Lean Corner

iObeya vs. Excel: Visualize your data for better decision making

iObeya and Excel: Two different approaches
The benefits of using iObeya
Two complementary tools rather than competitors

The needs of industrial players have evolved significantly in recent years to address the challenges of digitalization and competitiveness. Leveraging data is no longer just about analysis; it is now about making it accessible, comprehensible, and actionable to facilitate quick and informed decision-making.
At the same time, project management and team collaboration require tools capable of aligning strategy, operations, and communication in real time. While Excel remains an essential tool for analyzing and structuring data, iObeya stands out for its ability to transform this information into collaborative, simple, intuitive, and engaging supports.
In this article, we will explore how these two tools, far from being in competition, can complement each other to maximize team efficiency and enhance the relevance of decision-making.

iObeya and Excel: Two different approaches

Excel: A data-centric approach

A data-centric approach places data at the heart of an organization’s processes. Excel is a well-established tool for manipulating and analyzing large volumes of raw data to extract actionable insights. It enables complex calculations through numerous built-in formulas or macros and allows data visualization using pivot tables.

However, this functional richness is often tailored to individual data processing rather than collaborative use. Additionally, fully leveraging Excel’s potential requires skills that are often scarce in organizations, and poorly formatted outputs can lead to suboptimal strategic decisions.

iObeya: A team-centric approach

iObeya places collaboration and team alignment at the core of its functionality. Designed to enhance workplace collaboration, iObeya connects teams across the globe through its system of digital Obeyas and visual management tools.

Unlike tools focused on raw data, iObeya integrates collaborative boards (such as Kanban, Hoshin Kanri, or huddle boards) that contextualize information and facilitate communication among team members, regardless of their location. By making information accessible in real-time and visually explicit, iObeya promotes action-oriented discussions and enables swift decision-making aligned with strategic objectives.

The platform fosters a shared understanding of priorities through its intuitive interface, designed from the outset to work seamlessly across all devices. Additionally, iObeya adapts to various environments, offering extensive customization options for displays, which encourages widespread adoption by users.

The benefits of using iObeya

Enhanced real-time information sharing

By centralizing data on a collaborative platform accessible to all, regardless of their location, iObeya optimizes information flow between teams. Sharing synchronized boards or cards allows information to be disseminated instantly, with any changes made to a card being automatically reflected across all synchronized cards.

Every level of an organization can be engaged through the creation of a customized Obeya structure. User profiles can be configured with specific permissions, ensuring that each individual accesses the right information at the right time.

Customer Testimonial: French Aeronautical Industrial Service (SIAé)
“ Thanks to iObeya, the SIAé was able to quickly strengthen organizational weak points and break down silos by sharing the right information with the relevant stakeholders. ”

Seamless integration with third-party tools

Ensuring continuity between systems is essential. iObeya offers extensive customization options for integration, enabling data synchronization from multiple sources.

Bidirectional ALM connectors provide direct integration with tools like JIRA and Azure DevOps. An API facilitates easy connectivity with over 400 B2B applications via Microsoft Power Automate. Additionally, an extension for Microsoft 365 Digital Workplace allows information transfers from SharePoint and native integration with Microsoft Teams.

These connections ensure smooth process and information management while maintaining a centralized and consolidated view tailored to individual needs.

Customer Testimonial: Thales

“ The connectors, particularly the JIRA connector, have enabled the company to advance towards even more efficient visual management, thereby improving the operational effectiveness of teams. ”

Accelerated and reliable decision-making

With its interactive visual boards, such as Kanban, Hoshin Kanri, or monitoring dashboards, iObeya makes information instantly understandable, significantly reducing the time needed to analyze and interpret data. Additionally, its ability to integrate data flows from third-party tools or Excel files ensures that decisions are always based on up-to-date and accurate information.
Issues can be escalated to the appropriate level within the organization thanks to the implemented structure, and root causes of incidents are more easily identified using tools like Ishikawa diagrams. Corrective actions can be automatically triggered based on specific indicator thresholds.

Customer Testimonial: Sanofi
“ The digital SQDCP boards have helped teams work together to improve decision-making and achieve continuous improvement in the production system. ”

Intuitive and user-friendly visualization

iObeya’s interface is designed to be simple, accessible, and visually clear, making it easier to understand and work with information. It allows you to replicate your paper-based practices in a fully virtual environment, offering more than 50 customizable visual management tools with infinite personalization options.

The user experience is optimized for collaborative work, enabling each team to interact with boards and tables, add comments, or make real-time adjustments to elements.

Customer Testimonial: Chantier de l’Atlantique
“ The design offices, which were the first to use the solution, quickly adopted it thanks to its user-friendly and intuitive interface. The solution was then rapidly extended to the manufacturing, outfitting, and commissioning sectors. ”

Two complementary tools rather than competitors

Excel and iObeya should not be seen as opposing tools but as solutions designed to work together, each addressing different needs. Excel excels in its ability to perform in-depth analysis and manipulate raw data, offering unmatched flexibility and power for structuring and processing complex information. iObeya, in turn, adds value to this information by transforming it into collaborative and intuitive visual supports, enabling collective, fast, and reliable decision-making.

Together, they combine the best of both approaches: rigorous data analysis paired with seamless, interactive team collaboration.

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