Reflection	
  –	
  Visualization

Challenge	
  &	
  Selection	
   In	
  my	
  daily	
  routine	
  as	
  a	
  member	
  of	
  the	
  logistics	
  team	
  at	
  a	
  local	
  distribution	
  company,	
  we	
  regularly	
   face	
  the	
  challenge	
  to	
  improve	
  the	
  logistics	
  systems	
  at	
  the	
  organization,	
  reduce	
  lead	
  times	
  and	
  bring	
   in	
  efficiencies	
  in	
  the	
  business.	
  This	
  not	
  only	
  requires	
  reduction	
  in	
  costs	
  at	
  various	
  levels	
  and	
  stages,	
   but	
  also	
  calls	
  for	
  productivity	
  enhancement	
  requirement	
  of	
  all	
  the	
  resources.	
  Hence,	
  for	
  me	
   Visualization	
  proves	
  to	
  be	
  an	
  excellent	
  tool	
  that	
  we	
  use	
  all	
  the	
  time	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  communicate,	
  think	
   and	
  discuss	
  design	
  improvements	
  of	
  the	
  overall	
  maps	
  to	
  constantly	
  incorporate	
  efficiencies	
  in	
  the	
   business.	
  It	
  is	
  important	
  because	
  of	
  the	
  fact	
  that	
  the	
  company	
  regularly	
  faces	
  issues	
  that	
  involves	
   bottlenecks	
  at	
  one	
  or	
  the	
  other	
  stage	
  of	
  the	
  process,	
  delayed	
  shipments,	
  lower	
  satisfaction,	
  lower	
   efficiencies.	
  Hence,	
  Visualization	
  proves	
  to	
  be	
  an	
  important	
  aid	
  in	
  this	
  regard.	
  Although	
  I've	
  used	
   architecture	
  and	
  drawing	
  packages,	
  I	
  spoken	
  in	
  front	
  of	
  many	
  people,	
  but	
  my	
  "breakthrough	
   moments"	
  always	
  come	
  when	
  I	
  have	
  a	
  pencil	
  and	
  a	
  notebook	
  or	
  a	
  marker	
  pen	
  and	
  a	
  whiteboard.	
   Visualisation	
  really	
  is	
  the	
  key	
  to	
  getting	
  those	
  breakthrough	
  moments.

Application	
   The	
  foundation	
  of	
  business	
  intelligence	
  is	
  the	
  Key	
  Performance	
  Indicators	
  (KPIs).	
  We	
  are	
  (or	
  should	
   be)	
  the	
  best	
  predictor	
  of	
  whether	
  the	
  business	
  is	
  good	
  or	
  not.	
  If	
  your	
  KPIs	
  are	
  on	
  track,	
  your	
  business	
   is	
  too.	
  This	
  isn’t	
  to	
  say	
  you	
  should	
  only	
  track	
  one	
  or	
  two	
  performance	
  indicators,	
  but	
  simply	
  that	
  your	
   KPIs	
  should	
  reflect	
  the	
  overarching	
  goals	
  of	
  your	
  logistics	
  business.	
  We	
  use	
  growing	
  realistic	
   directions	
  on	
  the	
  screen	
  to	
  do	
  understand	
  and	
  visualize	
  areas	
  like	
  Proximity	
  with	
  metrics	
  connected	
   to	
  each	
  other	
  by	
  pairs.	
  This	
  helps	
  us	
  to	
  identify	
  trends	
  and	
  patterns	
  that	
  share	
  a	
  causal	
  link	
  more	
   quickly.	
  For	
  example,	
  the	
  number	
  of	
  deliveries	
  within	
  a	
  given	
  month	
  and	
  the	
  average	
  amount	
  of	
   minutes	
  it	
  takes	
  to	
  unload	
  shipments	
  may	
  be	
  connected	
  to	
  each	
  other	
  in	
  ways	
  we	
  didn't	
  consider	
   earlier.	
  Drawing	
  useful	
  Visualizations	
  like	
  charts	
  help	
  us	
  in	
  discussing	
  complex	
  map	
  designs	
  and	
  route	
   planning,	
  which	
  takes	
  place	
  both	
  physically	
  and	
  through	
  advanced	
  software	
  as	
  well.

Insight	
  and	
  Approach	
   Visualisation	
  has	
  a	
  role	
  to	
  play	
  throughout	
  the	
  Design	
  Thinking	
  process	
  that	
  our	
  team	
  undertakes.	
   It's	
  an	
  incredible	
  tool,	
  in	
  that	
  sense,	
  in	
  that	
  we're	
  using	
  those	
  tools	
  and	
  that	
  part	
  of	
  our	
  brain	
  at	
  each	
   phase	
  in	
  the	
  design	
  process.	
  It's	
  not	
  just	
  something	
  that	
  has	
  an	
  application	
  in	
  one	
  part	
  of	
  designing	
   the	
  entire	
  route	
  plans	
  and	
  revisiting	
  them	
  for	
  bringing	
  in	
  efficiencies.	
  It	
  has	
  many	
  ways	
  of	
  being	
   useful	
  at	
  different	
  parts	
  of	
  the	
  Design	
  Thinking	
  process.	
  The	
  Visualizations	
  have	
  considerably	
  helped	
   us	
  in	
  improving	
  understanding	
  of	
  problems	
  pertaining	
  to	
  the	
  route	
  planning	
  and	
  logistics	
  related	
   issues,	
  while	
  also	
  reducing	
  the	
  communication	
  gaps	
  at	
  our	
  end.	
  People	
  are	
  now	
  more	
  engaged	
  with	
   the	
  Visuals	
  that	
  are	
  available	
  to	
  discuss	
  and	
  we	
  can	
  all	
  now	
  focus	
  more	
  on	
  the	
  issue	
  in	
  hand	
  and	
   reduce	
  the	
  level	
  of	
  abstraction	
  that	
  previously	
  existed	
  during	
  the	
  meetings	
  and	
  team	
  discussions	
  of	
   similar	
  sorts.	
  Moreover,	
  for	
  personal	
  planning	
  and	
  preparatory	
  purpose	
  such	
  Visualizations	
  are	
  of	
   critical	
  help	
  which	
  give	
  clarity	
  of	
  thought	
  and	
  greater	
  understanding	
  as	
  well.

With	
  regards	
  to	
  approach,	
  the	
  approach	
  that	
  is	
  currently	
  being	
  used	
  has	
  been	
  validated	
  again	
  and	
   again	
  in	
  the	
  team	
  and	
  has	
  proven	
  track	
  record,	
  with	
  considerable	
  improvement	
  in	
  the	
  overall	
  team	
   results	
  and	
  efficiencies	
  for	
  the	
  business.	
  For	
  our	
  team,	
  Visualisation	
  is	
  equal	
  parts	
  listening,	
  thinking	
   and	
  drawing.	
  Listening	
  is	
  the	
  input,	
  thinking	
  is	
  the	
  processing	
  and	
  drawing	
  is	
  the	
  output.	
  These	
  three	
   skills	
  work	
  together	
  equally	
  in	
  understanding	
  complexity,	
  visualizing	
  outcomes	
  to	
  create	
  new	
   possibilities.	
  At	
  present,	
  at	
  our	
  organization,	
  keeping	
  in	
  view	
  the	
  importance	
  of	
  this	
  approach,	
   Visualisation	
  is	
  a	
  core	
  component	
  of	
  the	
  way	
  that	
  we	
  communicate,	
  either	
  for	
  personal	
  planning,	
  or

for	
  the	
  team	
  discussion	
  and	
  meetings.	
  It	
  helps	
  our	
  teams	
  unlock	
  different	
  parts	
  of	
  our	
  brains,	
  while	
   giving	
  consistency	
  to	
  our	
  ideas	
  as	
  well.	
  We	
  usually	
  refer	
  to	
  such	
  Visualizations	
  as	
  the	
  “mother	
  of	
  all	
   the	
  design	
  tools”	
  keeping	
  in	
  view	
  the	
  fact	
  that	
  they	
  are	
  used	
  in	
  almost	
  every	
  stage	
  of	
  decision	
   making	
  and	
  design	
  thinking	
  at	
  our	
  organization.	
  However,	
  one	
  thing	
  that	
  needs	
  to	
  be	
  changed	
  in	
  this	
   regard	
  is	
  the	
  fact	
  is	
  that	
  these	
  Visualization	
  can	
  be	
  shifted	
  from	
  physical	
  pen	
  and	
  paper	
  or	
  marker	
  or	
   drawing	
  board	
  to	
  more	
  modern	
  alternatives.	
  In	
  this	
  regard,	
  there	
  is	
  a	
  need	
  to	
  shift	
  to	
  modern	
  high	
   technology	
  touch	
  screen	
  design	
  boards,	
  which	
  would	
  provide	
  all	
  the	
  flexibility	
  present	
  in	
  the	
  physical	
   mode,	
  while	
  also	
  providing	
  the	
  right	
  amount	
  of	
  ability	
  to	
  work	
  on	
  different	
  ideas	
  at	
  once,	
  with	
  the	
   provision	
  saving,	
  copy	
  pasting	
  and	
  using	
  advanced	
  computer	
  tools	
  as	
  well.


Reflection – Visualization Challenge & Selection In my daily routine as a member of the logistics team at a local distribution company , we regularly face the challenge to improve the logistics systems at the organization , reduce lead times and bring in efficiencies in the business . This not only requires reduction in costs at various levels and stages , but also calls for productivity enhancement requirement of all the resources . Hence , for me Visualization proves to be an excellent tool that we use all the time in order to communicate , think and discuss design improvements of the overall maps to constantly incorporate efficiencies in the business . It is important because of the fact that the company regularly faces issues that involves bottlenecks at one or the other stage of the process , delayed shipments , lower satisfaction , lower efficiencies . Hence , Visualization proves to be an important aid in this regard . Although I 've used architecture and drawing packages , I spoken in front of many people , but my " breakthrough moments " always come when I have a pencil and a notebook or a marker pen and a whiteboard . Visualisation really is the key to getting those breakthrough moments . Application The foundation of business intelligence is the Key Performance Indicators ( KPIs ) . We are ( or should be ) the best predictor of whether the business is good or not . If your KPIs are on track , your business is too . This is n’t to say you should only track one or two performance indicators , but simply that your KPIs should reflect the overarching goals of your logistics business . We use growing realistic directions on the screen to do understand and visualize areas like Proximity with metrics connected to each other by pairs . This helps us to identify trends and patterns that share a causal link more quickly . For example , the number of deliveries within a given month and the average amount of minutes it takes to unload shipments may be connected to each other in ways we did n't consider earlier . Drawing useful Visualizations like charts help us in discussing complex map designs and route planning , which takes place both physically and through advanced software as well . Insight and Approach Visualisation has a role to play throughout the Design Thinking process that our team undertakes . It 's an incredible tool , in that sense , in that we 're using those tools and that part of our brain at each phase in the design process . It 's not just something that has an application in one part of designing the entire route plans and revisiting them for bringing in efficiencies . It has many ways of being useful at different parts of the Design Thinking process . The Visualizations have considerably helped us in improving understanding of problems pertaining to the route planning and logistics related issues , while also reducing the communication gaps at our end . People are now more engaged with the Visuals that are available to discuss and we can all now focus more on the issue in hand and reduce the level of abstraction that previously existed during the meetings and team discussions of similar sorts . Moreover , for personal planning and preparatory purpose such Visualizations are of critical help which give clarity of thought and greater understanding as well . With regards to approach , the approach that is currently being used has been validated again and again in the team and has proven track record , with considerable improvement in the overall team results and efficiencies for the business . For our team , Visualisation is equal parts listening , thinking and drawing . Listening is the input , thinking is the processing and drawing is the output . These three skills work together equally in understanding complexity , visualizing outcomes to create new possibilities . At present , at our organization , keeping in view the importance of this approach , Visualisation is a core component of the way that we communicate , either for personal planning , or for the team discussion and meetings . It helps our teams unlock different parts of our brains , while giving consistency to our ideas as well . We usually refer to such Visualizations as the “ mother of all the design tools ” keeping in view the fact that they are used in almost every stage of decision making and design thinking at our organization . However , one thing that needs to be changed in this regard is the fact is that these Visualization can be shifted from physical pen and paper or marker or drawing board to more modern alternatives . In this regard , there is a need to shift to modern high technology touch screen design boards , which would provide all the flexibility present in the physical mode , while also providing the right amount of ability to work on different ideas at once , with the provision saving , copy pasting and using advanced computer tools as well .