Visual elements in a workplace have a tremendous impact on education, morale, and productivity.
A visually dynamic workplace energizes employees, builds pride and ownership, and conveys the strength and currency of the organization.
Visual control are means, devices, or mechanisms that were designed to manage or control our operations (processes) so as to meet the following purposes:
Make the problems, abnormalities, or deviation from standards visible to everyone and thus corrective action can be taken immediately (Identification).
Display the operating or progress status in a easy to see format (Informative).
Provide instruction (Instructional).
Helps formulate and proliferate plans (Planning).
3. VISUAL CONTROL
Introduction
Basic Philosophy
1. Visual elements in a workplace have a tremendous impact on
education, morale, and productivity.
2. A visually dynamic workplace energizes employees, builds
pride and ownership, and conveys the strength and currency
of the organization.
3. Design and graphics, art and color, sculpture and dimension–
all have profound effects.
4. Far from simply “prettying up the office,” they create an
environment of visual stimuli that convey goals and
expectations, that foster a collaborative attitude, and most
important, that cannot be ignored!
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4. VISUAL CONTROL
Introduction
What is Visual control ?
“ One picture is worth a thousand words ”
Visual control are means, devices, or mechanisms that were designed to manage or
control our operations (processes) so as to meet the following purposes:
1. Make the problems, abnormalities, or deviation from standards visible to everyone
and thus corrective action can be taken immediately (Identification).
2. Display the operating or progress status in a easy to see format (Informative).
3. Provide instruction (Instructional).
4. Helps formulate and proliferate plans (Planning).
Thus all visual control devices can be classified as one of ‘3I1P’. (Three I’s and 1 p)
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5. VISUAL CONTROL
Visual Control – An Understanding
Identification: Helps you
know what something is.
Forms Seen: Labels and
stickers.
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6. VISUAL CONTROL
Visual Control – An Understanding
Informative: Gives important information in an
area to update status or situation.
Forms Seen: Information
walls, charts, informative sheets and diagrams.
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7. VISUAL CONTROL
Visual Control – An Understanding
Instructional: Tells you how a task is to be
performed.
Forms Seen: Work instructions, floor markings
and signs.
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8. VISUAL CONTROL
Visual Control – An Understanding
Planning: Helps
formulate the plan
and let others know
what the plan is.
Forms Seen: Gantt
charts and white
board walls.
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9. VISUAL CONTROL
Visual Control – An Understanding
Prerequisites
1. Management must believe in openness and transparency.
2. Employees have the ability to observe critically and share their feelings.
3. Regular follow – up at all levels about problems, facts and figures being shared
Implementation costs
Expenses required are relatively low (expenses for Andons, visual digital displays,
etc.)
Implementation time
1. Visual controls are extremely easy to implement after 5S program initiation.
2. The 4th S (Standardization) and Visual Control go hand in hand.
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10. VISUAL CONTROL
Visual Control – An Understanding
Applicability / Adaptability
Visual Control is applicable to services, software and even in offices.
Training Needs
Low training requirements; information is simplified and can be understood
by any one be it top management or line operators.
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15. VISUAL CONTROL
Visual Control – An Understanding
Examples of visual controls:
Visual Workstation
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Work
Instructions
Information
Board
T P M
Checklist
18. VISUAL CONTROL
Visual Control – An Understanding
Examples of visual controls:
What is Andon ?
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• Jidoka or ‘Automation with Touch’ is implemented in the
Toyota Production System.
• Machines automatically stop production as soon as an
error is detected.
19. VISUAL CONTROL
Visual Control – An Understanding
Examples of visual controls:
What is Andon ?
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• As machines had the
capability to automatically
stop production a single
operator may visually
monitor multiple
machines.
• Toyota plants pioneered
the use of a display board
system to highlight a
problem on the line; this is
an Andon board.
20. VISUAL CONTROL
Advantages and Limitations
Advantages:
1. Information is easily and quickly understood.
2. Corrective and Preventive actions take lesser time.
3. Increases awareness of supervisory and control personnel.
4. Transparency in working.
5. Attacks lead time, easy inventory management and simplifies line
monitoring.
6. It infuses a sense of pride and self – confidence.
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21. VISUAL CONTROL
Advantages and Limitations
Limitations:
1. People tend to hide the facts if something goes wrong.
2. Detailed information is difficult to display.
3. Improperly designed visual displays may lead to a breakdown in
communication
4. Improperly designed displays may also be a distraction.
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22. VISUAL CONTROL
Conclusion
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The Essence
1. Workplace is able to “speak” with the
help of visual displays.
2. If practiced systematically, will help
implementation of JIT, TQM and SCM
Requirements
1. High levels of Motivation
2. Management’s willingness to openly
display information
The Role
1. Speeds up non – verbal communication
2. Opens up new avenues for
improvement and moral boosting.
3. Makes work safer and easier.
Limitations
1. Require properly designed displays
2. High levels of detail are difficult to
portray.