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Shadow board planner
A shadow board is a board where each tool hangs over its own outline, or shadow, so anyone can see at a glance what is there, what is missing and where it goes back. It puts the 5S step set in order (seiton: a place for everything and everything in its place, as the Lean Lexicon puts it) into practice at workstations, changeover carts and maintenance benches. The work is in the planning, and this template takes it in order. The tool inventory records what the station really uses, how often, where it is kept today and how long it takes to fetch. The layout places each outline by its size in rows and checks that every row fits the board and that the most used tools sit in the middle zone, between knee and shoulder height. A month of daily checks then gives the complete-board rate and the evidence for the Set in order checks of the 5S audit, and the missing tool log flags tools that go missing again. The Excel does the sums and checks; the PDF has the blank sheets and a worked example drawn to scale.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Fields for station, board number and owner, a key for how often tools are used, a tool list with size, frequency, where it is kept, fetch minutes, row, outline size and label text, and a squared grid with top, middle and bottom zones.Tool inventoryHow often each is usedFetch time savedOutline layout by sizeMiddle-zone checkMonth of daily checks5S audit evidenceMissing tool log
When to use it
When to use a shadow board planner
- When setting up a new workstation, changeover cart or maintenance bench.
- During the set in order step of a 5S event, after the red tags have cleared what is not needed.
- When time is lost walking to a tool crib or looking for tools, or tools keep going missing.
- For changeovers, to have every tool for the job in one place before the machine stops.
How to fill it in
- 1
Watch the work and list the tools
List what is really used at the station over a few jobs or shifts: tool, size, quantity, task and how often. Red-tag what is not used. - 2
Record where each tool lives today
At the station, in the tool crib or in another area, and the minutes a round trip to fetch it takes. The Excel turns this into fetch minutes a month: the time the board saves. - 3
Decide what goes on the board
Tools used every shift, day, changeover or week go on the board. Tools used monthly or less go to a store (an example rule: set your own). - 4
Lay out the outlines by size
Measure each tool's outline and give it a row. The Excel adds up each row's width with the gap between outlines and checks it fits the board, then checks the total height. - 5
Put the most used tools in the middle
Tools used every shift, day or changeover go in the middle zone, above the knees and below the shoulders (NIOSH's power zone), in the order the job uses them. - 6
Make the board
Outline each tool, label the outline and the tool, and leave room for a name card when a tool is out in use. - 7
Check it daily and log what goes missing
At the start or end of each shift, mark each tool: in place, out with a name card, missing or damaged. Log missing and damaged tools; a repeat within 30 days means the tool needs a second home or a second tool.
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example (illustrative): a shadow board for a press changeover cart, 40 changeovers a month. The PDF draws the board to scale and the Excel Example sheets give the same numbers.
Which of the example's 14 tools go on the board, and what it saved
- Every changeover: on the board: 11 tools
- Weekly: on the board, top row: 2 tools
- About once a quarter: stays in the crib: 1 tool
Minutes a month walking to the tool crib
- Before
- 280 min
- Board
- none
2 trips × 3.5 minutes × 40 changeovers = 280 minutes a month, 56 hours a year.
Of 14 tools on the changeover cart, 11 are used at every changeover and 2 weekly; those 13 go on the board, and the bearing puller, used about once a quarter, stays in the crib. Before the board the setter walked to the crib twice per changeover: 2 × 3.5 minutes × 40 changeovers = 280 minutes a month. The daily check found the board complete on 19 of 20 checks.
- Inventory: 14 tools, 11 used at every changeover, 2 weekly and a bearing puller used about once a quarter, which stays in the crib. 13 go on the board.
- Before: the setter walked to the tool crib twice per changeover, for the torque wrench and the die clamp key: 2 × 3.5 minutes × 40 changeovers = 280 minutes a month, 56 hours a year.
- Layout on a 48 × 24 in board with 1 in between outlines: weekly tools on the top row (35 in wide), changeover tools in rows 2 to 4 in changeover order (38, 47 and 38 in), 18 in of height used, outlines covering 29.7% of the board.
- First month: 20 daily checks, the torque wrench out with a name card once, one missing 8 mm hex key, found on the next press the same shift.
The board went on the changeover cart and the 280 minutes a month of walking to the crib went with it. The daily check showed a complete board on 19 of 20 checks (95%), the evidence for the 5S audit's Set in order checks.
Common mistakes
A board for every tool you own
A shadow board full of tools nobody uses hides the ones that matter. Watch the work first, and store what is used monthly or less.
Laying it out by eye
Outlines drawn before measuring end up too tight to grip or too wide to fit. Measure each tool and let the row widths decide.
Frequent tools at the top or bottom
Reaching above the shoulders or below the knees many times a shift is slow and tiring. Keep the most used tools in the middle zone.
Outlines without labels
Two similar wrenches with two similar outlines end up swapped. Label the outline and the tool.
No daily check
Without a quick look each shift, empty outlines become normal and the board stops working.
Blaming people for missing tools
A tool that keeps going missing has no home where it is used, or two stations need one each. Move the tool or add a second one.
Download the template
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Run this template in LeanSuite
In LeanSuite a failed Set in Order line on a 5S audit becomes a corrective action with its photo, routed to the right lead, and it can't close without a verification photo.
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FAQ
Shadow board planner: common questions
A board where each tool hangs over its own outline, so it is obvious what is there, what is missing and where each tool goes back. It puts set in order, a place for everything and everything in its place, into practice.
List the tools the job really uses and how often, store the rarely used ones, then measure each outline and place the tools in rows. Each row's width is the outlines plus a gap between them; in the example the widest row needs 47 of the board's 48 inches.
In the middle zone, above the knees and below the shoulders, which NIOSH calls the power zone, and in the order the job uses them. Weekly tools can go on the top row.
Many sites hang a name card on the empty outline, so everyone knows who has it. An empty outline with no card is a missing tool and goes in the log.
Three Set in order checks on the 5S audit checklist ask for a marked, labelled home for every item, items in their home when not in use, and tools stored at the point of use. The daily check and label column give the evidence, such as a complete board on 19 of 20 checks.
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- Lean principles assessment templateThe five lean principles as 25 things you can see on one value stream, answered yes, partly or no on a walk, with a score per principle, the next step and a trend over walks.
- Employee engagement survey templateA short anonymous pulse survey for shop floor staff: 14 statements in six drivers, two open questions, results by driver and team, and the actions.
- Hansei reflection sheet (lessons learned)A written look back at one finished project, event or launch: goals against results in numbers, causes rather than blame, lessons to keep or change, and where else they apply.
- Safety cross calendarA month drawn as the green cross, colored each day by the most serious safety event, with totals and days since the last injury.
- Daily kaizen routine boardA team's 10 to 15 minute daily routine at the board: one problem from each person, small fixes with one owner, counted every week.
- Quality circle meeting recordA circle's charter, a one-page record for each meeting and a problem register that follows every problem from selected to closed or escalated.
- Weekly maintenance schedule templateNext week's maintenance jobs, scheduled only when ready, loaded against each craft's hours by day, with schedule compliance and break-ins at week end.
- Operational excellence assessment templateThe ten principles of operational excellence as 30 behaviors and practices you can see, scored 1 to 5 by several people, with the spread, the three lowest principles and an action plan.
- Scrum meeting agenda templateTimed agendas for the five scrum meetings, a sprint planning sheet, a retrospective sheet, and an Excel sprint backlog with a burndown.
- Toyota Production System (TPS) house templateThe TPS house for one plant or value stream: roof, two pillars and foundation, with what you do today, the evidence, a status and the next step for each element.
- EPEI and batch size calculatorHow often each part can come round on a shared machine (EPEI) and how big each batch must be, from demand, cycle times and changeovers, now and after SMED.
- People, process, technology (PPT) assessmentCheck one change before go-live: 18 people, process and technology statements scored 1 to 4 by the people who will use it, the lowest element and the actions.
- Process capacity sheet templateEach machine in a part's routing with manual, auto and tool change time, its capacity per shift, and the step that limits the cell against demand.
- Jidoka worksheet (stop at abnormality)For one line or cell, every abnormality that should stop the work: how it is detected, how the work stops, who is called, the immediate fix and the root cause step, plus a log of real stops.
- Team charter templateA one-page charter for a standing team: purpose, scope, roles, the KPIs it owns, which decisions it makes itself, norms and cadence.
- Chaku-chaku line plannerPlan a load-load cell: time each machine, load and walk, check that every machine is ready when the operator comes back, compare the cell cycle with takt and size the crew.
- Standard operating procedure (SOP) templateA full SOP in the hierarchical step format, from purpose and scope to the steps, records, revision history and approvals, with review checks and an SOP register.
- Process improvement method selectorEight questions about one problem, an example rule that suggests a method and a matrix of nine methods: when each fits, the usual team and time, and the template to start with.
- X-bar and R control chart template25 subgroups with means and ranges, control limits from A2, D3 and D4, signal flags, both charts and a reaction log.
- Gage R&R study sheet10 parts, 2 or 3 appraisers, 2 or 3 trials: EV, AV, GRR, PV, %GRR and ndc by the average and range method.
- Root cause analysis templateOne report from problem statement to proof: containment, evidence, analysis, verified causes, actions and the effectiveness check.
- Safety pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the incident pyramid to safety standards on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Quality control pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the QA matrix to the QM matrix on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Autonomous maintenance 90-day model area planAM steps 0 to 3 on one model machine in 13 weeks, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves for months 4 to 12.
- Professional maintenance (PM) 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from breakdown analysis to a running PM calendar on one model machine, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Environment and energy pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from waste and energy maps to area standards on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Focused improvement 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the loss Pareto to standardized fixes on one model line, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Logistics and customer service pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the current-state map to pull on one model value stream, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- People development pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the skills matrix to trained cover on critical tasks in one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Early equipment management 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from lessons on current machines to a tracked start-up on one model equipment project, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Cost deployment pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the loss map to costed, ranked projects in one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Moving from Excel to one system checklistA 34-point checklist and a file inventory for moving trackers from spreadsheets to one system: keep, move, connect or retire, clean, pilot, run both, retire.
- Prioritization matrix templateScore up to 20 improvement ideas on weighted criteria, rank them, test the ranking with equal weights and place each one on an effort and benefit grid.
- Cost per unit worksheet (manufacturing cost per good unit)One product's cost per good unit by materials, labor, machine and overhead, the gap to target, and which cost lever is worth most a year.
- Digital manufacturing readiness assessmentScore 24 statements on process, technology and people from 0 to 4, check the balance between them and rank the gaps by what matters in your plant.
- Manufacturing KPI dashboard templateWeekly plant numbers in, 14 KPIs out: OEE and its parts, first pass yield, scrap, on-time delivery, recordable rate, cost and absence, each against a target.
- RCM worksheet (failure mode and task selection)Failure modes classed as hidden, safety, operational or non-operational, then a task chosen for each: condition-based, discard, failure-finding, redesign or run to failure.
- Error-proofing verification log (daily master-sample check)Each poka-yoke device proved every day or week with a known-bad sample, with missed checks counted and the hours and parts at risk worked out when one fails.
- Training matrix template with expiry datesPeople by required trainings with expiry dates, OK, due, expired and missing flags, compliance by person and area, cover per training and a renewal list.
- Downtime reason codes template26 starter codes mapped to the six big losses, a log with drop-downs, a Pareto by code and by loss, and a code card for the line.
- Defect catalogue template with boundary samplesEvery defect with a definition, a class and the reason for it, measured accept and reject limits by zone, boundary samples, a defect log with DPU and Pareto, and an inspector agreement check.
- I-MR chart template (individuals and moving range)Up to 100 single readings with moving ranges, limits from a baseline, five run-rule flags, both charts, a second phase and a reaction log.
- Kaizen event preparation checklistEverything that has to be ready before a kaizen event and done after it: 44 items with owners and due dates from 6 weeks before day 1 to 30 days after, five go or no-go gates and a day-by-day agenda.
- Attribute control chart template (p, np, c and u charts)p, np, c and u charts in one workbook: a chart selector, a sample size check, limits for each subgroup, signal flags and four worked examples.
- Critical spare parts list and stocking levelsAssets ranked by consequence, each part classed and given a stocking policy, and min and max worked out from usage and lead time, with the downtime each stock-out would cost.
- Tier 2 meeting agenda and escalation sheetA 15-minute tier 2 agenda in ten timed blocks, fixed roles and rules, escalation triggers with time limits, and a log that ages every escalation and sends the answer back down.
- HACCP plan template: hazard analysis and CCP worksheetThe Codex 12 steps in one workbook: team and product, process steps checked on site, hazard analysis with the CCP decision tree, the CCP table with completeness checks, an allergen matrix and a verification schedule.
- Forklift operator training and evaluation recordPer-operator training and evaluation record, a register with three-year due dates and refresher triggers, and a weighted practical evaluation scoresheet.
- REBA worksheet (Rapid Entire Body Assessment)Score up to six postures with REBA: body-part drop-downs, Tables A, B and C as lookups, final score and action level, and a before and after comparison.
- Mock recall template: traceability exercise worksheetTrace a finished lot back to every input lot and forward to every first customer, reconcile the quantities against a tolerance and time it against your target.
- Plan for every part (PFEP) templateOne row per part: supplier, pack, container, usage, lead time and locations, with ABC classes, market and line kanban counts and a lineside space check.
- Changeover matrix templateA from-to matrix of changeover minutes with the clean each transition needs (allergen, colour, format), and a weekly planner that totals the order and suggests a shorter one.
- Overhead crane inspection checklist: frequent and periodic34 crane checks tied to OSHA 1910.179: an operator's pre-shift card, frequent and periodic inspections with signed records, a deficiency and tag-out log, and a register of next due dates.
- Measurement uncertainty budget templateA GUM uncertainty budget: Type A and B rows, divisors by distribution, sensitivity coefficients, uc, νeff, k from the t-table, U, TUR and a guard band check.
- Maintenance job plan templateOne job planned on one sheet: steps and craft hours, parts checked against stock, tools, lockout and permits, documents, a ready check for the schedule, and technician feedback.
- Video time study filming checklistA pre-shoot checklist and shot log for filming a time study on video: camera, light, people, settings, power and review.
- Reorder point and safety stock sheet (many parts)Safety stock, reorder point, order quantity and an order list for up to 500 parts, worked out from each part's own demand and lead time history.
- TRIR and DART rate trackerMonthly hours, OSHA 300 case counts and near misses in; rolling 12-month TRIR and DART rate, a case budget against your target and a trend chart out.
- Energy use and EnPI trackerMonthly electricity, gas and fuel in one unit, a 12-month regression baseline, expected against actual energy for each month, an EnPI ratio, the running saving and the tests that say whether the model can be trusted.
- FIFO lane sizing sheetThe maximum for a FIFO lane from the stop it must cover, in whole containers, with length, refill and wait checks for up to eight lanes.
- Pugh matrix templateCompare up to 8 concepts with a datum as better, same or worse on up to 12 criteria, flag must-haves, and carry the strongest into a second round.
- Machine guarding inspection sheetA machine register with due dates and a status per machine, 21 checks tied to OSHA 1910.212, .219 and .147, a guard opening check against Table O-10, and an action log.
- Condition monitoring route sheetA route of measuring points with baselines, alert and alarm limits, a check interval from the P-F interval, readings with rising and overdue flags, and an exceptions list worst first.
- Fire extinguisher inspection checklist and logThe 8 monthly checks for each portable extinguisher, plus a log with the hydro test interval from OSHA Table L-1, annual and 6-year due dates and open issues.
- Quad chart templateA project on one page in four boxes: idea and owner, problem, approach, and cost, schedule and result.
- Toolbox talk topics (52 weekly topics)52 weekly toolbox talk topics, each with a one-line key message and a discussion question, and a tracker for the year.
- Loss tree worksheetBreak one big loss number into area, line, machine, loss type and cause, and stop at the cause a team can fix.
- Equipment register templateOne row per asset, with hierarchy, criticality, PM strategy and owner, and a check that flags what is missing.
- Machine history record templateOne record per machine: components and their life, every breakdown and repair with cost, MTBF and MTTR, and a repair-or-extend check.
- Compressed air leak survey logWalk sheet, printable leak tags and a tracker that puts an annual cost on every leak and follows it to a verified fix.
- Defect detection matrix templateMap where each defect is created and where it is found, score the gap and move the check closer to the cause.
- Project savings validation checklistThe gate between a project's claim and a reported saving: 20 checks, a claims register and a six-month sustainment check.
- Life cycle cost analysis templateCompare up to three machines over ten years: price, energy, upkeep, failures and down time, discounted to present value.
- Equipment design review checklistGate reviews for a new machine before order, before build and before start-up, with a safety buy-off and a problems journal.
- Emergency action plan templateA written emergency plan for a plant: site facts, roles and backups, warden coverage, scenario steps and a drill record.
- Preliminary hazard analysis (PHA) worksheetFind and score the hazards of a new line, machine or process before design is fixed, then choose controls and re-score.
- Risk register templateOne scored list of operational risks with owners, actions and dates, a heat map and a review log.
- Hot work permit templateA hot work permit with a precautions checklist, fire watch record and close-out, plus an Excel permit log.
- Confined space entry permit templateA confined space entry permit with checks, an air test log, an entry log and cancellation, plus an Excel register.
- Energy loss matrix templateSeven types of energy loss by six energy sources with a cost in each cell, an action plan and an idle-period shutdown checklist.
- Management safety tour formA leader's scheduled safety walk: observation form, operator interview, tally, actions, rota and a tour log with a dashboard.
- Hazard prediction worksheetA pre-task worksheet: score what could go wrong at each step of a job, add a countermeasure and score again.
- Chemical inventory and SDS register templateA register of every chemical on site with its hazard class, safety data sheet and label, and a check that incompatible products are kept apart.
- Safety committee meeting minutes templateMinutes for a safety committee: attendance, nine agenda items, an action log that carries open actions forward, and monthly numbers.
- APQP checklistThe five APQP phases as a checklist: deliverables, owners, due dates, gate reviews and an issues list.
- Out-of-control action plan (OCAP) templateA reaction plan for a control chart: the steps, what each signal means, who to call and a log of events.
- Quality inspection checklistAn in-process and final inspection record: measured characteristics, visual checks, a decision and first pass yield.
- AQL sampling plan templatePick a sample size, read accept and reject numbers, record the defects and decide on the lot.
- MSA study workbookBias, linearity and stability study sheets for a gauge, with the arithmetic done and a guide to which study when.
- Incoming quality control stage sheetA register that shows how much control each purchased part has and plans the move from your dock to the supplier's process.
- Approved supplier list templateThe list of suppliers you may buy from, with the evidence behind each, certificate expiry alerts and re-evaluation dates.
- Line clearance checklist28 line clearance checks in six sections (area, equipment, materials, printed materials, documents, coder and vision settings), cleared by the operator and verified by a second person, with a printed-materials reconciliation and a worked example that does not balance.
- SSOP template: sanitation standard operating procedureOne sanitation SOP sheet per area or machine (steps, chemical, contact time, PPE, lockout, owner), a 23-check pre-op inspection and a verification log for visual, ATP and micro checks.
- Injection molding defects chart16 molding defects with causes by machine, material, mold and method, first checks, and an Excel defect log with a Pareto.
- Management of change formA change request and review form for a plant: what changes, the hazard review, approvals, pre-startup review, training and close-out.
- Silica exposure control plan templateA written silica plan for general industry: tasks, controls and housekeeping, plus monitoring, medical surveillance, training and a 31-check plan audit.
- OKR template for manufacturingObjectives with three or four key results each, scored 0 to 1.0 from baseline and target every month, cascaded to facility, department and person with an Other bucket for work that serves no objective.
- Goal cascade and alignment templateA one-page cascade tree from company to person with the catchball reply on every card, and an initiatives list that shows how much work serves a goal and how much sits in Other.
- Monthly business review template (operations review agenda)A 90-minute operations review in nine timed blocks: who speaks when, the KPIs each block reviews with red or green, a prep checklist for every presenter and a log of decisions and actions.
- Rolling action item list (RAIL) templateA single running list of actions kept from meeting to meeting, with a weekly review sheet and age counts.
- Goods received note templateA one-page goods received note and an Excel register with accepted to date, still to come and an invoice check for each PO line.
- Lessons learned templateA one-page lessons log, a 45 minute session guide and an Excel register that shows which actions are done, open or overdue.
- Packing list templateA one-page packing list with a pack checklist, and an Excel file that works out volume, shipped to date and back order.
- Meeting minutes templateA one-page minutes form and an Excel log of decisions and actions with owners, due dates and status.
- Sign-in sheet templateA training and meeting sign-in sheet, a visitor sign-in and out sheet, and an Excel register of attendance and visitors on site.
- Purchase order templateA one-page purchase order and an Excel version that adds up the lines, checks the approval limit and tracks what is still to come.
- Action plan templateA one-page action plan and an Excel tracker with percent done, status and a weekly timeline.
- Part submission warrant (PSW) templateA PSW working form plus twelve checks before anyone signs, and an Excel that works out whether the warrant is ready.
- Ballooned drawing and dimensional results templateA ballooning guide and a results sheet for six parts per characteristic, with OK, NEAR LIMIT or NOT OK worked out for each row.
- Attribute agreement analysis templateA 30-part, three-appraiser study sheet for pass or fail decisions, with kappa, effectiveness, miss rate and false alarm rate in Excel.
- DVP&R template (design verification plan and report)A design verification plan and report on one sheet: tests, criteria, owners and dates, with status worked out as of a date.
- Special characteristics matrix templateOne row per special characteristic, followed from drawing to PFMEA, control plan, gauge study and capability, with the first gap named.
- Maintenance request form templateA one-page request form and an Excel log that times each answer against a priority target.
- Maintenance log templateA maintenance log page and an Excel log that totals cost, downtime and planned work and flags repeat breakdowns.
- Preventive maintenance schedule templateA PM schedule with next due dates and status, and an Excel calendar of the jobs and hours in each month.
- Machine setup sheet templateA setup sheet with limits, a first piece check and setup minutes, and an Excel log of setups against a standard.
- Work instruction templateA one-page work instruction with key points and step times, and an Excel training record that flags re-checks.
- Fire drill report templateA report for each fire or mock drill: a timeline from the alarm, the head count, an observer checklist, actions and a yearly log.
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A shift handover sheet, a red tag log, a changeover checklist for one machine: if your team uses it on the floor, ask.