Obeya vs war room vs big room planning: what is the difference?
An Obeya is a lasting wall with goals, numbers, plan, problems and actions; a war room is a space for an urgent, temporary task; big room planning is planning together in one room, known from construction and from PI planning. The setups look alike, the way of working differs. Below you see when to use which and how to bring them together on one live wall.
Obeya: the lasting wall
An Obeya (Japanese for "big room") is a way of working: goals, numbers, plan, problems and actions hang on the wall, and the team meets there briefly and often. The rhythm is a daily stand-up, the walls together weekly and a recalibration per period. It runs as long as the project or programme runs. More in the complete guide.
War room: for an urgent task
A war room is a space, often temporary, for a project, a launch, a go-live or a crisis. Everyone looks at the same picture and knows who does what. The setup differs little from an Obeya; the difference is in the goal and the duration. More in setting up a war room and setting up a crisis room.
Big room planning: planning together in one room
Big room planning is the term for planning together with all parties in one room. You hear it in construction, where contractor, subcontractors, advisers and client are rarely in one place, and with PI planning in agile organisations. An Obeya is the broader wall: planning is one of its walls. More in Obeya in construction.
The three side by side
| Obeya | War room | Big room planning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A lasting way of working with a wall | A space for an urgent task | Planning together in one room |
| Duration | As long as the project or programme runs | Often temporary | One session or a series of sessions |
| What hangs there | Goals, KPIs, plan, problems, actions | The state of play and who does what | Planning, dependencies, risks |
| Rhythm | Daily, weekly, per period | Often daily, until the job is done | At the planning moments |
All three on one live wall
They are not competitors. In CoVince you put them on the same board: the Control Room spreads over one, three or nine screens, the numbers refresh themselves and remote colleagues look along through video calling. Read digital Obeya and hybrid Obeya for the details.
Frequently asked questions
Is a war room the same as an Obeya?
Nearly. The setup looks alike, but a war room is usually temporary and for an urgent task, while an Obeya is a lasting way of working for a project or programme.
What is big room planning?
Planning together with all parties involved in one room. The term comes from construction and is also used for PI planning.
Can I combine them?
Yes. An Obeya can have a war room period, and planning together is done on the planning wall of the same wall.
Which one fits my project?
A long-running programme calls for an Obeya, a go-live or crisis for a war room, and a plan with many parties for big room planning. Start small, with one wall and one short stand-up.