Accelerating Projects by Encouraging Help

When it comes to accelerating product development cycles, encouraging mutual support within teams could be equally, if not more, important than good task planning. In any case, this is what was observed by a team of scientists in the German firm Roto Frank. This supplier of automation solutions for doors and shutters notably established a visual management approach that openly encourages mutual support. Any employee who runs into problems or is afraid of missing a deadline, for example, puts a red card on his or her desk. This makes it easier to identify risks of slippage and encourages each team member to work together to find solutions to solve these problems as quickly as possible. The article describes this original management system, as well as its conditions for success.