Article Sumary
- Why did ID Logistics digitize its AIC rituals with iObeya?
- ID Logistics’ challenges before iObeya: SIM and Gemba in paper format
- ID Logistics’ digital transformation with iObeya: an optimized SIM and Gemba
- The concrete benefits of the digitalization of SIM and Gemba with iObeya
- Conclusion: iObeya, a strategic lever for ID Logistics’ operational excellence
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ID Logistics, one of the world’s leading contract logistics companies, is recognized for its commitment to innovation and operational excellence. Present in more than 18 countries with nearly 450 sites, the Group supports major names in retail, industry, healthcare, e-commerce, and other sectors.
In this dynamic of continuous improvement, ID Logistics has taken a step forward in its operational excellence by transforming its daily management rituals – Short Interval management (SIM) and Gemba walks – thanks to the iObeya digital visual management platform.
Why did ID Logistics digitize its AIC rituals with iObeya?
SIM is based on structured rituals. All managers and operators participate in the Top and can express themselves, whether in upward or downward information. It allows us to share our objectives, whatever they are: they are known to all, managed through our Tops.
Before iObeya, ID Logistics conducted these rituals in the traditional way, with paper tables and manual reports. In 2021, a POC (proof of concept) was launched on two sites to test the digital version of the AIC. Based on its results, the project was quickly deployed on a large scale: between 2022 and 2024, more than 80 logistics sites in France were equipped, representing more than 200 digitalized control rooms and 1,000 daily users. This transition to digital has made exchanges more fluid, increased the responsiveness of the teams and standardised managerial practices within the Group.
ID Logistics' challenges before iObeya: SIM and Gemba in paper format
Traditional paper-based management
Before digitalization, ID Logistics’ teams ran SIM and Gemba using paper tools and Excel files. Every morning, the team leaders would roll out a Top 5 (5-minute meeting) in front of a physical board to share the day’s indicators and the problems reported. Performance data was often frozen on printed reports, without the possibility of in-depth analysis in real time.
Before, SIM was in paper mode, really in degraded mode, with just reporting, without really analysing the figures, the situations, the accidentology, the mood and the atmosphere of the team.
In other words, the traditional format limited exchanges to a reading of numbers rather than a true collaborative dialogue.
Limits in terms of responsiveness and collaboration
This manual approach posed several challenges. On the one hand, reactivity was reduced: identifying a production gap or a security incident meant filling out a paper form, then re-entering it later in a report. Corrective action management lacked dynamic tracking. On the other hand, with geographically dispersed warehouses, it was difficult to standardize practices and ensure that each site followed the same SIM standard.
The Gemba walk, which is essential for observing the work as close as possible to the field, was also carried out with notepad in hand. “Before, we did it with paper,” says the team – which meant that the information collected had to be re-entered, extending the time it takes to escalate problems. ID Logistics needed to modernize these rituals to increase efficiency and team cohesion across all sites.
ID Logistics' digital transformation with iObeya: an optimized SIM and Gemba
The implementation of iObeya: towards a digitalized visual management
To meet these challenges, ID Logistics has chosen to digitize its visual management with iObeya. The solution has been deployed on a large scale in the group, creating a true digital control room accessible to all levels of the organization.
Centralized control and real-time data
Now, SIM rituals are held on interactive screens and shared digital dashboards. The teams in each warehouse animate their daily Top 5 in iObeya, and the key information is consolidated for the Top 15 and Top 30 (15-minute and 30-minute follow-up meetings) up to the Top Customer possibly involving the client.
The solution allows our managers to manage the site’s activity on a daily basis through the different tops – top 5, top 15 or top 30. It’s very fluid: we can report actions, manage escalations, and manage the activity as closely as possible for the service of our customers,
Each site follows the same digital process, which has established a common language and standardized practices from one warehouse to another.
At the same time, the Gemba walk has entered a new era. Armed with tablets connected to iObeya, managers make their rounds digitally.
Before, we did it with paper. Now, we do it with a tablet, which means that the feedback is done directly on iObeya. There is no more input to be made, the action card is created automatically. If you encounter an anomaly, you can take photos and they also automatically go back to iObeya, which is much easier than before.
When an anomaly is noticed in the warehouse, it is immediately documented in the application: an action card is automatically created, accompanied by a photograph if necessary, all sent in real time to the team’s digital board.
This instantaneous transmission eliminates re-entries and delays: the problem is immediately visible to other levels of management, who can immediately trigger corrective actions or appropriate escalations.
The concrete benefits of the digitalization of SIM and Gemba with iObeya
Smoother and more efficient communication
The digitalization of SIM and Gemba with iObeya has brought tangible benefits to ID Logistics. The first gain observed is fluid communication at all levels of the company. Information flows more freely between operators, local managers and management. “It really allows for a real exchange between our team leaders and the preparation team,” notes a field manager.
Every morning, employees express themselves more easily on the digital board than in front of a fixed paper, which enriches the discussions. The different levels of connected tops also promote a more collaborative management style :
On all our sites, it’s also a more collaborative mode. The points of contact with our teams via the various Tops allow us to exchange more regularly with our employees and to make points for improvement. And we are also integrating customers more and more.
In a word, digital technology has given everyone a voice and broken down information silos.
Increased responsiveness for anomaly management
In terms of responsiveness, the change is just as dramatic. Thanks to iObeya, production deviations or field incidents are reported and shared immediately, allowing corrective actions to be triggered without delay. For example, a broken cart or a quality issue reported during the Gemba walk instantly appears on the relevant team’s SIM board, with an action card assigned. Managers can track the progress of each action in real-time until it is resolved. As a result, ID Logistics “manages its business as closely as possible” on a daily basis. This increased proactivity translates into reduced wait times and improved problem resolution rates. Managers spend less time compiling data and more time analyzing root causes and implementing effective action plans – the heart of continuous improvement.
Standardization of practices across all sites
The standardization of practices marked a turning point in the internal culture. The use of iObeya on all the sites concerned has structured the management of performance indicators in a coherent way. “It really allows for a real exchange between our team leaders and the preparation team. It is a process that has structured the animation of our performance indicators and also standardized practices. says ID Logistics. Each warehouse now follows the same SQCD indicators (Safety, Quality, Costs, Delivery) presented visually and in a standard way in iObeya. This makes it easier to share best practices across sites, compare performance, and help each other. Teams also gain autonomy: when faced with a technical obstacle or malfunction, iObeya users can often solve it on their own or via the internal community, without systematically mobilizing IT or support.
In fact, according to an internal survey conducted in 2024, iObeya is the digital tool with the best adherence rate among managers at ID Logistics.
The feedback from iObeya users at ID Logistics is unanimous. Operators and managers alike appreciate the “more fun” and “more effective” nature of these digitized rituals. The information shared is “clearer, faster”, and “we all save time” on a daily basis. The visual and interactive dimension of the platform keeps everyone’s attention and makes meetings more dynamic than around an Excel sheet. In addition, ID Logistics has started to integrate its customers into this continuous improvement loop: it is now possible to invite a customer to view certain performance boards or participate in a digital Top Customer.
This transparency strengthens trust and partnership commitment. “The feedback is clear: it’s more fun, more effective… we save time. It’s operational excellence,” says Marc Prokopp, Director of Operations Southern Region, ID Logistics.
Conclusion: iObeya, a strategic lever for ID Logistics' operational excellence
By moving from a paperboard-based SIM to a digital SIM with iObeya, ID Logistics has not only modernized its management rituals, but above all established a dynamic of sustainable operational excellence. The combination of a structured short-interval animation and a connected Gemba has made it possible to establish a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement, where each problem is solved more quickly and where each employee actively contributes to the collective performance.
“It is an extension of the animation at short intervals, in a digital way, with new generation tools that simplify the daily life of our managers,” concludes ID Logistics. Based on these results, the company plans to further extend the use of iObeya to other processes and to continue to innovate in its operational management. Today, there are 260 rooms deployed on 140 ID Logistics sites. This testimonial illustrates how the well-executed digitalization of a pillar of Lean Management can profoundly transform the efficiency and cohesion of an organization – an inspiring example for any company in search of fluidity, flexibility and performance.
