Obeya “War Room” a powerful Visual Management Tool.

On Toyota Management System there is one Visual Tool that helps the teams to reach the Goals and promotes generations of solutions and actions; that can be developed and implemented quickly.

This tool is known as Obeya (War Room); many people think, it is just one type of Obeya but there are different types on the organizations.

Before to describe the types, lest understand the theory behind the Obeya or “Big Room / War Room”.

The Theory behind Obeya is based on a simple idea:

Dedicate time and space to Coordination and problem-solving and organizational barriers will be minimized. The ability to maintain Proper Problem Awareness in Real-time, listen to Team Member, concerns, make discoveries, resolve problems together, collaborate, accelerate leader and team-member development and reach our full potential is critical to a Lean Organization.

The Obeya promotes coordination, strategy and flexibility while leveraging the

expertise and support of teammates from diverse areas.

Types of Obeya:

Global Launch Obeya;

When developing a new vehicle, managers responsible for decision making in design, production engineering, and manufacturing gather in one place to shorten

lead-time through real-time communications & simultaneous engineering.

Business Process Layout Obeya:

Centralized data collection, prioritizing and action planning.

Focus Obeya;

Ø   Project War Rooms

Ø   SQDC/PDCA

Ø   A3 Problem Solving

Ø   Jishuken rooms

Its very important to consider some points for Obeya :

1.    I strong recommend to use just two colors, Red and Green, for status, not Yellow, Orange, Blue ect. The reason behind this is to avoid ambiguities; the status is OK or NOT OK.

2.    Define Metrics on SMART ways, not more than 5 metrics, due is impractical review every day 100 metrics.

3.    Issues Boards, there is mandatory, the team is prompted to solve issues immediately, the procrastination to solve the problem is not allowed.

4.    Discipline for meeting attending on time and should last no more than 10 min.

5.    The Flow for Obeya is CPDCA instead of normal PDCA.

Here one video of Takashi Tanaka - Lean for Knowledge Work,  Mr. Takashi gives a great explanation about the use of Obeya.

I hope this help you in your next Project.

Avoiding the “Blind Genba Walks” to help the Management Staff- (Buraindo genba u~ōku -ブラインド現場ウォーク).

I have had the opportunity to learn many different things, of Japanese Senseis; tools, methods, and culture change behaviors etc.

However; avoid the “Blind Genba Walks” is one of the best methods I could learn from them.

The “Blind Genba Walks” obviously shouldn't exist but; it does; and it is described as follow: when the Management staff goes to genba (if they goes) and made just a friendly Tour, to see the good things; and avoid systematically see the problems on shop floor (for many different reasons), this promotes the “Blind Genba Walks” ; and as Lean Directors – Managers our job is to fix this immediately.

Here some Tips, to avoid this happen or correct the problem, if it’s already happening.

(These tips are based on my own experience; working with Japanese senseis, I don’t pretend convince you to copy this method; it’s just for your reference. ☺☺☺)

1.    Describe to Staff Management the real purpose of “Gemba Walks” ; there are two mainly: the first purpose, is to be witness of improvements done by their people and see where the savings are coming from; and the second purpose is to detect abnormalities and areas of opportunities that needs to be fixed (3 M’s), basically next steps for continuous improvement. If you have done this already, do it again, as many times as required. Obviously this is a complement of the Kaizen Plan that , Lean – Directors-Managers have done already. (This is one example of the management support- Enrollment on the commitment, its like go to see your child’s game, its not just buy the ball or pay for the uniform; you must cheer and give him, advice on how improve his game next time.)

2.    At this point the organization should have a “Genba Walk Agenda” already defined if not, please do it.  However, we need to help the Management Staff to see the 3 M’s (Muda ; Muri; Mura ) please remember or take this in account  “a training in classroom is not enough ; you need train them on the field (Genba)”. For that activities the Lean Director – Manager, must provides “Genba Walk Check Sheet” (please don’t confuse it with Check List its totally different). The Staff Manager must Use their eye to talk, see & listen.

3.    The Management Staff may use two Cards (Blue and Yellow) Blue Card is Recognition Watch Card and Yellow Card is Opportunity Watch Card.

4.    The Leaders and team members shall perform as “Tachibo”(立棒)  (Listen, write and do), and correct the points that Staff Manager have indicated to fix immediately don’t wait for next week, if the Staff see this speed on their demands, them they will embrace the real “Genba Walk “because they see actions and changes immediately. This is one of the secrets to sustain Lean.

The real “Genba Walks” are key for the Lean Deployment implementation and sustaining.

Many Lean Managers- Directors don’t put many attentions to this activities, maybe because the Staff don’t want to walk the Genba, however my best advise is; not surrender to this problem; confront and demand to the Staff Management for their helps and cooperation, but when you get it, don’t wasted it; it is your responsibility as Lean Change Agent.

I hope this can help you in your next project.

Therbligs Motion Analysis, the next Step after Standard Work.

I teach the Therbligs Motion Analysis (TMA) to my customers, just after done the first improvement (Standard Work) on the process or manufacturing line or cell, the reason is very simple, after the first improvement you may think everything is ok, but is not true, due there is more waste, this type of waste are the human micro motions and usually are very difficult to identify since the beginning of Standard Work analysis.

The TMA , will help you to identify the next improvement steps , that may end on implementation of Hanedashi – Auto eject or a full Chaku- ChaKu Line (load–load).

Shigeo Shingo explains in one of his books; the real meaning of work is: “ a person exerts strength on a weighty task”

Thus, rather than assuming that a man in motion is working, we must be sure to ask whether he is really exerting his strength on some task that will produce value added.

Frank B. Gilbreth studied human motion and discovered basic elements of motion, which he called Therbligs. All human movement, he discovered, are composed of a mere 18 Therbligs.

Basic steps for TMA.

1.    Be sure to familiarize yourself with the 18 basic Therbligs Symbols before using this form.

2.    Fill in the basic product and process related information.

3.    Make small sketch of the area you are study for reminder or take pictures.

4.    Observe the motion overall several times to obtain familiarity, draw the Ohno’s circle and stay there.

5.    Write down the left-hand, right-hand, and eye-related motions one by one.

6.    Include a brief word or two of explanation if required in the provided column.

7.    Write down the work elements every few symbols for clarification.

8.    Write down your improvements ideas for each small motion.

Please see the next video, its about machine improvement and automation, please note that event with the Nut Feeder , the operator is doing other motions that not add value, he is using his left hand as bin – Hold “H” , the right hand is used to release load “RL”  and this operation has a Unavoidable delay “UD” is obvious that more work needs to be done.

Please see the next video ;  on this case the operator just needs to load the part and the machine has the Nut Feeder and Auto eject.

If you want to make a Chaku- Chaku line you need to think about this; how the NVA activities can be detected and eliminated? The first step is performing a TMA.

Hope this information helps you in your next project.