Use a Shadow Board and Save on Searching Time

 

I first came across the idea of a shadow board when I was visiting a
Plant in the USA as part of a Lean Tour. The idea is very simple.
Basically instead of having the tools you need to do the job lying
about all over the place , they are organised in a way that makes them
easy to access and put back when you are finished with them.

I must admit I went a bit shadow board crazy once I had gained this
new found knowledge but like all new things this madness passed after several in depth councelling
 sessions.

A Shadow Board is basically a visual way of storing items, using some form of outline or background
to indicate where the item should be placed.

You should always locate items closest to the work station first.Normally this will be tools that are
used on an hourly or daily basis.In the case of an office environment the same principles apply:
frequently used items should be located on the desk.

Shadow boards can be a great way to create visual impact. Basically an outline or shadow is
created for each item so that it is easy to see, if it is there or not.

Typically this takes the form of some form of board that is located close to where the items are
 most frequently used.

If you click on the link below by the wonders of the internet you will be transported you to a page
that I have created a page just for you, with some examples of Shadow Boards:

 

What will you need to make one 

Obviously this will depend on your design.

This article is starting to sound like a Blue Peter fact sheet. I always remember writing into the program
 as a child to get their blueprint on how to build a Dalek. I am stlill very optimistic, but after 38 years of
waiting, I suspect that there is a good chance that the fact sheet is not now coming.

Here is the list:

	Some ply wood or MDF as a suitable background for your board
	The items you want to shadowboardize (Another new word invented by me)
	Some hooks
	Some Clips
	A Ruler
	Velcro strip for light items
	Small paint brush
	Paint for background
	A black marker pen, black sticky back platic or black paint
	A sharp pencil
	Your own personal wit, patience and imagination

 

These are the three simple steps involved:

Step #1

Gather all of the tools

Review all of the tools in the vicinity and
agree which ones you need to do the job.
We are trying to create an environment a bit
 like an operating theatre in a hospital.The
surgeon does not go hunting for a scalpel
or a pair of forseps now do they?

Just the act of gathering these items can be an interesting excercise.I remember once doing a project at a firm in the USA .The technician
had a chest full of tools that was very impressive.
I mean really impressive. To do the job in question we only needed seven tools.


He had to hunt through his vast collection of tools every time we wanted to do this repetitive task.In fact we eventually got the number of tools down to five by welding three of the tools together to make a special tool.
These five tools went on the shadow board.

Step #2

Having decided on the tools that are required then we need to get a suitable carrier to place them on.
This is dependant on the number of items we want to shadowboardize (my new word again) and the place it is going to be located.

For each item we want to be able to understand what it is, how many there should be, and where it should go back to.

Physically place the tools on the board and create an outline for each item. Take time to do this well, and make things level and straight.

There are several ways of achieving this. You can simply draw around the item carefully with a pencil and then colour in the shape with either a black marker, black paint or create the shape using sticky back plastic, cut it out and stick it in position. Once you have created the shadow then you need to find a suitable way of locating
the item on the board. This could be a hook, clip, velcro or a simple shelve arrangement or holder. It is also a good idea to label each item on the board.

Step #3

Physically construct the shadow board and mount it as close as possible to the operation. It should be very visual and obvious from a distance if something is missing or in use.

 

 

 

 

 

Some final Shadow Board Advice

Do not go overboard with this idea or people with think you have some sort of disorder, and you will lose
credibility. When you start to see things like a shadow for where someones coffee cup should go
on their desk, then you know you have lost the plot. Never use the word shadowboardize without my written permission.

 

Hope this helps

Best regards,

Graham Ross

 

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