Oobeya is a concept used in Japanese management practices. However, there are many misunderstandings about this concept. Let me clarify some things.
First of all, it is O-O-Beya. Another way to write is “Ohbeya.” If this is written with one “o,” this will mean “dirty room.” 🤣 Of course, frequently used “Oobeya” could become dirty, but that should not be accepted.
“Oobeya” means large room. “Oobeya” dates back to the Edo era (1603-1868). It was initially used as a room where the firefighters were on standby. From the firefighters, it transferred to actors. The main actors got a room, but the others stayed in the “Oobeya.” It is important to note that the hierarchical aspect of “Oobeya” remains in Japan. While the typical office workers work at “Oobeya,” executives have their own rooms. The word “Oobeya” in business started around the 1960’s. That doesn’t mean the format was begun to be implemented. Japanese started to notice that their office was different from the world, and they started calling their style “Oobeya.” Therefore, “Oobeya” was not an intentional, natural conclusion when we had limited space.
Because of this hierarchical aspect, some say senior managers should be at “Oobeya.” Itami and knowledge management highlighted this case at Honda. They see “Oobeya” as a “Ba” where information flows freely. Human communication is not limited to words. There is eye contact, body language, and tone of voice. Forms of communication are diverse; therefore, let’s gather these people in a large room and let them communicate freely. Honda’s case, the “Oobeya,” was coordinated by Hujisawa. Hujisawa did not set a target or expected outcome for the “Oobeya” of executives. But this example shows that there are many versions of “Oobeya.” What is essential is the intention of implementation. Hujisawa’s purpose was to improve the communication among the senior managers.
The above example represents one critical aspect of “Oobeya,” which is multifunctional. In the world of functional organization, we create many silos within an organization. To overcome this issue, “Oobeya” facilitates cross-functional communication and cooperation. In an “Oobeya,” we should have representatives from different functions. Each representative should contribute based on their expertise. There could be a single function, “Oobeya,” but we will call it a team meeting.
In Toyota’s case, the “Oobeya” started in product development. Therefore, we should discuss the product development system together. Toyota’s product development department has a chief engineer, a leader responsible for the new product's life. Therefore, there is a leader in the “Oobeya.” The leader’s role is to facilitate coordination. If the discussion gets stuck in the “Oobeya,” everybody in the room will waste their time together. This will become a colossal waste. Instead, decisions should be made on additional follow-ups and experimentation to be conducted to move the discussion forward. The leader of “Oobeya” should allocate resources to those issues so that we can break through.
One important note. “Oobeya” does NOT replace Genba.
As this concept entered production, I observed many production managers who thought that since it had participated in “Oobeya,” they didn’t need to go to Genba. I ran into an organization that collected all levels of production managers (including team leaders) and stuffed them into a large meeting room for eight hours, talking about 80 pages of KPIs every day. This is not “Oobeya,” just silly, since no one knows about the fact, and everyone in the room waiting on one person calling the genba on a cell phone to get additional information on the problem was pure waste.
Therefore, what’s essential for “Oobeya” is the actions before and after it at the Genba.
Before the “Oobeya,” the participants should check the genba. Too often, some people come to the “Oobeya” first thing in the morning without any information. Such participants do not provide any value and waste others' time. Two things they should check at the genba before the “Oobeya.” First are the 4Ms: Man, Machine, Materials, and Methods conditions. Make sure that these inputs meet the standards. Any deviations should be reported. Second is the status of activities such as problem-solving and Kaizen. “Oobeya” is not a problem reporting. If there is a problem, Andon should be pulled immediately. If the problem cannot be solved immediately, it should escalate. Such an Andon system is the center of problem reporting, not “Oobeya.” Instead, “Oobeya” coordinates problem-solving, Kaizen, and strategy activities. For example, if an organization is working on many problems, the leader should consider why they are in fire-fighting mode. That should be the question in its mind as the leader returns to the genba. Therefore, after the “Oobeya,” each participant should have clear objectives they need to work on at the genba.
Last but not least, some people believe that “Oobeya” symbolizes low productivity in Japanese public administration studies. Why? Because “Oobeya” is a system of surveillance and control. A boss can dictate the atmosphere by glaring at someone with creative ideas—quite the opposite of what Knowledge management was talking about. But this wide variation in the comprehension of “Oobeya” highlights the truth. “Oobeya” is just a big room. How it is used depends on people. Please know the positives and the negatives of this system and improve. Most “Oobeya” is just a “dirty room.”