Implementing visual management (VM) is a cornerstone of any lean transformation. And few companies know that better than Toyota. I was very fortunate to learn Toyota’s approach to VM and see it applied and many times through my work as a Tier 1 supplier, and also within Toyota’s supplier organization BAMA. At Toyota’s Georgetown plant in Kentucky, for example, everything you look at is monitored by VM. As an approach it is referred to as FMDS, or Floor Management Display Systems, and it has a strict framework to keep all visuals consistent.
Deploying FMDS requires six elements, all in a particular sequence:
- Visualization of the standards
- Systems/priorities
- Section-level management
- Group-level management
- Kaizen/A3
- Change point management
But why is this necessary, you may ask. That seems like a lot of steps. The answer is in my sketch (and the animation that accompanies it). Here I’ve outlined the fundamentals of how visual management is viewed, sequenced, and deployed by Toyota. In my next sketch I will dive deeper into each of the above elements, what they involve, and how you can learn from them to improve your visual management’s efficacy too. Stay tuned.
Good illustration but D in FMDS is Development not Display though.
I want Toyota visual factory management consultant contact number.