How to build an Obeya Room

Are you looking for a way to streamline collaboration, enhance decision-making, and bring clarity to your organization’s goals? An Obeya Room is not just a workspace—it’s a powerful tool for creating alignment, increasing transparency, and driving meaningful business outcomes.

Whether you’re new to Obeya or looking to enhance your current setup, this guide will walk you through the essential steps to building an effective Obeya Room that empowers and accelerates business success.

With the Obeya Starter Kit, you’ll swiftly transition from chaos to structure, gaining overview and effective planning. This powerful tool is designed to accelerate you towards a fully functional Obeya.

The well-known “Six Panel Approach” provides a framework that matches the international quality standards of the Obeya Association. Moreover, when combined with our Obeya Fundamentals module, the synergy becomes even more impactful. Together, they offer a seamless integration of theory and practice, providing you with results from the start.

The Obeya Starter Kit is a valuable first step towards a truly transformative Obeya. An Obeya where knowledge is available to improve your decision-making and where collaboration thrives.

To successfully build an Obeya Room, it is essential to first understand the Obeya Fundamentals and the 11 Principles of Obeya. These principles serve as the foundation for creating a structured, collaborative, and decision-driven environment. By familiarizing yourself with these core concepts, you ensure that your Obeya Room aligns with best practices and results in effective communication, transparency, and continuous improvement.

Before building an Obeya, ask yourself: What do you want your Obeya to result in? What should be the ultimate outcome of all Obeya activities and efforts? Defining this purpose will ensure that your Obeya is aligned with strategic goals and delivers tangible value.

The Obeya Starter Kit introduces the Six Panel Approach, which structures the Obeya into:

1. Vision Panel – A display of product-specific details and product development details.

2. Customer Panel – A display of customer details and customer segmentation.

3. Product (Service) Panel – A display of product-specific details and product development details.

4. Plan Panel – A display of key priorities and objectives with a clear timeline.

5. Performance Panel – A display of key performance indicators (KPIs) and business results.

6. Improvement Panel – A display of key improvement initiatives and their progress.

Each panel should be updated regularly to ensure real-time alignment.

There are 4 Obeya meetings that run in short or longer cycles. The more operational the meeting, the shorter the cycle. A daily meeting for example is used to navigate day-to-day operations and takes place several days a week.

Having a set agenda for your meetings will help you spend your time more effectively. The Obeya meetings form a coherent whole in which all panels play a vital part. The Obeya meeting rhythm allows you to connect long term strategy and short term actions.

Cascade problems you can’t fix within your team, towards the next echelon or area right after every meeting.

A successful Obeya needs structured facilitation:

• Obeya Builder: Responsible for structuring and maintaining the Obeya Room.

• Obeya Host: Facilitates meetings, drives engagement, and ensures meaningful discussions.

• Obeya Coach: Guides teams in implementing and improving Obeya practices, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and fostering a culture of continuous learning..

If you want to enhance your Obeya expertise and lead impactful transformations, find an Obeya training today to develop the necessary skills and knowledge.

Obeya is not a static concept—it evolves over time to drive increasing business value. As organizations mature in their Obeya practices, they move through different stages of development:

• Initiated: The who, why, what, and how of Obeya are clear, resulting in overview and structure.

• Formalized: Obeya workspace and content drive effective meetings for participants.

• Optimized: The purpose and value of Obeya result in real business value. The Obeya is continuously optimized.

• Embedded / Transformative: A dynamic system. The Obeya connects and its benefits extend positively to the outside world, becoming a transformational force of change.