Abstract
To enhance production, the modern day manufacturing environment requires adaptive methods of leadership. One of the key elements that organisations discovered to be optimal is inclusive engagement of all levels of the organisation hierarchy, from the shop floor, up the ladder, to senior executive leadership. The advantages of this approach include but are not limited to improved multidisciplinary team communication, increased individual and team participation, increased overall revenues, and finally, a more sustainable business. However, implementing these methods to achieve an inclusive environment is difficult.
Communication through visualisation can be used to bridge the gap and encourage more inclusive engagement from all levels of the organisation. This openly communicates key performance indicators used by businesses, short-, medium- and long-term plans, immediate challenges, and a variety of other useful information discovered by organisations. This is referred to as visual management. Implementing an effective visual management system remains a significant challenge for many manufacturing operations.
The study's goal was to provide insight into the successful implementation of visual management (VM) in the manufacturing environment. The study employed a qualitative approach and purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews comprising open-ended multiple-choice questions were used to collect data from 18 employees working in the manufacturing environment, and the results were analysed using thematic analysis.
This research investigated barriers to incorporating VM practices in manufacturing and highlighted the advantages of an efficient visual management system. It explored how visual management can be used to assess performance and highlighted the impact of VM on teamwork and competitiveness. The study concludes by providing recommendations for sustaining visual management initiatives for continuous improvement.
The study revealed that successful implementation of VM depends on strong leadership, employee involvement, and transparent communication. VM was found to significantly improve organisational performance, reduce waste, enhance safety, and support the standardisation of 5S practices.