https://doi.org/10.24928/2023/0264

Visual Management Implementation Strategy: An Analysis of Digital Whiteboards

Bárbara Pedó¹, Algan Tezel², Lauri Koskela³, Patricia Tzortzopoulos⁴, Carlos Torres Formoso⁵, Elena Vrabie⁶ & Stuart Robinson⁷

¹Ph.D. Student, Innovative Design Lab (IDL), University of Huddersfield, and Lean Manager at Arcadis, United Kingdom (UK), [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6520-0981
²Associate Professor, Civil Engineering and Management, University of Nottingham, UK, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3903-6126
³Professor, IDL, University of Huddersfield, UK, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4449-2281
⁴Professor, IDL, University of Huddersfield, UK, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8740- 6753
⁵Professor, Building Innovation Research Unit (NORIE), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, [email protected], http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4772-3746
⁶Senior Technical Director, Country Digital and Automation Lead, Arcadis, UK, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0854-6484
⁷Technical Director, Arcadis, UK, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5350-6281

Abstract

Visual Management (VM) is a communication strategy in which a visual workplace for closerange communication is created by using easy-to-understand sensory devices. It is adopted to increase process transparency and self-management capacity. VM discussions have been mostly device-centred to date, being concerned with the development of new devices, or understanding the impact of different VM attributes for different purposes. Explorations of VM as a strategy have been limited. This paper outlines the key elements of one part of an overall VM strategy, namely the implementation strategy (i.e., planning, introducing, executing, monitoring, and controlling, maintaining, and improving, and removing). It is based on an empirical study on the use of a specific type of VM device (i.e., digital whiteboards) at an infrastructure engineering design and consultancy company in the UK. The main sources of evidence were surveys with key representatives of the company and participant observation in the development and implementation of the device. Findings indicate that adopting VM through a systematic implementation strategy with coherent plans and actions is important to enable its successful application. Moreover, some future research opportunities are pointed out, such as to expand and evaluate the definitions proposed, and to test them in different contexts and device types.

Keywords

Visual Management, Strategy, Digital Whiteboards, Lean, Design Management.

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Reference

Pedó, B. , Tezel, A. , Koskela, L. , Tzortzopoulos, P. , Formoso, C. T. , Vrabie, E. & Robinson, S. 2023. Visual Management Implementation Strategy: An Analysis of Digital Whiteboards, Proceedings of the 31st Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC31) , 608-619. doi.org/10.24928/2023/0264

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