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    TeamAssurance

    What is a daily management system?

    Short answer

    A daily management system (DMS) is the structured set of measures, meetings, visual boards, roles and follow-up routines an organisation uses to run operations day to day. It connects frontline performance to site and business targets, so deviations are detected within a shift, assigned to an owner and either resolved or escalated.

    Last updated · TeamAssurance

    What a DMS includes

    A daily management system is more than a meeting schedule. It usually has six connected parts:

    1. Measures and targets. A small set of key performance indicators for each team, cascaded from site objectives.
    2. Visual boards. Displays where each team compares actual results with the target, often organised by safety, quality, delivery and cost.
    3. Tiered meetings. A daily sequence of stand-ups from frontline teams up to site leadership.
    4. Escalation rules. Clear criteria for which issues a team owns and which move to the next tier.
    5. Action management. Every issue gets an owner, due date and status, reviewed until closed.
    6. Leader standard work. Routines that keep leaders attending meetings, visiting the floor and checking the system works.

    How the parts connect

    The measures define what normal looks like. The boards make abnormal visible. The meetings create a daily moment to respond. Escalation routes problems to the right level, and action management makes sure they are finished. Leader standard work holds the whole thing together.

    Building a DMS

    • Map the tiers and meeting times first, working backwards from when decisions are needed.
    • Agree a common set of measure categories so every level speaks the same language.
    • Write a standard agenda for each meeting and keep it on the board.
    • Pilot in one area, then standardise across the site.
    • Audit the system regularly: are meetings on time, are actions closed, does feedback reach the frontline?

    Paper versus digital

    Many sites start with whiteboards, which are visible and simple. As the system grows across shifts, areas and sites, paper makes it hard to track escalations, see trends or share actions between departments. Digital boards keep the same visual routine while connecting the tiers.

    Common mistakes

    • Copying another site's boards without adapting the measures.
    • Building meetings but no action tracking, so problems repeat.
    • Measuring meeting attendance rather than whether problems get solved.
    • Running safety, quality and maintenance in separate systems that never meet.

    How TeamAssurance helps

    TeamAssurance is built as a connected daily management system: digital tier boards, measures and KPIs, standardised agendas, structured escalation and activity tracking sit in one platform. Safety, quality, maintenance and production work in the same system, and performance tracking shows meeting effectiveness, issue resolution times and escalation patterns so the DMS itself can be improved.

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    Frequently asked questions

    What does DMS stand for in lean?

    DMS usually stands for daily management system: the routines, meetings, boards and measures used to manage performance every day.

    How long does it take to implement a daily management system?

    A pilot area can be running within weeks, but making the routines habitual across a site usually takes several months of coaching and auditing.

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