Visual Communication

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Visual Communication is a key element in 5S implementation and plays a leading role in helping turn a traditional manufacturing system into a Lean one. Introduced in the second step of the 5S System, or “Set in Order,” Visual Communication helps facilities organized all tools, inventory and features through proper identifi cations.

Visual Communication, or sometimes referred to as “visual systems,” is shown to have a dramatic impact on the workplace and can be an especially effective tool in curbing many of the production issues facing managers today. Online surveys, conducted by America Online® and Salary.com® in 2005 and another survey, conducted by
Microsoft® in 2008, found work area personnel waste an average of over 2 hours per day.

Why is this phenomenon occurring and what can be done to change it? Often, reasons can be traced back to a lack of proper Visual Communication. In many facilities, work area personnel are incapable of effi ciently completing simple tasks because the necessary information is not available. When this occurs, work can’t be completed in a predictable time and production suffers.

Work area personnel also have very different levels of knowledge about a facility and when inventory and tools aren’t properly identified, unnecessary frustrations in the workplace occur.

Developing a workplace where inventories, materials, tools and equipment are all well-marked and clearly identified is an effective solution to help reduce wasted time. Results are often far-reaching and have been found to boost: productivity, quality levels, customer satisfaction while reducing workplace injuries. The list of benefi ts is near
limitless!