Ever had a supplier say:
“We didn’t know there was a delay until dispatch time.”
Or
“QC didn’t tell us there was a tolerance issue until packing.”
In factories without visibility, problems stay hidden — until it’s too late.
That’s where Visual Management comes in.
Toyota calls it: “making the invisible, visible.”
We call it: catching fire before it becomes a fire.
What Is Visual Management?
Visual management means running your factory like an airport control tower:
Anyone walking by can see what’s going wrong
Even a visitor can understand status in 10 seconds
No searching, no guessing, no late updates
It uses:
Color-coded Kanban tags
Operator whiteboards
Visual SOPs
Red-yellow-green part bins
Real-time job status boards
Charts that scream: “Stop — we’re off track!”
Real Example 1: Sheet Metal Shop Stopped Losing Time to “Where Is It?” Syndrome
Problem:
In a Coimbatore shop, workers constantly asked:
“Where’s that die?”
“Who took the gauge?”
“Is this lot passed or failed?”
Result:
Operator confusion
QC backlogs
Multiple dispatch delays every month
Fix:
Added red/green magnetic tags for every press die
Created a “passed/failed” lane board outside inspection
Issued color-coded trays for every job
Result:
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Time Lost in Search | 45–60 min | <10 min |
| QC Mix-ups | 2–3/week | 0/week |
| Delay Excuses | Frequent | Rare |
Real Example 2: CNC Shop Used Whiteboard to Avoid Downtime
Issue:
A turning shop in Pune used 5 machines.
But 2 of them sat idle often — not because of breakdowns, but because no one tracked job readiness.
Fix:
Installed a daily load plan whiteboard with job names, drawing numbers, and readiness status
Operators updated the board after each batch
Everyone from supervisor to buyer coordinator could see the flow in real time
Results:
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Idle Hours | 11 hrs/week | 2.5 hrs/week |
| Missed Dispatches | 3/month | 0 in 2 months |
| Buyer Complaints | Common | Almost none |
Why It Works
Visual systems don’t replace people — they support them.
They:
Remove confusion
Speed up decision-making
Reduce verbal follow-ups
Increase team accountability
If your factory (or supplier) needs meetings to understand problems —
then it needs visual management more than ever.
Why Buyers Should Care
If your supplier has no visual system:
You’ll get random excuses
You’ll get last-minute chaos
You’ll hear “We’re working on it” instead of seeing progress
But when visual management is done right:
You get regular photo updates
You see part flow in real time
You can hold them accountable — because the facts are visible
What TheSupplier Looks For
During audits, we ask:
Are Kanban or WIP boards visible?
Are rework bins labeled?
Is job status updated daily or left to memory?
Are delays explained visually — or only when buyer asks?
We don’t need fancy tech.
We need clear logic.
That’s what separates factories that flow… from factories that fail.
📣 Want Suppliers Who Show the Truth Without Being Asked?
👉 Explore Our Capabilities
📎 Upload RFQ
💬 Question for You
Have you ever faced a shipment delay — simply because the factory team didn’t track job status visually?
👇 Comment below: What visual system changed your factory (or what do you wish your supplier used)?
📚 References
Toyota Global: https://global.toyota/en/company/vision-and-philosophy/production-system/
The Toyota Way – Jeffrey Liker
Field reports from TheSupplier vendor audits (2023–24)
