In addition to the 5S methodology we've already discussed, two other extremely important tools in quality implementation are often used to help establish, implement, and standardize behaviors: visual management and standardized work.
The first of these tools is visual management, which relies on the use of visual indicators, displays, and at-a-glance controls to improve and simplify the communication of key information. Examples of this type of tool can be found in signage, labeling, indicator lights that show a status, the use of notice boards, etc.
Visual management establishes rules and standards to be followed and ensures they are easily illustrated to everyone, thereby helping to better organize the work environment.
Floor markings often found in company departments or warehouses are a very simple and effective application of visual management and serve to immediately highlight, at a glance, any problems such as the correct position of equipment or the correct route for the circulation of people and goods.
For visual management to work effectively, effective choices must be made to balance the need for good information and the danger of a proliferation of visual cues.
This type of management also includes more detailed forms of published and highly visible information. This information can take the form of charts, graphs, explanatory panels, and so on, and provide quick reference material to help organize the workplace. Examples may include charts showing who works in which area and on which shift, productivity data, production schedules, maintenance logs, photographs of personnel assigned to particular tasks (e.g., first aid), etc.
In addition to helping to make work flow more smoothly, this type of approach goes beyond simple visual management: when well-designed and implemented, it also contributes to giving a positive visual impression of the workplace. This not only benefits those working in an office or department but also makes a positive first impression on any visitors who enter the facility, from customers to inspectors.
The other tool that is often paired with visual management and 5S is the standardization of work. Remember the fourth "S," which was none other than the standardization phase?
A work standard defines what we should do, how we should do it, where, with what equipment, what safety procedures we should eventually adopt, etc.
For a production process, for example, the term refers to a system of work instructions capable of clearly and comprehensively documenting the procedures to follow to work correctly.
In real life, we see standardized things every day that are often based on visual management. Think of pedestrian crossings, detailed furniture assembly instructions, parking management, pictograms in airports, road signs, and much more. The more standardized work is made visual, the less time it will take anyone not accustomed to performing the process to complete it.
To further improve visual management, the next step is to identify different elements with a given color, giving each operation that has a particular meaning a unique color. Think, for example, of the power levers of appliances identified in green and the shutdown levers in red. Every standardization of a given job should have a visual management strategy at its core and be based on clear elements such as appropriate signs, labels, markings on the floor, etc.
The signals used should be clear, easily visible, and legibly understandable by everyone. Wherever possible, symbols and diagrams should be used, rather than simple words that could be misinterpreted. Machines, equipment, and tools should be labeled with appropriate identifiers and numbers, and these identifications should be well known to everyone. Even the different positions within the archives should be identified with a unique code, the name of the archived item, and all the data necessary for correct archiving.
On the floors of the departments, lines should be used to separate corridors and different work areas and to indicate the unique position of equipment, positions for mobile equipment, passage areas, etc. A well-standardized job is also based on the timely and routine application of 5S to the tools used in visual management: if the signals and notices used are in poor condition or not correctly updated, they should be removed and replaced, the labels replaced, the equipment moved, the lines on the floor re-laid, etc.
In doing all this work, be sure to use consistent color codes and do not unnecessarily complicate the management, which, to be effective, must be as simple and clear as possible.