updated and reflect real-time data. Engage your team in the design process to ensure that the visuals resonate with them and facilitate comprehension at a glance.

d. Train and Engage Employees: Providing training and guidance to employees on how to use visual management tools and interpret visual cues is crucial for successful implementation. Educate your team on the purpose, benefits, and best practices of visual management. Encourage active participation and involvement in the process, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Regularly communicate the importance of visual management, address any concerns, and provide ongoing support as needed.

e. Monitor and Evaluate: Regularly assess the effectiveness of visual management techniques in achieving your goals. Continuously monitor key metrics and indicators to track progress and identify areas for improvement. Solicit feedback from employees to understand their experience with visual management tools and make adjustments as necessary. Regular evaluation ensures that visual management remains relevant, impactful, and aligned with your evolving business needs.

Conclusion
Visual management is a powerful tool that brings clarity, efficiency, and accountability to the workplace. By leveraging visual cues and indicators, businesses can improve communication, streamline processes, and drive overall productivity. From Kanban boards to performance dashboards, visual management techniques provide a visual language that transcends barriers and facilitates decision-making. By implementing these techniques effectively, organizations can foster a culture of transparency and accountability, ultimately leading to improved outcomes. Embrace visual management in your workplace and witness the positive impact it can have on your team’s performance and success.

VisualMitra is a renowned expert in visual management consultancy, specializing in helping organizations harness the power of visual cues and indicators to optimize their workplace efficiency. With years of experience and a deep understanding of visual management principles, VisualMitra offers invaluable expertise in implementing visual management techniques tailored to the unique needs of each organization. Their team of consultants excels in guiding businesses through the process of identifying goals, selecting appropriate visual tools, designing clear and engaging visuals, and training employees for successful adoption. VisualMitra’s comprehensive approach ensures that businesses not only grasp the importance of visual management but also gain practical insights and strategies to implement visual management effectively. By leveraging VisualMitra’s expertise, organizations can transform their workplaces into visually driven environments that promote transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement, leading to enhanced productivity and success.

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Factory Visual Management Projects Fascility Visual Management

Create a Visual Factory with 5s system

The term “visual factory” refers to a method of lean manufacturing that incorporates visual data throughout the workplace. A visual factory employs a set of communication technologies to distribute information when and where it is required.


By answering inquiries, identifying equipment, products, and locations, describing activities and procedures, and offering safety alerts and preventive information, visual controls improve working environments. Visual tools also help employees be more productive by providing them with the information they need, when and when they need it.


How does a visual factory work?

A visual factory uses signs, labels, charts, info graphics, and other communication tools to communicate data in an effective manner as part of the lean manufacturing process. The time spent reading, digesting, and interpreting text-based instructions is cut in half when this information is presented graphically.

  • Procedures at work
  • The data that an employee requires in order to fulfill their duties
  • The general layout of the job site, as well as important access points (such as aisles, doors, and routes) where information might be useful to an employee
  • What a company aims to achieve by creating a visual factory

Employers should consider applying 5S, a lean manufacturing method that eliminates waste, promotes consistency, and fosters facility-wide organisation, while analyzing these areas. Visual order is one of the basic ideas of 5S methodology , making it an ideal tool for constructing a visual factory.


The next stage is to figure out how to share the data.


This is accomplished through a set of visual cues and systems that are tailored to the needs of a particular workplace. Among these are:

  • Visual Identification display boards give real-time information about the state of production (or a process) in a facility and warn workers when help is required.
  • Employees can use floor marking aids and way finding markers to locate paths, entrances, exits, navigational aids, and other instructions.
  • Inventory, storage, tools, and other critical resources are designated by signs and labels.

What are the benefits of Visual Factory?

Visual factories have a number of advantages across a facility, including:


  • Productivity and output have increased.
  • In complex surroundings, it’s important to have clear, simple directions.
  • A more secure workplace (given the clear, intentional visual communication)
  • Profits that are higher (due to more efficient processes)
  • Throughout a job process, there are fewer errors and less guesswork.

What are the solutions of Visual Factory?

Visual controls like safety posters, identification boards, labelling, signages are essential elements of a visually appealing workplace. Employees get the information they need through properly-placed visual displays and contribute to the company’s success through clear communication.


Visualmitra can help you create clear, effective personalized visual communication. You’ll find the right equipment to start or improve your facility’s visual. Health and safety managers use these signs and labels all over the world to keep workers safe, orient them around a job-site, and alert them to crucial information.

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Factory Visual Management Fascility Visual Management Visual Management at construction site

Safety Measures at Construction Sites

About Construction Sites

A construction site is a piece of land or an area where construction work is carried out. The construction work includes residential building, commercial building, major/minor infrastructures, specialized industrial construction, heavy construction etc. Every construction projects include large number of labours, machines, materials, huge vehicles etc. to carry out the work effectively.

About Labour Safety and Effects on Non-Compliance

From the entire above parameter one thing is clear that for any construction to be done properly labour play a very important role and their safety should be considered as top priority. The construction industry is a very dangerous industry in India and its performance on health and safety is very poor. Every construction site includes contractors, clients and their workforce and a proper co-ordination is needed for safe work condition which is very much lacking in any construction companies.

If an incident takes place or a worker is injured then it affects any company in the form of direct and indirect losses (costs) that includes medical expense, loss of constructing time, reduced morale of the workers, property damage, fines, bans etc. Also if the accident keeps happening it will damage company’s reputation and create a negative image in the market.

Top Risks and Hazards that are must to be considered and the role of Visual Management

A hazard is a source or a situation with the potential of causing harm in terms of injury, ill health etc. and the risk is severity or the extent to which the damage can be caused and is mostly signified as low/medium/high risks. The top risks and hazards that a construction sites always are in danger as points below:-

  • Working at height
  • Moving objects (overhead lifting equipment’s, vehicles etc.)
  • Slips & Trips
  • Noise
  • Vibration equipment’s (hands arm vibration syndrome)
  • Manual Handling
  • Asbestos
  • Airborne Fibres & Material
  • Electricity

These are the most common and major hazards in a construction site that are capable of causing injuries or even death. The construction industry accident fatality rate stands at more than double that of the all sector average – more minor accidents are almost incalculably more. Put simply, construction sites are a health and safety nightmare – almost every conceivable hazard exists within this constantly changing working environment.

All the above factors needs to be controlled and proper awareness should be created in the construction site so that the workers are more aligned to what’s important and would know what preventive actions one needs to take to be safe. Implementing Visual Management in construction will be the most effective way to develop a safe management system.

Visualmitra LLP is specialist in implementing Visual Management. Their designers have developed a range of amazing safety displays that covers all the above parameters of risk and hazard. Their wide industry experience in safety has made them the only company in India providing Visual Management Services and aim to bring in cultural change.

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Benefits Visual Management

Visual Management, A Magic at Workplace

In present scenario, every individual is spending around 60-70% of his/her time viewing various visuals either on computer/laptop screen or on mobile phone screen. Visual memory is many times effective than auditory memory. We all are experiencing the magic of visual management every now and then.

Let’s take an example. Mr. Joseph is a workman at assembly department. Company wants him to get trained on assembly operations. There are 2 ways of communicating the assembly instructions to Mr. Joseph.

  • Training/teaching at shop floor
  • Assembly work instructions in local language displayed on board.

It is obvious that Mr. Joseph is comfortable viewing the work instructions in 5 minutes rather than someone explaining him & spending almost 30 minutes. In case of displayed work instructions, there are many other benefits as compared to one-time training at shop floor. Benefits are listed below.

  • Availability: Pictorial work instructions are available for 24 x 7 throughout the year. Mr. Joseph can view it as many times till he is well conversant and expert in the operations.
  • Easy Modifications: Any changes in assembly operations can be easily communicated by modifying the work instruction.
  • Minute Details: The minute details can be covered while designing the work instructions which may not be every time possible through training on shop floor.
  • Standardization: The work instruction can be displayed at multiple places which may be found difficult in case of training physically on site.
  • Cost Effectiveness: The displayed work instruction is a cost effective solution rather than conducting multiple trainings.

Visual management is an effective media of communication by means of images, color’s and minimal text. Exclusive displays at appropriate locations at the workplace always bring in better culture towards Quality, Productivity & Safety performance enhancement. The displays at the workplace can be work instructions, standard operating procedures, policies, are identification boards, safety signs, safety posters on quality, productivity & safety, analytical boards, performance dash boards etc. All such effective displays offer following benefits at the workplace.

Benefits of Visual Management:
  • Cultural enhancement at the company
  • Awareness and clarity on Quality, Productivity & Safety specifications
  • Better presentation to customers and visitors.

The concept of “Visual Factory” is receiving recognition and appreciation by many good companies and corporates.

Visualmitra LLP, Mumbai based company is instrumental in creating awareness on visual management across industry more than a decade. Their services right from identifying the appropriate display to the actual installation at the workplace are appreciated by many OEMs and MNCs. Visual management is found to be effective media of communication irrespective of the size, nature and location of the organization. Let’s build the better industrial culture by means of effective visuals at shop floor.

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Visual Management

When metrics matter – why you need visual management

Business Strategy

Why does sports fans glance at the scoreboard every so often when all the action is clearly on the field? The answer is obvious and very simple: the scoreboard generates and maintains interest. It provides unambiguous feedback about performance and answers important questions about the status of the game. Visual management shares real-time information and feedback about the status of your operations.

Visual management system is implemented mainly to ensure problem-solving and focuses on continuous improvement, with the specific aim of reducing response time and providing teams with the information they need to eliminate waste and other problems such as poor quality. It’s a fundamental part of empowerment and ownership. By providing teams with feedback, they are given the responsibility and accountability for their actions. It also leads to transparency in operation and even more efficient.

Helping lean principles ‘come to life’

One of the first principles of lean management is to directly observe the work as activities, connections and flows. When the work is visual and clear it becomes much easier for workers/ employees to directly observe and understand the progress. Visual management is therefore the most important and fundamental aspect of lean principle. Visual management technique actually helps the lean principles ‘come to life’.

Similar to an impressive and well-delivered speech that drives people to act, the skillful and judicious application of visual management techniques can move the business practices to a higher level of realization and efficiency. When visual management is implemented in the right way, it becomes easy to see and understand the workflow and its progress. It helps to:

  • identify in control and out-of-control situations
  • identify high levels of variability
  • identify trends which are positive or negative

A visual workplace is always easier to manage over time. With techniques that make performance more visible, less time is wasted in finding problems and performance-related issues. Visual management makes it easier to implement continuous improvement, the true objective of Lean principle.

In an ideal scenario, visual management should be integrated with the wider organization’s management system. Once visual displays have been installed and teams and employees at all levels have access to this visual key information, it should extend to updating performance boards/ informative boards on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

As per the situation and department, a daily or weekly review should take place. Systemic level reviews should be conducted for departmental boards at a time that suits the environment (i.e. weekly, fortnightly). More strategic initiatives are to be reviewed at the senior management level on a monthly basis, with key measures reviewed daily and weekly.

Visual management is considered to be a company-wide ‘nervous system’ that allows all employees to understand how they affect the operation’s overall performance. It allows people to understand how their actions and decisions affect or impact the overall strategic direction of the company. Visual management displays provide an open window to your manufacturing plant or factory performance, making the same unbiased information available to people at various hierarchies in an organization be it an owner, manager, operator, and even visitor.

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Benefits Fascility Visual Management Visual Management

The Magic of Visual Management At Workplace

Visual Management is one of the essential tools that we make use of at our work and home lives that you may not have even noticed. But once you understand what visual management exactly is all about, you’ll be seeing it everywhere!

Visual management is a tool that is used for lean management for making the work culture of that place better. A visual management technique makes use of effective visual displays to convey a certain message in an efficient and effective manner with minimum efforts. These visual displays can be are as follows:-

1] Data Displays like informative boards, performance white boards, safety calendars, MIS reports etc.
2] Guiding tools like floor marking tapes, stickers and area identification boards, signboards etc.
3] Shape cutouts for easy identification of the designated place of a tool,instrument or an equipment.
4] Flowcharts and layouts like work flow instructions, standard operating procedure (SOP), First In First Out (FIFO) layout etc.
Awareness posters like safety posters, Motivational posters, Posters for International quality management techniques, Business excellence posters etc.

Effects of Visual management at a workplace

Visual management exhibits crystal clear transparency and eliminates the distance between the higher management and production floor level of workers. Information is not hidden at any given point, and the whole organization is united on the same success goals. This forms unity and team spirit among all the the employees.

Many lean management techniques and principles rely on visual management that includes floor marking tapes to the large visual display boards and performance boards, sign boards etc. Visual management acts as the key sustaining force for many well-known lean techniques like 5S, standard work, total productive maintenance (TPM), Gemba walk and Kanban. It involves many visual indications that help to create a better work environment.

It suggests the use of different colors and labels to mark each item in the workplace differently. Labeling and marking gauges, oil levels and lube levels are all examples of visual controls that help the employees to easily detect abnormalities at a glance thereby promoting preventive maintenance and reducing the production down time.

Visual management is not just making data and metrics visible on a wall, it is a real-time visual display of the data that allows the team to take immediate actions to solve issues or support the production process. It thus promotes constant monitoring of the data and taking immediate actions accordingly.

The safety visuals help to make people aware of the possible hazards and situations within the work environment. It is very necessary to define the location of hazards as well as location of safe aids like first aid station, and location for personal protection equipment, Safety shower, eye wash station etc. Safety signs and safety instructions also plays an important role in accident prevention.

Benefits of visual management at a workplace

• Sharing all the Information with others to avoid any miscommunication
• Communicating the standards to attain uniformity throughout the processes.
• Implementing the standards to maintain smooth running of the processes.
• Bringing attention to irregularities in the processes for further action to be taken.
• Taking immediate actions against the irregularities when they happen to avoid such instances in future.
• Preventing such Irregularities from taking place for nonstop high quality output.

Fun facts about visual learners.

• 80% of people remember what they see or do rather than what the read or hear
• 65% of the world’s population are visual learners.
• 40% of human nerve fibers are linked to the retina.
• Humans are capable of getting the approximate understanding of a visual scene in less than 1/10th of a second.
• An average human eye can register up to 36,000 visual messages every hour.
• All the emotions and the visual information are processed in the same part of the human brain.
• Human brain processes visual information 60,000 times quicker than audio and written information.