This document builds on best practices adopted across industries and provides five valuable insights to transform your Obeya into a strategic tool for growing your business. But first, a brief summary of Obeya and its importance in these times of disruption.
The strategic Obeya, Japanese for “big room”, is often described as the brain of lean/agile organizations. This is because an Obeya brings together all strategically relevant data and developments in one place, enabling management teams to learn and take action together. To that end, Obeya provides a clear, concise and up-to-date picture of an organization’s PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle. The management teams typically use an Obeya on a weekly or biweekly basis to discuss the performance of the organization, identify opportunities and remove potential bottlenecks. But really, teams at all levels and from all departments should be encouraged to hold regular Obeya meetings to see the big picture and understand how they contribute.