Visual Management in production management: a literature synthesis

Purpose- The purpose of this paper is to holistically discuss, explore and synthesise the key literature on Visual Management, an important, yet highly fragmented subject that is frequently referred in lean production accounts. Research Methodology - An extensive literature review was conducted to classify the current literature, to explore the different aspects and limitations of the current discussions on the subject, to clarify in what ways Visual Management benefits manifest themselves in a workplace and to identify the future research focus. Findings- Visual Management is an important close-range communication strategy based on cognitively effective information conveyance. This strategy has been frequently discussed in the production management literature. However, (a) the literature is fragmented as to the roles of Visual Management in a production setting, (b) the body of literature lacks integrated focus and cohesion with an abundance of related terminology from scholarly works and consultant books, (c) a practical VM tools taxonomy and a visual workplace implementation framework were presented (d) there is poor clarity with regards to the functions (benefits) that Visual Management may provide within organisations; nine conceptual Visual Management functions were proposed (e) a wide array of future research directions related to Visual Management was identified. Originality/Value- This paper synthesises the key literature related to Visual Management, providing a conceptual picture of the current knowledge

Co-creation-tilan kehittäminen

Co-creation is an act of collective creativity. Collective methods of creativity, such as co-creation, are needed to resolve the new complex problems known as wicked problems. A more diverse view and a better foundation for development could be obtained in organizations by taking full advantage of its workforce in collaborative means. Co-creation could also enhance the value created for the co-creating individuals and companies as well. The goal of the thesis is to give a clearer view on what are the necessary and desirable aspects of a functioning co-creation space. The thesis answers in following research questions: Why to co-create and what enables co-creation? How the space can enable co-creation? The thesis is divided into two parts: the literature review and the multiple case study. First, the theoretical background is mapped by a literature review. The literature review is supported with the multiple case study which gives a deeper insight on the subject. As hypotheses are not made in the thesis, the nature of the study is qualitative. Nine suggestions for developing a co-creation space are given in conclusion. These suggestions are following. (1) Stakeholders should share a common understanding of the meaning of co-creation in this particular co-creation space. (2) The first things to consider are the goal, the stakeholders and the space. (3) The values that are derived from the goal of the space should be reflected by the space. (4) The openness, collaboration and sharing should be exercised both internally and externally. (5) The space should be flexible. (6) The space should attract people. (7) The possibility to build tangible prototypes and other physical presentations is important. (8) Temporary spaces could be effective on testing co-creation in a particular case. (9) The co-creation space is never ready.Co-creation (yhteiskehittely tai yhteiskehittäminen) on yhteistyössä tehtävää luovaa toimintaa. Yhteistyöhön perustuvia luovan toiminnan metodeja tarvitaan ratkaisemaan uusenlaisia monimuotoisia ongelmia, jotka tunnetaan yleisesti englanninkielisellä termillä ‘wicked problems.’ Jos organisaatioissa kyetään käyttämään hyväksi niiden koko työvoimaa yhteistyön avulla, voidaan saavuttaa monimuotoisempi näkemys ja parempi pohja kehitykselle. Co-creationin avulla voidaan myös luoda arvoa paremmin yksilöille sekä yrityksille. Diplomityön tavoite on antaa kirkkaampi kuva tarvittavista sekä toivotuista sekoista, jotka edesauttavat co-creation-tilan toimintaa. Diplomityö vastaa seuraaviin tutkimuskysymyksiin: Miksi käyttää co-creationin menetelmillä ja mikä edesauttaa co-creationia? Miten tila voi edesauttaa co-creationia? Diplomityö on jaettu kahteen osaan. Teoreettinen viitekehys selvitetään ensin kirjallisuuskatsauksen avulla. Kirjallisuuskatsausta tukee tapaustutkimus, joka antaa syvemmän kuvan aiheesta. Koska diplomityössä ei tehdä hypoteeseja, on kyseessä laadullinen tutkimus. Lopuksi annetaan yhdeksän ehdostusta co-creation-tilan kehittäjälle. Nämä ehdotukset ovat seuraavat: (1) Sidosryhmillä on oltava yhteinen käsitys co-creationin tarkoituksesta. (2) Ensimmäiset asiat, jotka on otettava huomioon ovat tavoite, sidosryhmät sekä itse tila. (3) Tilan tulee heijastaa tavoitteen pohjalta määriteltyjä arvoja. (4) Sekä sisäinen että ulkoinen avoimuus, yhteistyö ja jakaminen on tärkeää. (5) Tilan tulisi olla joustava. (6) Tilan tulisi houkutella ihmisiä. (7) Mahdollisuus rakentaa konkreettisia prototyyppejä on tärkeää. (8) Väliaikaiset tilat voivat olla tehokkaita co-creationin testaamiseen tapauskohtaisesti. (9) Co-creation-tila ei ole koskaan valmis

Supporting Operators with their Daily Tasks in Complex Production Environments - a Perspective on ICT Tools

To achieve a sustainable competitive business all resources needs to be utilized. Within a manufacturing company the shop-floor operators are one of those resources. The shop-floor operators has been called “A key to future competitiveness and effectiveness”. To facilitate high operator performance the equipment required to support their tasks ought to be provided. Information and communication technology (ICT) could provide cognitive support and through technological advancements the possibilities of communication and information sharing seems endless. Authors suggests that ICT tools supporting the operators are needed.The aim of this thesis is to contribute to a better understanding of what challenges faced by operators can be aided by ICT tools and how to evaluate this support.Operators frequently faces various challenges during a work day. This thesis identifies and discusses ten challenges relating to information and communication. These challenges can be approached and supported in several ways. In the thesis it is discussed how mobile and digital ICT tools can support operators with identified challenges. Evaluating the outcome of any change is important and so is evaluating changes and impact from ICT tools. In this thesis examples of performance measures are presented and a few aspects to consider when selecting them are discussed.A framework “Operator-support tool” was suggested to aid in the endeavours of identifying challenges faced by operators and selecting performance measures (in addition to use in the design phase). This framework was beneficial in maintaining a wide perspective and ensuring consideration of the three aspects of operators, their tasks and support tools

Use of Obeya Visual Room in Entrepreneurial Decision-making

Master's thesis Industrial Economics and Technology Management IND590 - University of Agder 2017Entrepreneurs attempting to develop ideas outside the boundaries of organisations face challenges (e.g. high uncertainty and complexity levels, resource constraints, etc.) that might lead to failure due to different reasons, one of which is poor decision-making. Consecutively, due to constant changes in customer and market needs, entrepreneurial decisions must be taken rapidly. Hence, entrepreneurs need to take rational and effective decisions in order to succeed. Based on the highlighted problem, this study aims to investigate the impact of two approaches, experimentation and visualisation, to facilitate entrepreneurial decision-making. The primary objective of this research is to explore the impact of visualisation by adapting and utilising the Obeya visual tool during the development process of a market opportunity. Whereas, the secondary objective is to examine the impact of experimentation as a method of validating information. Hence, this thesis attempts to answer the following research question: “how can employment of Obeya impact decision-making in an entrepreneurial context”. Furthermore, this study answers the research question by employing the Obeya tool in workshop sessions, of which the researcher participates as a process facilitator, participant, and observer. The collected data, composed mainly of five semi-structured interviews from both workshop participants and external informants, is analysed using content analysis. Also, diary notes from held group meetings and workshop sessions are included. Based on the analysed content, the findings confirm that the Obeya tool positively impacts the ability to understand and communicate information. Whereas, experimentation improves the validity of data on which visualised material are built on. Hence, the study suggests that visualisation and experimentation are two, of many other, approaches that combined facilitate entrepreneurial decision-makin

Development of the Design Management Process in a Housing Production

Construction projects are complex entities characterized by their uniqueness. Every project is also designed separately. However, a unique product is difficult to produce effectively. The characteristic features of the projects slow down the process and expose it to mistakes. The aim of the target company is to move closer to the standardized and collaborative design management process from the traditional unique designing. The primary aim of the thesis was to develop a suitable design management process model for the purpose of the target company. The design management process was modeled as a process flow chart. The model was standardized to the extent of what was reasonable and possible. The problems and challenges of the design management as well as the functional solutions that can be standardized into the design management process were also examined in the study. In addition, the study examines the potential of productization and the new participating models and the methods of cooperating to answer to the identified problems and challenges. The thesis was carried out as a qualitative study, which is divided into the theoretical and empirical parts. The theoretical part was carried out as a literature review and is divided into the two parts. The first part consists of literature about the integrated management systems and processes. The second part focuses on the design management in the construction projects. The partners and target company employees were interviewed about the development of the design management, and their opinions will be presented in the empirical part of the thesis. In addition, the new participating methods and models were explored by attending the Big Room workshops and meetings. Developing the target company’s performance is based on the idea that operation suits the needs of the project. Despite the characteristic features and uniqueness of the projects, parts of the design management process can be standardized in a general level. The correctly utilized participating models and methods of collaboration, as well as the productized solutions, enhance the design management process and improve the results. A successful outcome also depends on the work and commitment of the various parties involved in the project.Rakennushankkeet ovat kompleksisia kokonaisuuksia, joille on ominaista niiden ainutlaatuisuus ja kertasuunnittelu. Uniikkia tuotetta on kuitenkin vaikea toteuttaa tehokkaasti. Hankkeiden erikoispiirteet hidastavat hankeprosessin läpiviemistä ja altistavat virheiden tekemiselle. Perinteisestä kertasuunnittelusta pyritään kohdeyrityksessä siirtymään lähemmäksi vakioitua ja osallistavaa suunnittelunohjausprosessia. Diplomityön päätavoitteena oli kehittää kohdeyrityksen käyttötarkoitukseen sopiva suunnittelunohjausprosessin malli, joka on kuvattu prosessikaavion avulla. Malli vakioitiin niiltä osin kuin se oli mahdollista ja järkevää. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin myös kohdeyrityksen suunnittelun ohjauksen ongelmia ja haasteita sekä toimivia ratkaisuja, jotka on mahdollista vakioida osaksi suunnittelunohjausprosessia. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa otettiin selvää uusien osallistavien yhteistyömallien ja työkalujen sekä tuotteistamisen mahdollisuuksista vastata tunnistettuihin haasteisiin ja ongelmiin. Diplomityö on toteutettu laadullisena eli kvalitatiivisena tutkimuksena, joka jakautuu teoreettiseen ja empiiriseen osioon. Teoreettisen osuuden tutkimusmenetelmänä käytettiin kirjallisuustutkimusta ja osuus jakautuu kahteen osaan. Ensimmäisessä osassa käsitellään toimintajärjestelmiä ja prosesseja. Toisessa osassa perehdytään rakennushankkeiden suunnittelunohjaukseen. Diplomityön empiirisessä osuudessa kerättiin kohdeyrityksen osapuolten ja yhteistyökumppaneiden mielipiteitä suunnittelunohjausprosessin kehittämisestä teemahaastatteluiden avulla. Lisäksi suunnittelunohjauksessa käyttöön otettuihin uusiin osallistaviin menetelmiin ja työkaluihin perehdyttiin osallistumalla palavereihin ja Big Room -työpajoihin. Kohdeyrityksen toiminnan kehittämisen lähtökohtana nähdään tavoite toimia hankkeen tarpeiden mukaan. Hankkeiden erikoispiirteistä ja ainutlaatuisuudesta huolimatta on suunnittelunohjausprosessin osia mahdollista vakioida karkealla tasolla. Oikein hyödynnetyt osallistavat yhteistyömallit ja työkalut sekä tuotteistetut ratkaisut tehostavat suunnittelunohjausprosessia ja parantavat tuloksia. Onnistunut lopputulos riippuu myös paljon eri osapuolten tekemästä työstä ja sitoutumisesta hankkeeseen

Supporting Production System Development through the Obeya Concept

Part 3: Human Factors, Learning and InnovationInternational audienceManufacturing Industry as an important part of European and Swedish economy faces new challenges with the daily growing global competition. An enabler of overcoming these challenges is a rapid transforming to a value-based focus. Investment in innovation tools for production system development is a crucial part of that focus which helps the companies to rapidly adapt their production systems to new changes. Those changes can be categorized to incremental and radical ones. In this research we studied the Obeya concept as a supporting tool for production system development with both of those approaches. It came from Toyota production system and is a big meeting space which facilitates communication and data visualization for a project team. Four lean companies have been studied to find the role of such spaces in production development. Results indicate a great opportunity for improving those spaces and their application to radical changes in production development projects