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Visual management audit checklist
A visual management audit checks whether anyone walking into an area can tell at a glance whether things are normal or abnormal: whether the area is ahead of or behind plan, where a problem is, what is missing and what correct looks like. It covers more than floor lines. It looks at the 5S layer (markings, labels, shadow boards), the displays that show what is happening now, the visual controls that tell people what to do without asking, the metrics that show which way the numbers are going, the visual standards at the point of use, the safety visuals, and a final 5-second test from the edge of the area. Page 1 of this template has 29 checks in those seven groups, each scored 0 (not in place), 1 (partly) or 2 (in place, current and used), or N/A, with space for what you saw. Page 2 has the score by group and overall, a worked example, a trend over audits and an actions table. The Excel version scores each group and the audit as points ÷ (2 × checks scored), names the lowest group, flags a 0 or 1 with nothing written, charts the scores, and has an audit log with a trend chart and an actions log with late flags.
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When to use it
When to use a visual management audit checklist
- After floor markings, boards and labels go in, to check that they work together, not one at a time.
- On a set schedule in every area, for example monthly, so the visuals stay current instead of turning into decoration.
- Before a visual factory rolls out to the next area, to confirm the pilot area holds.
- When the boards are full but problems are still found late.
How to fill it in
- 1
Audit at a normal working time
Walk the area while it is working, not after a clean-up, and score what is there today.
- 2
Stand at the edge first
Before walking in, look at the area for a few seconds: can you see whether it is on plan and where a problem is? Score the 5-second test from there.
- 3
Score every check
0 not in place, 1 partly (incomplete, out of date or not used), 2 in place, current and used, N/A if it does not apply. A board that is up but out of date scores 1.
- 4
Write what you saw
For every 0 and 1, write what and where. A low score with no finding cannot be acted on.
- 5
Add up by group
Points ÷ max, where max is 2 × the checks scored, so N/A is left out. The Excel version works it out and names the lowest group: start there.
- 6
Agree actions and keep the trend
Give each action an owner and a date, copy the scores into the trend table, and check the actions at the next audit.
What's on the checklist
The 29 checks on the visual management audit checklist
Seven groups, from the 5S layer to a 5-second test from the edge of the area. On the sheet each check is scored 0 (not in place), 1 (partly: incomplete, out of date or not used) or 2 (in place, current and used), or N/A, with space for what you saw.
Visual workplace
Where things go: the 5S layer
- 1Walkways, work zones and storage areas are marked, and the marking is intact
- 2Floor marking colors follow the site color code, and the code is posted at the area entrance
- 3Every item on the floor sits in a marked place, and nothing sits outside one
- 4Shadow boards are complete, or each missing tool is signed out
- 5Racks, shelves and bins are labeled with the item and the quantity
Visual displays
What is happening now
- 6The production board shows plan against actual for the current hour
- 7Every red result on the board has a reason and an owner written next to it
- 8Each board has a named owner and an update time, and it is up to date
- 9Machine and line status can be seen from the aisle (andon light or status board)
Visual controls
What to do, without asking
- 10Min and max levels are marked at stock locations, and stock is between them
- 11Kanban cards or signals are in use and in their right place
- 12Gauges, fluid levels and lubrication points are marked with their normal range
- 13Go/no-go gauges or color-coded limits are at the point of use
- 14The andon has a written response: who comes and how fast
Visual metrics
Which way the numbers are going
- 15KPI and tier board charts are updated as often as the site standard says
- 16Each chart shows its target, so an off-target result stands out
- 17Metrics off target have actions listed with an owner and a date
Visual standards
What correct looks like
- 18Work instructions are posted at the point of use and are the current revision
- 19One-point lessons are posted where the task is done
- 20A photo of the area standard is posted, and the area matches it
- 21Audit status is visible and current (kamishibai cards or audit board)
Safety visuals
Hazards and help, seen from the travel path
- 22The PPE needed in the area is shown at its entrance
- 23Extinguishers, eyewash, first aid and emergency stops are marked and not blocked
- 24Hazard zones and restricted areas are marked and signed
- 25Forklift routes and pedestrian walkways are marked apart
The 5-second test
Stand at the edge of the area and look
- 26A visitor can tell within a few seconds whether the area is ahead of or behind plan
- 27A visitor can see where a problem is without asking anyone
- 28A missing item, an empty location or a stopped machine stands out
- 29Out-of-date signs and boards nobody uses have been taken down
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example: a visual management audit of assembly cell 2 (illustrative).
- Visual workplace scored 8 of 10 (80%): two pallets of covers were parked outside the marked lane, and the rack labels showed the part but not the quantity.
- Visual controls scored 5 of 8 (63%): kanban was N/A because the cell is fed from kits, so the group was out of 8, not 10. The hydraulic unit's gauge had no normal range marked.
- Visual metrics scored lowest, 2 of 6 (33%): the scrap chart had no target line and the tier board had not been updated for nine days.
- The 5-second test scored 4 of 8 (50%): the board could only be read from close up, and old KPI posters were still up next to it.
Overall 38 of 56 points = 68%, up from 52% in July and 61% in August. The first two actions: add a target line to every chart, and give the tier board an owner and a daily update time.
Common mistakes
Auditing the boards, not the area
A board can look perfect while the area around it is not. Compare what the board says with what you see on the floor.
Counting visuals instead of checking they are used
More boards do not mean better visual management. A display nobody updates or acts on scores 1 at best, and clutter loses points on the 5-second test.
Scoring from memory
Score on the floor, at a normal working time, against what is there now.
No owner for each display
Every board and display needs a named owner and an update time, or it goes out of date and people stop looking at it.
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Visual management audit checklist: common questions
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