Digital shop floor management

What is digital shop floor management and how can the ValueStreamer software help you successfully establish digital shop floor management in your company?

This article answers these two important questions.

Key concept: shop floor management

Shop floor management is a key concept in lean management. Shop floor management enables optimal collaboration in the value stream outside production too, in indirect areas.

The core goal of lean management is to reduce waste in the company’s core value streams while establishing process standards, and so to realise cost savings. The ideal is a “one-piece flow” process – a process in which a product is pulled through production without disruption.

What cannot be standardised should be optimally synchronised or coordinated.

Not every process can be standardised, however. There are always sub-processes that should be optimally synchronised because full standardisation is not possible. This is where shop floor management comes in.

Expert interview with Dr Andreas Romberg, Managing Director of ValueStreamer GmbH

Dr Andreas Romberg explains the Performance “U” he developed and its relevance for optimal multi-project management and successful collaboration in organisations. He explains the main features and benefits of the ValueStreamer software and the advantages of hybrid project management.

What is shop floor management?

Shop floor management comprises two core concepts: the visualisation of information on team or process boards on the one hand, and daily short-cycle regular communication of about 15 minutes on the other.

These regular meetings are networked and build on each other within a communication cascade .

SFM focuses on operations control and deviation management from expected standards at the “gemba” – the place where the work is done.

On the one hand, effective shop floor management means constant work in the system through continuous improvement of processes (CIP), improvement of structures and methods in the organisation using visual management, regular communication, process confirmation and structured problem solving based on data & KPIs.

On the other hand, effective shop floor management means constant work on the system by establishing “go & see”, active coaching, developing leadership attitudes and working on mindset and leadership culture.

Digital shop floor management

The increasing virtual collaboration in companies across the entire supply chain, across different sites and countries, now needs a digital solution for shop floor management, which in the old world was practised in analogue form with physical team boards and stand-up meetings.

That is why many companies are now looking for a digital shop floor management solution to map their processes and communication cascade virtually .

With digital shop floor management, we move the communication cascade onto the data highway and always have an up-to-date picture of the situation , so we can act more precisely and faster.

The right software: ValueStreamer or Tervene

Digital shop floor management stands or falls with the method, not with the tool. We work independently of vendors and mainly use two solutions – or the system you already use:

• ValueStreamer is strong in project and multi-project environments, in development and in indirect areas. The software maps the Performance U with project and line cascades directly.
• It is built entirely on the shop floor management methodology and maps not only production but all of a company’s processes – networked across sites and countries.
• This creates an always up-to-date picture of the situation, without travel and without paper boards. Teams and management can act more precisely and faster.
• The German software provider delivers a clear methodological concept that is reflected in the software and can be adapted within limits.
• The big advantage is the speed of implementation and the relatively simple configuration of the system. So you get your horsepower on the road quickly.
• Tervene is software for digital shop floor management in production and indirect areas. Tervene makes leadership routines binding, makes problems visible and keeps teams on course across shifts and sites.
• The Canadian software provider offers a package of native applications for smartphone, tablet and desktop. The software is delivered empty. TEAMTHINK supported the configuration of the system in order to establish the collaboration logic and method of the Performance U effectively in the software.

Which tool fits, we clarify together with you on the basis of your value streams and your existing IT landscape.

Digital shop floor management with ValueStreamer

ValueStreamer is a premium software solution for digital shop floor management (dSFM). ValueStreamer software is a fantastic solution based entirely on the shop floor management methodology .

The software solution is developed by Dr Andreas Romberg and his team. The team at ValueStreamer GmbH has succeeded in bringing a unique, high-quality product to market.

All processes in the company can be mapped

What is special about the ValueStreamer solution is that it makes it possible to map all processes in the company with one solution . Alternative providers are usually able to map mainly the production process. With ValueStreamer, clients can therefore map all processes in the company and connect them globally through a cascade of regular communication.

Dashboard with all relevant KPIs

A dashboard provides decision-makers with all the information they need at a glance. The relevant steering KPIs are provided from the system in agreement with the client.

Process boards in project & multi-project management

All the company’s projects can be visualised and steered together on clear process boards . The clear colour codes make it possible to steer deviations with measures immediately.

Automatic linking of sub-processes from a stored workflow (templates)

Standardised sub-processes can be created in templates , which in turn generate work packages for each sub-process in the project.

Kanban boards for teams

On clear kanban boards, the team members’ work packages are clearly visualised. The kanban boards allow the work packages to be structured according to the essential lean principles: built-in quality, flow, takt and pull.

Once a week, the team plans its collaboration for the next 10 weeks , so it can react to changes in the environment in good time.

Steering capacity & utilisation in the team

The capacity of each employee becomes visible, and utilisation in the team can be planned according to the 80% rule . For many companies, this makes clean resource planning possible for the first time, with all its benefits for delivery reliability, shorter lead times and cost savings.

Method-based

What matters: shop floor management is the methodology. A digital shop floor management software solution is a toolthat supports the SFM method. When we talk about software, there is a big risk of confusing the methodology with the tool – in our world, the methodology comes before the software solution. The ValueStreamer solution is deeply anchored in the shop floor management method. The essential elements of the method are implemented optimally:

• Process confirmation
• Visualisation/dashboards
• Regular communication
• Prioritisation according to the Pareto principle
• Structured problem solving, PDCA process, incl. Ishikawa diagram, A3 report
• Go & see tasks

Optimal mapping of the Performance U in dSFM

In particular, the Performance U concept developed by Dr Andreas Romberg is mapped optimally in ValueStreamer. The link between dSFM in the line and dSFM in the project world is mapped particularly well in ValueStreamer.

The ValueStreamer software provides clear visualisations for all essential areas of digital SFM.

• Clear multi-project management
• Clear dashboards and performance measurement
• Clear rolling planning for collaboration in the network
• Structured deviation management and problem solving

Versatile applications & open system

Key features of the ValueStreamer software:

• Unlimited boards
• Globally networked collaboration
• Azure platform
• Open to all ERP systems via REST API interface
• Available on all devices
• High performance
• Reduced travel time
• Commitment in leadership through TOP 3, GO&SEE process confirmation, CIP management, PDCA
• Automatic aggregation of KPIs
• Evaluation of disruptions in Pareto analysis
• Structured problem solving with Ishikawa diagram and A3 report
• Smooth collaboration across all functions and levels
• Task management of strategic tasks with OKR
• SQCDP logic
• Transparent escalations across the entire cascade
• Ideal for agile collaboration
• Intuitive use
• Configuration of standard software instead of customising
• Accessible anywhere
• LED-ready for touch screens

Expert interview with Dr Andreas Romberg, Managing Director of ValueStreamer GmbH

In this interview, Dr Andreas Romberg shares his perspective on the Performance “U” he developed and its relevance for optimal multi-project management and successful collaboration in organisations.

Playing the video connects to Vimeo.

Contents part 1

• We see a growing need for optimal global collaboration
• The complication: optimal organisational models & tools
• 2 dilemmas of the matrix organisation
• Key question of steering in project management: how much capacity does the employee have?
• The Performance “U”
• Communication cascade – line/functional teams
• Communication cascade – projects/processes
• Functional teams are service providers to projects/processes
• Single point of tasks
• Planning at 80% capacity
• The project beats the line!
• Multi-project management
• The Performance “U” in the matrix organisation versus agile project management in the agile organisation
• An optimal solution: keep the line hierarchy – establish an agile collaboration culture & use the Performance “U” for planning and steering in the multi-project landscape.

Expert interview with Dr Andreas Romberg, Managing Director of ValueStreamer GmbH – part 2

In this interview, Dr Andreas Romberg explains the main features and benefits of the ValueStreamer software and the advantages of hybrid project management. Finally, Weert Jacobsen-Kramer and Dr Romberg discuss the transformation into an organisation with optimal collaboration.

Playing the video connects to Vimeo.

Contents part 2

• ValueStreamer – the solution for digital shop floor management
• Key feature: creating transparency in global collaboration on the basis of KPIs.
• Key feature: task boards for team boards for easier and more precise collaboration
• Digital mapping of the Performance “U” in ValueStreamer
• What distinguishes ValueStreamer from alternative solutions?
• What is hybrid project management?
• Classic long-term project planning & agile fine-tuning in the project
• Planning and steering with the “10” rule
• Hybrid project management creates trust!
• How does the transformation from classic organisation and project management into the world of digital shop floor management and hybrid project management succeed?
• The principle of voluntary participation
• Successful transformations combine the implementation of new tools with successful change management and a change in leadership culture

Premium delivery partner

We are proud to have been selected as a premium delivery partner for ValueStreamer.

We support our clients in implementing this software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution by introducing the method, setting up team and process boards and accompanying teams through dSFM coaching.

With ValueStreamer we can offer a great tool with which we can implement a great methodology. TEAMTHINK has been a premium delivery partner for ValueStreamer since 2021.

Realise considerable cost savings in project management and operational excellence

Do you want to achieve up to 40% more throughput in project business and realise considerable cost savings by reducing lead times in projects?

We support you in the transformation to optimal operational excellence with ValueStreamer and digital shop floor management!