Spatial design for continuous improvement: The case study of three manufacturing companies

Abstract

There are places in industry intended for communication regarding continuous improvement. This paper presents an observation of the state of practice today in one large and two medium-sized companies. It explores spatial design in continuous improvement areas and how spatial design may hinder or support communication regarding improvements. Although implementation and development of lean manufacturing is a subject for research in an industrial context, the spatial design is not well developed as a supporting variable. Computers or digital visualisation tools are not used in the improvement areas of the studied companies, even though the companies have a highly automated production. The improvement areas serve as a complement to the integration of manufacturing through computers. The improvement areas enhance the possibility to develop shared knowledge of how the production works and to coordinate actions. The architectural and semiotic analysis of the spatial design for continuous improvement in industry implies a different perspective and includes aspects of cognition, information, communication and treats how and what the elements in the improvement areas communicate.

Keywords:

• design
• lean manufacturing
• information
• continuous improvement