Unlocking Operational Excellence with Visual Team Boards

Have you ever visited a site that uses well-designed visual boards to support the day-to-day running of their operations to great effect? Pretty impressive, right? Now, how many of us have seen various attempts to set these up, only to find they lack ownership, engagement, and invariably wind up turning into a notice board?

The reason that many organisations fail in this area, despite their best intentions, is that it’s simply not as easy as many think. There needs to be an underlying system behind their use. For these tools to be effective, it is essential they stem from a well-thought-out strategy derived from a proven process which takes a multitude of factors into consideration.

The team at EnterpriseIS have assisted clients in implementing team boards in their operations to drive improvements in safety, productivity, process control, communication, team engagement, and quality. Furthermore, their use has been sustained given the level of engagement, training, and support offered during implementation.

1. Lack of Ownership: Without clear ownership, boards can quickly become neglected. It’s crucial that someone is responsible for maintaining and updating them regularly.
2. Insufficient Engagement: For boards to be effective, team members need to interact with them frequently. This requires ongoing engagement and buy-in from all levels of the organisation.
3. Absence of a Clear Strategy: Implementing visual management boards without a solid plan often leads to their demise. A well-thought-out strategy that aligns with the organisation’s goals and processes is key.
4. Inadequate Training: Without proper training, employees may not understand how to use the boards effectively, leading to underutilisation and frustration.
5. No Visible Improvements: Actions that drive improvement are not being identified or completed.

At EnterpriseIS, we believe in a comprehensive approach to setting up and sustaining visual team boards. Here’s how we do it:

1. Assessment and Strategy Development: We begin by understanding your current processes, challenges, and goals. This helps us develop a tailored strategy.
2. Customised Design: We design boards that are not only visually appealing but also functional and aligned with your specific needs.
3. Engagement and Ownership: We work with your team to ensure that there is clear ownership and that all members are engaged with the boards. This involves regular check-ins and updates to maintain momentum.
4. Training and Support: We provide thorough training to ensure that your team knows how to use the boards effectively. Our support doesn’t end after the initial setup; we offer ongoing assistance to ensure sustained success.

1. Improved Safety: Meaningful safety conversations are occurring at the start of each shift. Identified hazards have actions to address. Safe days are tracked and celebrated.
2. Alignment: The agenda for the team board meeting communicates all the key aspects of the operation, ensuring the team are aligned on the current state and what their plans are for the day.
3. Enhanced Productivity: Everyone is clear on their roles in achieving the objectives and KPI’s for the day.
4. Product Quality Control: Any deviations in product quality are actioned quickly. Key processes are monitored within defined limits.
5. Improvement Culture: When identified actions are completed, the performance improves which promotes identifying further ideas.

If you think visual team boards could work for you, would like to know more, or your current approaches are simply not delivering the required outcomes, reach out to the team at EnterpriseIS. After exploring what success looks like for you, we’ll tailor a solution to deliver your goals.

Read more about our Team’s capabilities!