At long last, we are releasing episode three of our our hit comedy series, “Everybody Get Lean”, the world’s first Lean themed comedy.

This episode, the Expira office crew struggles with the concepts of Visual Management, clashes with the neighboring office and learns the power of a 2-second improvement. Check it out below.

Everybody Get Lean is written and produced by üttana to demonstrate what happens with a Lean journey goes horribly off course. You can learn how to do Lean and Kaizen correctly using our hundreds of training videos available right here on uttana.com. 

Kanban is frequently associated with suppliers and manufacturers but it is an essential part of any Lean office. While Kanban systems come in all shapes and sizes, the basic premise is the same. A Kanban is a visual signal, typically a card or container, used by a downstream process to signal that it needs to be replenished. Learn more about Kanban in our video series “Kanban”.

This Lean tool can be applied to any work environment, but here are three reasons why it needs to be a part of your office environment.

 1. No more stockpiling office supplies!

Say goodbye to the supply closet and hello to just what you need. With an office supply Kanban, you will always be on top of this. Instead of cabinets and cabinets of printer paper, simply place a Kanban midway into a single stack.. This will signal the person who uses it to arrange for a reorder and you will have a fresh stack only when you need it. Replace the Kanban and the system sustains itself.

2. You can stop searching for that lost file.

How many times have you had to dig through your email box looking for a specific file? Using a digital content system, you can assign due dates, subtasks and, yes, the relevant files. Whether you use an internal software or a free program like Asana, project management can become a breeze with digital Kanban systems.

3. Never buy the wrong printer ink again!

Kanban cards contain all the essential information for reordering supplies. When you are refilling your (now small) stash of supplies, include the product number on the Kanban to make ordering as error-proof as possible. That way no more costly reorders and returns.

Establishing a Kanban system can be intimidating but with our Kanban video series, you will be reaping the benefits in no time. Check out our video series by clicking this link.

When I enter an office environment, one of the first things I do is look for visual management boards. Visual Management boards come in all sizes and shapes but they all serve a key function. They allow employees to quickly and easily access up-to-date information about their work environment. They can be as simple as a “Who is in right now?” board with employees names showing who is working that day. However, they can be as complex as you need.

Here at uttana, we use several of these daily. We have a board that shows what tasks each employee is working on throughout the day. We use a simple green, yellow or red magnet to show if we are on time or falling behind. This let’s everyone know if someone is falling behind so they can jump in and lend a hand.

For our video production, we use another board that shows where each video is in the process. Has it been researched, scripted, storyboarded, filmed or edited? These sort of visual management boards provide a clear image of where each project is and whether it is on schedule.

There is not a universal code for visual management boards. The picture on the right is from a company that needed to keep better track of its engineering projects so they built a visual management board that fit their needs.

Here are some important questions to consider when building a Visual Management Board for your office:

• What work is being done and by whom?
• How will you show if a project is ahead of schedule, on time, or falling behind?
• What information needs to be shared with those doing the work?
• How can you best illustrate that information in a way that everyone understands?

If the information on the Visual Management Board is not immediately understandable, consider redesigning or adding a legend or key to explain it. A Visual Management Board is only useful if everyone can access and understand the information.

Finally, Visual Management only works if everyone participates. These sorts of systems need to be maintained or they will lose their effectiveness. If you have a board showing who is in and out, make sure that it is updated with the most current information. Without regular use, employees will not be able to trust the information displayed on the board.

You can learn more about Visual Management with our Visual Management Video Series, available here.

It is a complicated concept but Kanban can be highly effective with the right implementation. It can be applied to almost any work environment from a busy office environment to an industrial manufacturer.

Kanban was invented by the Japanese crusader of Lean, Taiichi Ohno. It translates to “signal card” in English. Overall, Kanban can assist your business in:

* Assigning information to every item in your process
* Establishing simple visual production and replenishment information
* Reducing Work-in-Process and overproduction
* Eliminating waste

Kanban are most often inventory cards.

Each card identifies an item, and designates the upstream and downstream processes that the item is associated with. Kanban systemizes information to align processes with customer demand to avoid overproduction and other wastes. The Kanban system creates an environment where production begins when signaled by the Kanban card. This signal is only triggered by customer demand.

You can view our entire catalog of Kanban courses by clicking here. Our courses cover everything from basic Kanban definitions to advanced implementation.

In order to continuously improve and progress as an organization, people need to observe, communicate and share information. Visual Management is a strategy that seeks to make information easy to interpret and immediately available. By using simple visual cues, you can manage scheduling, processes, inventory and much more.

Our Visual Management courses cover everything from the basic concepts up to advanced implementation.

 One of the unique offerings of uttana.com are the hundreds of photos we make available for download. Beneath every video, we have attached transcripts, PowerPoint presentations and yes, pictures showing examples of what is being taught. In our visual management courses, we have several examples for each video showing how you can build a successful visual management system.

Visual Management uses everything from simple colors and patterns, to signs, detailed charts, and electric lights. Environments created using these methods are filled with valuable information that can easily be interpreted and acted upon. Visual Management paints a picture of how a workplace is functioning, with every employee acting as an artist. This vibrant display of information is invaluable to any type of organization. When everyone has access to such information, it allows them to coordinate their efforts toward common goals.

Click here to view our entire catalog of Visual Management training videos. You can begin learning this Lean tool today!

Recently, I was published in The Bellingham Business Journal as part of their Business Toolkit feature.  If you haven’t had a chance yet, click the link and see how I laid out the case for Kaizen as the catalyst for employee engagement.

One of the tools that I mention in the article is a Kaizen Board. From the article:

Build a Kaizen Board
Kaizen is a Lean manufacturing term for “continuous improvement.” A Kaizen board is a place where you can display all the ideas your employees generate. Ask each employee to submit something once a month. That’s not a hard ask. One idea every 30 days. Hang these ideas up on the Kaizen board so they can be applauded and implemented.

Kaizen Boards can come in all shapes and sizes. You can list problems on a giant sheet and allow everyone to brainstorm solutions or you can use forms with “Before and After” pictures. The important part is that they are public, accessible and transparent. You can learn about how to use a Kaizen Board in our visual management series here.

With a Kaizen Board, you can harness the creative talents of everyone at your organization by bringing problems out of the shadows. Often when there are defects or mistakes, our first instincts are to blame the person responsible, or worse, sweep it under the rug and pretend like it didn’t happen. This is exactly the wrong approach, you want to bring each of these incidents out into the open and turn them into learning experiences, since they are opportunities for process improvement.

Tips for your Kaizen Display: A good rule of thumb is; can someone read a Kaizen, as displayed on the board, and understand the problem and potential solutions in under a minute or two? Can someone from a completely different department read the display and understand the problem enough to suggest solutions? Consider including a space for pictures or illustration of the Kaizen, or if the defective product is small enough, attach it to the board.

Below are some examples of Kaizen Boards (although the first one is technically a “Kaizen Newspaper”).

With a Kaizen Newspaper, anyone can identify problems, propose solutions and easily identify how much progress has been made on these issues.

Pictures can help to illustrate a problem, solution or just provide background to help the reader grasp the issue.