How Virtual Workboards Can Be Useful. In today’s work environment, management is looking to streamline the collaboration process to ensure that solutions are provided in an effective and efficient manner. One of the ways to achieve that has been through the implementation of virtual workboards or whiteboards.
If you are unfamiliar, this tool is being implemented by managerial teams across a litany of industries. Here are the biggest benefits and uses of having a virtual workboard for your team.
Visualize Workflow.
Notes are a common part of any collaborative process (learn how to undo in Notes on Mac if you take your notes virtually). Unfortunately, when separate people are taking their own notes, things can become convoluted and difficult to manage as a group.
Virtual whiteboards make it easier to bring everyone into the mix to visually represent the workflow. Rather than having people stuck on one task or another, not knowing which direction to move in, the whiteboard will show everyone where they are on each step. Start with the “To Do” list, move into “In Progress,” and finalize tasks by filing them as “Done.” It is a simple yet effective process that can bring teams together seamlessly and put everyone moving in the same direction.
Keep Work-in-Progress Under Control.
While it is nice to know that tasks are being worked on, it can be a bit confusing as well. Who is working on which item? What step are they on? Using a virtual whiteboard can help to reduce the amount of time that it takes for a single item to move through the system.
By limiting WIP, the team can stay focused on the task at hand. There will be no confusion about who is working on what and which items need to be completed. That means getting the task completely done before moving on to the next objective or task. Depending on the scope of the project, pending WIP can bog down the project and hamper other areas as well.
Manage Flow.
A major benefit to a virtual whiteboard is being able to clearly see the workflow while also enforcing the aforementioned WIP limits. By doing so, teams are better able to look at how efficient the process is and diagnose ways in which that rate can improve. In this day and age, businesses have access to more data than ever before. How that data is used becomes the most important part.
Being able to measure workflow can show where there may be bottlenecks in the process. It can show how each individual is progressing through their tasks and which ones are overburdened or struggling. Through this process, metrics can be processed, including lead time and cycle time, providing essential analysis on which aspects of the entire process can be improved. These tools are invaluable to businesses that are looking to eliminate inefficiencies and improve workflow.
Find Improvement Opportunities.
The best businesses are the ones that are always looking for ways to become better and more efficient. By analyzing the aforementioned data and taking a thorough look at the process, improvements can be recognized. That is why virtual whiteboards that offer mapping tools can be so invaluable.
In addition to analyzing the trends and data, suggestions can be made to find value-adding activities in the overall process. It can help determine which activities are actually wasteful and might need to be removed, too. At the end of the day, it creates a more effective, streamlined process for managing workflow while also taking a deeper look at the process and finding out ways to eliminate inefficiencies that could become costly.
Hope you’ve found our article, How Virtual Workboards Can Be Useful useful.
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