Key Takeaways
• Gemba walks on the shop floor give firsthand insights into operational processes, identifying inefficiencies, and promoting continuous improvement.
• Challenges in Gemba walks include manual data collection, inconsistent reporting, and delayed corrective actions.
• Digital software like GoAudits streamlines Gemba walks and inspections through standardized checklists, real-time data collection, and automated reporting.
In Lean manufacturing, where efficiency, quality, and continuous improvement are of prime importance, Gemba is a strategic data collection tool for operational excellence.
Gemba encompasses hands-on, real-time observation and engagement on the shop floor. It is a strategic approach to understanding processes, identifying bottlenecks, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Continue reading to discover how Gemba walks are conducted using real-life examples, and explore why manufacturers are increasingly implementing digital software.
Gemba Walk Meaning: What is a Gemba Walk?
Gemba walks in lean manufacturing involve visiting the shop floor to observe the processes in real (go and see), asking questions related to tasks (ask why), and gaining insights from the people who actually perform the tasks (showing respect).
It originates from the Japanese term “Gemba” or “Gembutsu,” which translates to “the actual place”. In manufacturing, this refers to the factory or shop floor, where value is created – hence, the term “Gemba walk” or “going for a Gemba.”
A Gemba walk (aka Gemba meeting) can be a powerful tool to understand and improve the value stream and optimize operations, fueling the Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement.
Gemba Walk Purpose
A Gemba walk’s primary purpose is observing, questioning, learning, and suggesting improvement measures to achieve the business goals.
It helps management understand what’s working (or not working) on the shop floor, thereby identifying and solving problems and promoting continuous improvement.
A Lean manufacturing Gemba walk also aims to:
- Identify bottlenecks, areas of improvement, and challenges faced by the staff on the floor.
- Pinpoint existing wastage, like redundancies, safety hazards, etc., and suggest measures to reduce them.
- Understand how effectively the departments or groups are coordinating to achieve the goals established by the organization.
- Strengthen relations with the people who do the work and make them feel valued.
Benefits of Gemba Walk
In addition to observing operational realities within businesses, a Gemba walk in manufacturing industries offers the following benefits:
- Increased Bottom Line: Bottlenecks and inefficiencies observed during the Gemba audit can help you identify areas to improve workflow and ultimately enhance productivity. This can lead to a higher output per unit input, increasing the bottom line.
- Cost Reduction: The leaders observe and address inefficiencies that lead to waste, downtime, and operational complexity. Addressing these problems and implementing corrective measures can lead to significant cost reduction.
- Quality Enhancement: An effective Gemba visit can reveal issues not readily apparent from the documentation. Interacting with workers gives you a deeper understanding of quality issues and why they occur, leading to solutions that address the root cause.
- A Culture of Collaboration and Improvement: Gemba visits facilitate increased interaction between management and frontline workers, fostering openness and collaboration. This collaboration leads to teams at all levels identifying and fixing the problems together, supporting continuous improvement.
5S Gemba Walk Safety: How Gemba Walks can improve safety when combined with 5S/6S lean.
Lean Gemba Walk Process: How to Perform a Gemba Visit Effectively?
Effective Gemba process requires careful planning and communication to ensure maximum participation and actionable insights.
Here are Gemba walk steps for its effective implementation:
Step 1: Inform Employees of the Upcoming Gemba Lean
The team that will be observed should be informed beforehand of the walk, its purpose, and how it will happen.
The managers must emphasize that the ultimate goal of a Gemba audit is identifying opportunities for improvement and not scrutinizing workers. This will put workers at ease, making them willing to collaborate.
Step 2: Prepare Gemba Walk Questions
Your Gemba walk will be as effective as the questions you ask. While preparing questions, keep the ultimate goal of continuous improvement in mind. Apply techniques like “5-Whys” to fetch the relevant information from the workers.
Here are some examples of Gemba walk questions to help you get started:
- Can you walk me through the steps involved in this process?
- Are there any recurring bottlenecks or delays you experience?
- Do you have all the tools and resources to do your job effectively?
- What are some ideas you have for improving this process?
- How often do you encounter quality issues?
- Is there anything unclear about the current manufacturing SOPs?
- Are you comfortable raising concerns or suggestions to your supervisor?
Create Your Own Gemba Walk Checklist: Eliminate manual paperwork and streamline Lean Gemba walks with a digital questionnaire.
Step 3: Schedule the Gemba Walkthrough
To avoid making workers uncomfortable, managers should schedule Lean Gemba walks instead of conducting them unannounced. While scheduling the audit, ensure the walker has the correct Gemba checklist and inform the workers who will be involved.
Step 4: Focus on the Process, Not the People
You must remember a Gemba Lean walk is not the time to evaluate the team’s performance. Its primary purpose is to identify the areas of improvement by observing, learning, and asking questions.
You’ll likely face resistance and receive less cooperation from the workers if you focus too much on their performance.
Step 5: Record Observations Without Making Suggestions
Note everything that grabs your attention. Take photos and videos to visualize some steps of the processes wherever necessary. You may be tempted to make improvement suggestions immediately, but try avoiding it.
Instead, focus on gathering information and leave the analysis part for the further steps of the Gemba walk-through. This will ensure you have comprehensive data to make an informed decision.
Step 6: Report Learning Points of the Gemba Lean
After the Gemba visit, compile all your findings in a report. Highlight gaps, challenges (existing as well as the potential), struggles faced by workers, etc. Attach photos of the non-conformances and assign priority to identified problems.
Apart from the findings, include your suggestions and proposed solutions. If you have assigned a corrective action during the walk, include its update in the “what, who, and when” format.
Step 7: Follow-Up
In the final step of the Gemba walk procedure, ensure all the recommendations are implemented on time. This includes corrective actions to fix the existing problem, preventive measures to avoid future issues, or training programs to bridge the knowledge gaps.
Automate Follow-Up and Corrective Actions: Set up custom workflows to share reports, assign actions, and send reminders.
Lean Gemba Walk Examples: Gemba Audits In-action
Example 1: Toyota Plant
In Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky plant, executives and managers regularly conduct Lean Gemba walks to observe operations firsthand and engage with frontline workers to understand their challenges and gather insights for continuous improvement.
During one such walk-through, they noticed workers spending excessive time reaching for tools and materials, leading to inefficiencies and potential safety hazards.
This observation prompted executives to redesign the layout of the production line, placing tools and materials within easy reach of workers, thereby streamlining workflow and improving productivity.
Example 2: Virginia Mason Medical Center
According to Dr. Robert Mecklenburg, wasting time and valuable medical assets is one of the reasons why healthcare has become unaffordable in America.
Inspired by Toyota Factory Practices, Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) CEO Dr. Gary Kaplan found a way to curb this problem through Gemba walks.
Kaplan conducts daily tours of the hospital. He encourages his healthcare professionals to look for opportunities to make the workflow more efficient. This search led to the adoption of innovative ideas like “Computers on Wheels,” ensuring nurses spent more time with patients than at nursing stations.
Furthermore, the hospital combined Gemba with Rapid Process Improvement Workshops and extensive public surveys to cut down the average time for treatment from 66 days to 12 days. After implementing Gemba visits and other practices, VMMC saved at least $11 million!
Implement Digital Gemba Walks for Your Workplace
Auditing software like GoAudits allows manufacturers to digitize data collection, reporting, and follow-ups during a Gemba walk, enhancing accuracy and efficiency.
GoAudits facilitates the creation of standardized Gemba walk checklists, ensuring consistent recordings of all data points. The reporting feature simplifies documenting issues and improvement ideas, making it easier for teams to collaborate and address them.
Furthermore, the tool gives access to historical data that helps you track progress and identify trends.
Feature | Gemba Lean Benefit |
Standardized Checklist | Consistent Data Collection |
Digital Reporting | Easy Access and Sharing |
Historical Data Analysis | Identify Trends |
The core objective of a Gemba walk is to find opportunities for continuous improvement. Digital audit software like GoAudits aids in this direction by allowing you to track the progress over time.
Managers can set goals, track KPIs, monitor corrective measures, and visualize progress through dashboards and reports. Click here to learn how improvements can be tracked over time using GoAudits.
After trialing GoAudits in tandem with our selected audit system, we found rather quickly that GoAudits provided a far better system in terms of ease-of-use, template design options, layout, flow, functionality, actions, reporting, and excellent customer support.
Steve Blaydon, Business Process Manager, Miniclipper
With a rating of 4.7 stars on Capterra, GoAudits is trusted by some of the biggest names in the manufacturing industry.
» Customer Success Story: How businesses leverage GoAudits to save time and improve operations.