Visual instructions offer the simplicity employees need.

Imagine arriving at work and viewing a visual display for concise directions on your tasks for the day. Through a standard, visual work order, you instantly know exactly where to go and what to do. This information enables you to begin your duties almost immediately, resulting in improved efficiency and productivity throughout your shift.

While most companies have already adopted a Lean strategy, which inherently includes visual tools, a true “visual factory” goes further. Companies that leverage the visual factory model as the foundation of their Lean practices will find greater opportunities for productivity enhancements.

In reality, the visual factory concept predates Lean manufacturing. And, as the first companies went Lean some 70 years ago, visual tools were a fundamental part of the initial movement. Yet they often aren’t discussed or used to their full potential.

In its most simple form, a visual factory uses visual cues and tools to provide all workers with clear and concise communication, which is easily understood across languages and cultural differences. As visual management tools evolve, manufacturers should continuously evaluate and use them as part of any Lean strategy and drive for continuous improvement.

The underlying concept behind the visual factory is tools aimed to provide shop floor employees with the unambiguous information needed to best perform their jobs. Providing employees with verbal and written instructions can sometimes cause confusion. Without clear direction, it can be difficult for employees to work most effectively and make well-informed decisions. Visual instructions offer the simplicity employees need.

The first visual tools were manual, paper-based systems, with much of the work done on a spreadsheet at the front of a line. If a jidoka (problem on the line) occurred, a line worker might have rung a bell to signal for help.

While visual factory tools and techniques have changed tremendously throughout the decades, their objectives remain the same today: Deliver information simply and visually, so employees can clearly understand the overall performance health of a line/area; ensure employees have access to needed information, so they don’t have to hunt for data; and provide a system for managers to quickly respond to and resolve problems.

As companies first adopted the 5Ss of Lean, manufacturers created visual tools to help employees maintain an orderly workplace and sustain efficiency. The 5Ss include sort – eliminate clutter; set in order – organize; shine – keep area clean; standardize – implement best practices; sustain – maintain processes.

One simple implementation of the 5Ss can be found with mechanic tools such as wrenches. At Solectron, every tool has a specific location, and an outline of the instrument is painted. This makes it obvious if a tool is missing and where it belongs. Space is organized, clean, easily replicated and sustainable.

Modern visual management tools have matured as companies have progressed through the Lean journey. Common visual management tools include:

Production andons display real-time line performance to goals, citing target quantity compared to actual production. This provides managers with a quick way to track line performance and prevents surprises at shift-end.

Jidoka lights can be turned on by shop floor employees if an abnormality occurs on the line, such as a product defect. The light is located strategically above the machines to assist supervisors in immediately identifying and addressing any issues.

Sequencing boards provide customer focus teams, operators and managers with a view of the current shop floor status, including information flow, materials availability, readiness and abnormalities. This ensures employees load lines in accordance to customer demand in sequential order.

Baywatch towers are a more recent addition. They give supervisors an eagle’s-eye view of the whole floor. Blinking Jidoka lights visible from the tower alert supervisors to problems or abnormalities so they can take immediate action.

Other common visual tools used at Solectron are u-cell manufacturing assembly; parts supermarket to easily and quickly find materials; color-coded smocks to identify unique capabilities of associates; arrows on the floor to guide the production flow, and green labeling for lead-free production lines.

Creating new visual tools to bring more supply chain efficiencies is a continuous process. One way to do this is through Kaizen workshops, which give shop floor employees more empowerment and are proven to bring effective visual tools to the shop floor.

Today, Solectron’s Penang, Malaysia, facility is at the forefront of adopting visual management tools. While the plant employs many of the more common visual tools, it also has found great benefit in adapting tools to fit specific needs and in creating new visual devices. For example, through an idea generated by a Kaizen, Solectron developed an autolock system, whereby a line automatically shuts down if there are three similar defects within an hour. This automatic shutdown forces the right people to seek out and resolve the problem quickly and efficiently.

On a larger scale, the Penang site also created a pack plan scheduling board, which serves as a control tower for the floor. Managers and supervisors meet to review production needs and establish plans to fulfill customer requirements. Once managers set priorities, information is turned into a visual element with a visual signal controlling all materials flow, sequencing and scheduling.

Another challenge facing supervisors is ensuring the right number of staff with the right skills on production lines. The Penang facility uses a board that visually displays all shop floor employees and their skills on two axes. Magnets show levels of training, so supervisors can easily match the number of employees with the applicable skill set required for a specific production line.

Yet, one of the most important visual tools implemented in Penang is a system that feeds the production and on data and jidoka lights onto a computer monitor in the engineer control room. If there is a problem on the plant floor, a light comes on in the control room directing appropriate engineers to immediately go to the plant floor to fix the problem. Engineers spend the majority of their day working on strategic customer programs, yet they are immediately notified when an issue arises to ensure rapid resolution.

To drive further benefits from visual tools, forward-looking companies are considering how they can integrate these tools with their customers and suppliers. Solectron started this process with one of its customers, whereby the OEM can see the Kanban control boards in place at Solectron’s facility through a Web cam. As a result, both Solectron and the customer have real-time access and visibility to production.

Additionally, Kanban processes can now be automated through newer technologies. Users log on to a system and appropriate supervisors can see the status and location of products within the supply chain. As a result, the Kanban system can trigger a visually transmitted signal, so employees can take immediate action to resolve issues.

As companies move more visual systems to electronic and automated processes, while also implementing these new tools up and down the supply chain for enhanced performance, all partners will have improved visibility and collaboration. The result: improved business success throughout the entire supply chain.

Marty Neese is a corporate officer and executive vice president operations at Solectron Corp. (solectron.com), and responsible for global manufacturing, materials management and new product introduction. SM Kong is Solectron senior vice president of functional excellence.

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