Visual management

Concept

The use of boards, markings, signals and charts so that the status of work, standards and deviations can be seen at a glance, without reports or questions, and the team can react right away.

Description

Visual management uses boards, floor markings, signals, colour codes and charts so that the state of work can be seen at a glance, without a report or a question. A person walking through an area should be able to tell whether things are normal or not, and what to do next.

Typical examples are shop floor boards with targets and actuals, andon lights that show a problem at a machine, shadow boards that show where each tool belongs and kanban signals. Good visuals are simple, current and placed where the decision is made. They depend on standards, because a deviation can only be seen if the normal state is defined. Visual management is closely linked to 5S, standard work and shop floor management.

Glossary

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Maintained by Mirko Peters (Microsoft MVP) · Last updated: 2026-11-11