Participative Visual Management (PVM) has become an indispensable tool supporting Lean Management . It contributes to communication and company branding, as well as fostering employee engagement thanks to collective decision making.
The objective of PVM is to define, with the help of visual aides, a work environment having several benefits:
- Encourage employee engagement at all levels of the organisation
- Support operators on the shopfloor
- Aid decision making and problem solving while facilitating reactivity
- Simplify and facilitate objectives and strategy
Establishing PVM is the first step in establishing a transparent and agile company strategy. It also takes into account the needs and requirements of clients thanks to better communication and decision making at the right level.
To put in place a quality PVM, one needs to follow certain rules:
- Make information easily accessible and permanent. The user must have no difficulty in reading, understanding and interpreting the medium for visual power to have an effect. Clarity is fundamental
- Create a relevant dialogue medium by identifying in advance the people or teams to whom the messages are addressed
- Develop communication and create genuine team collaboration by creating a space where employees can confidently propose solutions and express their creativity.
- Rapidly inform all operators, managers and visitors
- Delegating power: managers must be prepared to relinquish some control over their employees
For the MVP to be a success and bring results for the company, it is essential to define the right indicators. These must be easy to implement and monitor on a regular basis.
There are two types of indicators, which can be either results-based (short-term impact) or means-based (long-term impact):
- Static: measures completed events (e.g. a company's annual results)
- Dynamic: it measures unfinished events. A real management tool that allows you to react quickly and avoid additional costs in the event of drift (e.g. control chart).
Implementing a participative visual management helps to consolidate the power of employees through their involvement in the decision-making process, and to identify their individual skills.
