Performance Boards & Obeyas

Many companies create and place “Performance Boards” (e.g., QDIP, SQDC boards) in their manufacturing areas/cells. While these boards go by many names, their purpose is to provide high visibility in monitoring KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).

Take a look at this short video (from Triumph Aerospace).

Introduction to SQDC Boards (4:10)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RN7y935AMc

Several companies, such as Smit Visual and Clarity Visual Management, offer templates to assist companies in implementing “Performance Boards”.

For more “real-time” data, some companies have transitioned their “Performance Boards” to “Dash Boards” displayed on computers. In some instances, these “Dash Boards” are displayed on large screen monitors located throughout their facility. In other instances, they're available “on-demand” to managers and workers who need to monitor the KPIs.

Where greater cooperation and/or communication is required between process areas/cells, companies utilize a centralized Obeya (Japanese for “Big Room”). While rarely seen in ISO 9001 companies, these have been used in “Lean” companies for many years. However, the “Obeya” concept has recently begun appearing in Aerospace (AS9100) companies. The idea with an Obeya is to gather everyone involved for a more effective meeting focused on KPIs, Objectives, and actions for improvement. These meetings are short and usually take place once or twice each week. When not being used for meetings on KPIs, Objectives, and actions for improvement, these rooms often serve “double duty” as either a conference room and/or training room.

Some companies even use their Obeya to perform Management Reviews - since most, if not all of the data they review, is already posted in this room.

Lessons from working with Obeya (3:46)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q1yR2KRG1w

Obeyas have become so popular that, with so many employees working remotely, there are now several companies providing all of the typical tools used in an Obeya virtually. One such company is called “iObeya”.

iObeya - Digital Visual Management (3:17)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_yEL13Nc2k