https://doi.org/10.24928/2023/0118

Workshop for Learning Visual Management in Japan: A Report

Koichi Murata¹

¹Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Director, Operation and Production Management Laboratory, College of Industrial Technology, Nihon University, Chiba, JAPAN, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0003-4344-806X

Abstract

This paper provides a report regarding a visual management workshop conducted for business persons in Japan from September to December 2022. The aim of the workshop was to aid the participants in solving their problems via the visual management theory developed. Based on literature review, recent research trends pertaining to visual management show that the concept has disseminated widely. Nonetheless, the presence of various related studies with different contexts suggests the insufficient understanding of the concept. Hence, academics must endeavour to explain the details of visual management in a unified manner such that it can be applied more effectively. The purpose of this study is to address such issues based on the workshop above, as well as to describe and discuss the state of the workshop. For the study, the plan–do–check–action (PDCA) cycle, which is a well-established problem-solving process used in various fields, is applied. This paper summarises the workshop based on four categories: planning, implementation, evaluation, and discussion (based on the PDCA cycle). Data obtained from the workshop include relevant materials, observations from the workshop, as well as interviews with the participants. The conclusions obtained are as follows: First, participants from various industries with their respective issues can participate in the workshop. Second, the outcome of the workshop, i.e., the understanding that visual management connects people, instead of being a tool, is recognised by all the participants.

Keywords

Visual management, lean education, workshop, PDCA cycle, Japan context.

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Reference

Murata, K. 2023. Workshop for Learning Visual Management in Japan: A Report, Proceedings of the 31st Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC31) , 620-628. doi.org/10.24928/2023/0118

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