Reply to the two DB post 250 words a piece see attached (Must introduce a NEW CONCEPT)

Discussion Board Post- The Visual Factory

Sydnie Harris

The Visual Factory

Key Concept Explanation

The visual factory is a term that conveys information and data in a lean manufacturing environment. When a company is a lean manufacturer, this means there are systematic methods in place in order for waste minimization to occur. Lean manufacturers are in pursuit of perfection within their organizations and use tools to achieve this status. One of their tools used is the visual factory. I am interested in learning about this topic due to how it impacts accuracy and efficiency of employees inside an organization. Due to the simplistic nature, visuals such as charts are displayed throughout a workplace to exhibit problems, productivity, performance, safety, processes, or even how to manage downtime. Elements displayed of such are designed to change the behavior of employees through providing information that is crucial to achieve a task. In large corporations, there are typically hundreds of visual displays around the office that are designed to influence or direct behavior with information being available at a glance.

The visual factory, “management consists of a body of knowledge and practices concerned with the use of visual means in the factory to enhance information flow and process control” (Chong, A., 2005, p.15). Visual factory is often associated with the 5 S approach, which consists of five steps: sorting tasks, putting everything in a place, maintaining the work environment, implementing systems, and sustaining the environment. With the 5 S being carried out through visual means, this can result in a visual factory.

Comparison

In the text Operations and Supply Chain Management for MBAs, Meredith and Shafer (2016), describes the visual factory as a tool that is used to “help make problems visible, help employees stay up to date on current operating conditions, and communicate process improvement goals” (p.277). The use of a visual factory also allows problems to be made visual with charts and warnings displayed throughout a workplace. For example, in a plant-working environment, organizing an effective information-transfer system is crucial for a plant-workers safety and productivity. “With the visual factory principle, the production area is separated into three task zones 'A', 'B' and 'C'. Zone 'A' represents the 'peripheral' or 'reference' zone, zone 'B' represents the 'access' or 'link' zone and zone 'C' represents the 'main activity' or 'production' zone” (Bilalis, N., Scroubelos, G., Antoniadis, A., Emiris, D., & Koulouriotis, D., 2002, p.3576). When this system is implanted in a plant-working environment, it provides a safer workplace, fewer errors to occur, and an increase in profits.

Allowing visual data to be displayed around a work environment has permitted more time on the production floor due to less reading, interpreting instructions, and processing information. The article, The Voice of the Visual in Memory (2014), discusses how a visual image can impact a persons’ collective memory. The article suggests that, “images help us remember the past by freezing its representation at a powerful moment already known to us” (Zelizer, B., 2014, p.158). Images are a preferred way to establish and maintain knowledge from the past and present by many workers since images are a silent voice. This aids in an employees performance by removing non-value added activities in the workplace. According to (Kattman, B., Corbin, P., Moore, E., & Walsh, L., 2012), “The visual workplace improves performance by providing information, enabling workers through self‐direction and empowerment to quickly make decisions without requiring oversight” (p.415). This practice is often not implemented in the office environment while in comparison to its high usage in the manufacturing atmosphere. While practices and benefits are just as useful in both business atmospheres, there is reluctance by management in office settings to fully embrace the visual practices due to wanting to make the work environment clutter free.

Article Summary

The article I have chosen to further analyze for this post is Visual Management in Production Management (2016), which holistically discusses visual management, which is frequently found in lean manufacturing industries. Visual management is a technique use to display visual signage rather than a hard copy. With the contemporary society exploding with digital demands through videos, television, websites, electronic billboards/signs, photos, and many others, visual management allows cognition in memory rather than text and verbal announcements. Another factor that is discussed in this article that impacts employees using the visual factory is their work habits and maintaining correct procedures. For instance, “workforce’s compliance with processes by converting the abstract concept of discipline into directly discernable, concrete practices” (Tezel, A., Koskela, L., & Tzortzopoulos, P., 2016, p.770). Discipline is achieved through influencing, guiding, or directing employees through verbal confirmation as well as visual management.

Visual management also facilitates job assistance. Visual management allows managers to not aid and monitor their employees 24-7 due to the visual aids that provide employees task assistance. By allowing people to perform their jobs easier and lightening their stress levels, correctly designed visual aids must be effective and useful to employees. Lastly, with visual management supporting managerial efforts, at times they can be used to impose guidance or visual controls on employees. Companies with a transparent work environment will retain employees with an open mind and diligence to comply since they are able to see and understand the intention behind the visual message.

Biblical Integration

Visual aids of any sort are meant to help people understand a lesson or purpose behind the image. The more visual objects that are present, the better off we are to retain the information that we have learned. This is no different than spiritual instruction given to us by our Creator. We are given visual aids on a daily basis to help us understand and apply his teachings. For instance, baptisms are used as visual public testimony of purity, cleansing from sin, and the devotion to God. Baptism is an act of obedience for a believer. John the Baptist was directed by God to spread the gospel and baptize those who accepted His message. "Peter replied, 'each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church--about three thousand in all.” Acts 2:38, 41 (New Living Translation).

Jeremiah also used visual signs as aids. For instance in Jeremiah 13:1 (NLT) states, “This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it on, but do not wash it.” God demanded Jeremiah use the linen loincloth as an object for a lesson. In Jeremiah 13:11, he is told, “As the loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord” (NLT). There are several more visual examples listed throughout the Bible, but it is important to understand that God made us in his perfect image and He knows how it is best to instruct us. Following immoral rules that are displayed in a work environment should not be practiced and reported immediately.

Application

The topic I have selected to analyze for this post, the visual factory, applies to the real world of business by allowing employees to fully understand the purpose and reasoning behind a message being displayed. With information being easily accessible for employees, this helps eliminate wasted production time and misunderstanding. Efficient and timely communication through the use of visual aids will help reduce errors, increase employee morale, and increase output. Moreover, this way of communication becomes more important in a work environment with complex processes. Using this method even with complex information can still quickly be grasped and implemented.

Annotated Bibliography

Bilalis, N., Scroubelos, G., Antoniadis, A., Emiris, D., & Koulouriotis, D. (2002). Visual factory: Basic principles and the 'zoning' approach. International Journal of Production Research, 40(15), 3575-3588. doi:10.1080/00207540210140031

This article discusses the organization of information being effectively passed along to employees in a plant-working environment. This study is based off of the development of safety systems, training practices, and the visual factory design. With the use of visual factory materials, production areas can be zoned off with the use of letters A, B, and C. The method serves as a facilitating tool of on the floor production, and it also allows managers and owners to know where each employee may be stationed. This type of organization allows companies to avoid production disasters. Information availability is no longer an issue today compared to 30 years ago.

Chong, T. A. (2005). The Synergies of the learning organization, visual factory management, and on-the-job training. Performance Improvement, 44(7), 15-20. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest- com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/237235898?accountid=12085

This article discusses how a learning organization consists of evolving strategies, visions, perceptions, while the individual level is more concerned with understanding new skills and gaining knowledge. Visual factory management is a body of practices and knowledge that is used for visual enhancements around the factory to aid processes and control. Visual aids should not display too much information, and they should be placed in beneficial locations. This article also discusses how the visual factory is often correlated with the 5 system of management. The 5 S system is used to increase efficiency in a work environment through five steps. These steps consist of sorting, putting things in a place, maintaining the environment free of clutter and filth, implementing standard procedures, and standardizing.

Kattman, B., Corbin, T. P., Moore, L. E., & Walsh, L. (2012). Visual workplace practices positively impact business processes. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 19(3), 412-430. doi:10.1108/14635771211243021

The purpose of this article is to discuss how the visual workplace improves an employee’s performance. In order for companies to produce efficient products that customers will buy, they must have employees who are capable of deploying such a product. This type of work ethic is reminded on a daily basis through visual images around the workplace. It also empowers a worker to make his or her own decisions through self- direction and explanation. Also included in this article is the background and use of visual practices, provide relevant case studies, analyses the case studies, and provides insight on how to improve the study if it were performed again.

Meredith, J. R., & Shafer, S. M. (2017). Operations Management for MBAs (6th ed.). Jefferson

Pascu, C. I., Gheorghe, S., Dumitru, I., Nisipasu, M., & Ciocioi-Troaca, D. (2016). Aspects about implementation of lean manufacturing principles for quality improvement in a production system for automotive industry. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 823, 283-288. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.libe rty.edu/10.4028/ www.scientific.net/AMM.823.283

This article discusses how lean manufacturing system represents the most wide-ranging management technique within a manufacturing process. Lean manufacturing in production industries can be seen to reduce and eliminate waste costs. In Figure 1, there is a diagram of popular instruments that are used in lean manufacturing industries, such as a visual factory. Not only is lean manufacturing discussed and analyzed, but also the 6S principle is examined (which is the expanded version of 5S). Lastly, Lean manufacturers who implement 6S have experienced noticeable improvements and productive maintenance has significantly improved specifically in the automotive industry. Fiat and Ford were observed in this study.

Tezel, A., Koskela, L., & Tzortzopoulos, P. (2016). Visual management in production management: A literature synthesis. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 27(6), 766-799. doi:10.1108/JMTM-08-2015-0071

The purpose of this article is to explore the importance of visual management in lean manufacturing. With society today exploding in visual images through social media, television, cell phones, bill boards, and many other many others are powerful ways to instill in a users memory. The visual factory has also taken presence in the communication industry such as safety information for on site construction workers or realtors showing off a home to be sold. These visual images must also appeal to the human senses and located in an accessible area where the information may be needed. It was also made clear in this article that an organization does not have to have a lean background in order to implement visual strategies, lean manufacturing resorts to visual management.

Zelizer, B. (2014). The voice of the visual in memory. In K. R. Phillips (Ed.), Framing public memory (pp. 157-186). Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama. Retrieved from http://repository.upenn.edu/asc_papers/58

This article addresses the role visual images play in a person’s collective memory. Rather than hearing words, people are motivated by images in most circumstances. This article also suggests that images help us remember the past by freezing its representation in a well-known situation that is inspiring or already known to us. For instance, the images displayed from the World Trade Center attack was discussed and is a representation of “life is about to end” . When it comes to dealing with memory for tragic events, visuals must be carefully thought out before being displayed in order to avoid offending or upsetting someone.