Planet Lean: The Official online magazine of the Lean Global Network
Visual management in the Finance department of a car dealer

Visual management in the Finance department of a car dealer

Nizar Sherfodien
February 2, 2018

VIDEO - Visualization has an important role to play in creating awareness of the problems and highlighting gaps as a key starting point for improvement, and this Finance Manager does it with dedication.


By: Nizar Sherfodien, Finance Manager, Halfway Ottery - Cape Town, South Africa


By now, many of you will be familiar with the Halfway transformation (PL has been running this series for a few months) and the great results we have achieved here at Ottery and in other dealers.

As the old lean adage goes, you can't improve what you can't measure. Indeed, visualization plays a critical role in our dealership: not only does it help us identify problems, but it also makes visible the performance and quality of office work - which in turn helps us to link the flow across departments. Showing the importance of quality across the process goes a long way towards ensuring we all work with a common goal in mind.

Without visualization, many of the things that are making Halfway Ottery successful - starting with the cash-to-cash model we discussed last month in this article - simply wouldn't be possible.

So, let me show you the visual boards I use.


REFLECTIONS FROM THE COACH

Dave Brunt photograph

Visual management has become intrinsically linked with lean thinking. Most of us know that we are trying to make normal from abnormal clear - making problems visible. Perhaps at a deeper level, good visual management helps us make more of the management system (and the thinking in it) visible. That’s really important, as it helps us identify the vital few issues, understand how well we are performing against them, and see whether we are closing the gaps we’ve identified. It’s also very important to identify and visualize the next things to work on, embedding PDCA into our way of working.

Dave Brunt, CEO, Lean Enterprise Academy

www.leanuk.org

Have you watched our documentary on their lean transformation yet?


Nizar Sherfodien photograph
Nizar Sherfodien is Finance Manager at Halfway Ottery in Cape Town, South Africa

Read more

Lean Management against labor shortages
January 21, 2025
Lean Management against labor shortages

FEATURE – Attracting, developing and retaining talent has become a pressing issue in the corporate world, as new generations show skepticism towards traditional management. Lean is the answer, say the authors.

Continue reading
What lean thinking can learn from scientist Enrico Fermi
February 18, 2016
What lean thinking can learn from scientist Enrico Fermi

FEATURE - Italian physicist Enrico Fermi is one of history's greatest "lean scientists," who developed a revolutionary approach to research and mentoring from which lean managers can still draw inspiration.

Continue reading
With Kata, simple is the key
September 27, 2022
With Kata, simple is the key

FEATURE – A former plant manager reflects on his experience supporting a team with the implementation of Kata in the daily management system and explains why, when it comes to Kata questions, simple is best.

Continue reading
Resilience through Lean at Alliance MIM
August 13, 2025
Resilience through Lean at Alliance MIM

NOTES FROM THE GEMBA - Alliance MIM navigates market crises leveraging Lean Thinking, emphasizing flow, maintenance, deep process knowledge, and visible learning to stay competitive in a complex, high-precision manufacturing environment.

Continue reading

Read more

No items found.