Visual Management and Digitalisation

Recommendations for the adoption of visual management in design within a digital environment

This research aims to analyse Visual Management (VM) in design within digital environments. VM is a practice related to process transparency, which combined with information technology tools has the potential to facilitate design management. Currently, there is a need to better understand the connections between VM, lean construction tools and information technology.

The main research objective is to understand how information flows in design management through visual tools, and how such tools can support a collaborative process, considering digital input and output information and how it affects who is sending and receiving that information.

Specific objectives are:

• Processes: Understand and review company processes related to VM and digital management;
• Visual management tools: Identify tools and practices used in the company;
• Improvements: Identify strategies to maximise the benefits of visualisation, communication and data sharing in a digital design environment.

This research strategy adopted is Design Science Research, aiming to solve real-world problems whilst contributing to theory. An empirical study is conducted in partnership with a UK design and consultancy company. Qualitative data is collected though: (i) open interviews; (ii) semi-structured interviews; (iii) direct observations of design management project meetings; (iv) analysis of documents and artefacts/tools; (v) workshops.

The research analyses the design of two case study projects. The analysis will include the mapping of the multidisciplinary design process for each project with the identification of links between clients, designers and contractors. The research will identify good practices and issues which occurred on each project, including an overview description of digital management activities.

This research aims to propose recommendations for the adoption of visual management in digital design environments to improve design management. The results will highlight potential approaches or tools that could be adopted in future projects.

Research Team

The research team in the project includes academics from the University of Huddersfield (Huddersfield, UK) and UFRGS - Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre, Brazil). The project is a case study for a master research which aims to identify the potential relation between visual management and digitalisation in design management.