Obeya in project management: Collaboration Redefined

What is Obeya?

Obeya, which means “large room” in Japanese, is much more than just a physical space. It is a concept that takes transparency, efficiency, and teamwork to a whole new level. Obeya has its roots in the Lean philosophy and was originally developed by Toyota in the 1990s. The concept emerged as part of the Toyota Production System (TPS), which aims to maximize efficiency and minimize waste.
The idea behind Obeya was to create a central space where all relevant information about a project is visible and accessible. Teams meet regularly in this space to monitor progress, identify problems, and make quick decisions. The physical proximity and visual presentation of data significantly improve communication and collaboration. As a result, Obeya can be used not only for project status reports but also for strategy discussions, planning meetings, or problem-solving.
The Obeya room was first used during the development of the Toyota Prius to manage the complex and innovative nature of that project. Its successful implementation led to the concept being applied to other areas and projects. Today, Obeya is used in many industries worldwide to manage projects more efficiently and promote teamwork.

Benefits of Obeya

Obeya offers a wide range of benefits that can significantly improve project management. For example, Obeya facilitates communication, as team members regularly gather in the Obeya room to discuss progress and resolve issues. The continuous updating of the room and its visual design also support understanding and the flow of information within the team, ensuring greater transparency. At the same time, the constant availability of all necessary data and close collaboration within the room enable well-informed decisions to be made very quickly, allowing problems to be resolved promptly, efficiently, and with a focus on results.

Setting up an Obeya room

Before you can get started with Obeya, it’s important to first set up the space for it. This can be a physical room that’s centrally located and large enough to comfortably accommodate all team members. If that’s not possible, it can also be a virtual space. It should be noted, however, that Obeya works better when all employees gather in one place. To set up the Obeya space perfectly, you should first define its intended purpose so that you can then optimally equip the space with important content. The room is often divided according to the PDCA cycle. This means it is divided into the four areas: Plan (Planning), Do (Execution), Check (Review), and Act (Action). However, the various areas should be adapted to the defined purpose of the Obeya room and the respective requirements. As a result, a completely different layout with more than four sections may be necessary. This could include, for example, content such as goals, project status, task management, performance measurement, risk management, or problem-solving and decision-making.
In each of these areas, all the information needed for the respective step is then displayed on designated surfaces or sections of the wall. As participants walk through these areas during the Obeya meeting, the prepared information is shared, and they can carry out the necessary actions.

Key Content

Each of these areas should visually present all necessary information, figures, and facts. In project management, for example, this can be done through project schedules and milestones, key performance indicators (KPIs), a risk overview, or problem-solving and decision-making logs. These can be added to the respective section on digital displays, posters, labels, or even sticky notes and can be presented, for example, as diagrams, infographics, bar charts, roadmaps, or customer journeys. If you also want to allow participants to jot down thoughts or proposed solutions related to the respective area, it helps to provide a whiteboard or additional sticky notes.

Roles at Obeya

• Obeya Master: The Obeya Master is a key role in the Obeya room, comparable to that of a Scrum Master in agile teams. This person sets up the Obeya room, leads the meetings, ensures a structured workflow, and makes sure that all necessary information and visualizations are available. This role is often filled by the project manager.
• Studio Members: Studio Members are the team members who regularly work in the Obeya room and participate in Obeya meetings. They may be information providers, decision-makers, members of a project team, or experts. Studio Members contribute relevant information, help solve problems, and implement the measures decided upon in the Obeya room.

In project management, an Obeya team typically consists of the project manager and his or her core team. In addition, other stakeholders may participate regularly to contribute information and stay informed about the project. Depending on the requirements, subject matter experts may also be brought in to discuss specific topics with the team.

Obeya Meetings

Once the room is equipped with all the necessary information and all relevant people have been invited, the first meetings can begin. You can plan on about an hour for an Obeya session. However, it’s important to hold these meetings regularly. Depending on the project, these meetings can take place once a quarter, once a month, or once per sprint. Depending on project requirements, it may also be useful to hold short daily, weekly, or ad hoc meetings to discuss the current status and resolve minor issues immediately.
At the first meeting, the Obeya Master should explain the basics, rules, and process so that all team members understand the method. Afterward, the Obeya Master guides the participants through the different areas of the room. The relevant information is presented, and, if necessary, it is discussed or decisions are made.

Example

When organizing a space according to the PDCA cycle, the first section, “Plan,” includes, for example, the strategic goals and an introduction to the team, customers, or clients. In the “Do” phase, the current status of the project can be assessed. The third phase, “Check,” compares the goals with the actual implementation to identify deviations, and in the fourth step, “Act,” problems are solved, decisions are made, and actions are defined.

Conclusion

The Obeya room revolutionizes project management by redefining transparency, efficiency, and collaboration. Through the visual presentation of information and the physical proximity of team members, decisions are made more quickly and problems are resolved promptly. This approach, which is rooted in the Lean philosophy and has proven itself in practice, enables teams to manage projects more effectively and continuously improve them.

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