The Toyota Way – Principle 7

Use visual control so no problems are hidden

«Mr. Ohno was passionate about TPS. He said you must clean up everything so you can see problems. He would complain if he could not look and see and tell if there is a problem.»
Fujio Cho,
Toyota Motor Corporation, 1999-2005

At Toyota, visual controls and visual workplaces make it possible to see anomalies at a glance.


“Visual control is any communication device used in the work environment that tells us at a glance how the work should be done and whether it deviates from the standard. It helps employees, who want to do their job well, see immediately if they are on the right track.”


It can show where parts go to, how many of them need to go there, what the standard procedure is, the status of the work in progress and many other types of information critical to the flow of work activities. In a broader sense, visual control refers to the lean design of just-in-time information of all kinds to ensure fast and proper execution of operations and processes.

Subscribe to get the weekly abstract of the 14 principles of the toyota way

Visual control goes beyond capturing deviations from the target or goal in charts and graphs and then displaying them publicly. Visual controls at Toyota are integrated into the value-added flow.


The Toyota Way recognizes that visual management complements humans because we are oriented visually, audibly, and tactilely. And the best visual indicators are those right at the workplace, where they can jump out at you and clearly indicate the standard by sight, sound and touch and any deviation from that standard. A well-developed visual control system increases productivity, reduces defects and errors, helps meet deadlines, facilitates communication, improves safety, and cuts costs. All this is achieved by giving workers more control over their environment.


BOOK RECOMMENDATION
The ActioGlobal team recommends you to read Jeff Liker’s bestseller, The Toyota Way. Following the reading, experimentation on the Gemba will provide the real learning.
CONTACT OUR EXPERTS

Have a video Call when it suits you best.

CONTACT

Discover tailor-made transformations by ActioGlobal®

Subscribe

We give you the 14 keys to promote a lean culture in your organization.