Editor's note: In this first in a series of articles on workplace visuality, Gwendolyn Galsworth, Ph.D., author of Work That Makes Sense (Visual Lean Enterprise Press, 2010)  and Visual Workplace/Visual Thinking (Visual-Lean Enterprise Press, 2005), and recognized visual expert, sets out the basic concepts and definitions of this powerful adherence and empowerment approach.

The entire world of work—whether assembly plant, hospital, bank, airport, military depot or pharmaceutical factory—is striving to make work safe; simpler; more logical, reliable, and linked; and less costly. Central to this is the visual workplace.

The visual workplace is not a brigade of buckets and brooms, or posters and signs. It is a compelling operational imperative central to your war on waste and crucial to meeting daily performance goals, vastly reduced lead times, and and dramatically improved quality.

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