In high-performance organizations, leaders need to be present where people (collaborators and teams) create value for other people (customers). That place, which is situated in different places in the organizational value network, is what is called Gemba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lean Manufacturing, as the philosophy that defines the thinking, action and learning model of high-performance organizations, defines four fundamental and inseparable concepts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gemba walk <\/strong>is a simple but powerful method performed by managers and leaders to promote continuous optimization of processes in their businesses. During this process, managers physically go to places where employees are generating value to document issues, find areas of improvement as well as possible solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a walk to observe and ask employees about their tasks in order to identify some problems and increase profits and productivity. The word comes from the Japanese word “Gemba” or “Gembutsu” which means “the real place” or \u201cthe place where things happen\u201d and refers to the act of seeing what is really going on in your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The concept was developed by the Toyota executive, Taiichi Ohno, who thought that, to reduce the problems and bottlenecks of the operations, it was necessary to learn from all those involved in order to achieve the ability to implement consistently and efficiently\r\nthe necessary changes in a company.\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is very important that Gemba Walk is not confused with a performance review method. <\/strong>You need to make sure that your team members feel comfortable enough to collaborate with the process to get the best results possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind that collaborators are the ones that are working in the field, so making sure that they are involved with the Gemba Walk process is key for the plan to succeed. Below we list some questions you could include in your questionnaire for the Gemba Walk. They are quite general, but you can adapt them to the needs of your organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In essence, when taking Gemba tours, you are trying to know the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are looking to make your organization more sustainable in a 360\u00ba view, Gemba Walk is probably the best way to start this journey. During the process you will be able to identify which are your weakest points, and learn from them while you open your ears to your collaborators. This process will be key to design sustainability initiatives within your company<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dynamic of this method will help you improve the relationship with your collaborators while making them part of the diagnosis and protagonists of the change to reach a sustainable business model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After a Gemba Walk analysis, you will understand which are the weakest points in your processes which will help you rethink them. Analyzing your business processes using the Gemba Walk method will help you reach sustainability in different aspects like processes, environmental care, team engagement, relations with partners and other stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gemba Walk is one of the 5 Lean Guiding Principles that entrepreneurs and businessmen should practice on a regular basis<\/a>. The effectiveness of Gemba Walks is greater since the processes are more stable and there is a good visual management that makes inefficient conditions visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the steps you need to take to make sure your next Gemba walk is successful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important that the team members who will participate in this experience have a good understanding of what a Gemba Walk is and how it will positively affect the organization. Talking about the walk before starting it will help everyone feel more comfortable with the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gemba walks are not to be confused with Management by Walking Around (MBWA), a different approach in which leaders simply wander around and get involved in what employees are doing. A Gemba walk must have a defined objective, associated with a specific concern and related to a KPI. Thinking about remote workers?<\/em> No worries, you can also perform a Virtual Gemba Walk using tools available for that purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Digitize your Gemba Walk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Asking relevant and meaningful questions during a Gemba walk leads to an interactive session with employees that helps build a positive relationship between managers and employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During a Gemba walk, managers should ask various questions about the process such as Who is involved? What materials are used? What do you do daily? How do you know what to do? When is the task done?<\/em> Make sure you include these questions in your Gemba Walk Checklist. You can also use a Gemba App<\/a> to customize your checklists and reap different benefits!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Gemba walk process<\/a> is not an employee evaluation. The purpose is to observe, understand, and improve processes. It may be helpful to prepare employees by letting them know what they will be asked. There are no correct answers, what you need are honest and complete answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because a lot happens during a Gemba walk and you will want to remember it all later, it is important to carry tools to record your observations. By writing down your observations and taking photographs, you are more likely to become more involved and focus on observation and reflection. Using an app like Gemba App<\/a> will help you take notes and pictures on the go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the hardest things to do on a Gemba walk is let go of the assumptions. Don’t assume that everything is being done to the standard. It is best to ask employees why they do things the way they do. These 5 questions are great for getting the information you need:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Managers and leaders must show proper attitude when doing Gemba walks. Remember that it is about evaluating the process and not the worker, therefore, you should avoid giving suggestions and be very attentive to all actions to learn new things from the workers. However, you can provide positive feedback on a job well done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Gemba hike is a great opportunity for observation, not action. It can be very tempting to propose changes, new solutions, or make improvements on the fly, but changes should only be made after a period of analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It may be a good idea to invite a colleague from other departments and team members with very different daily tasks. People who are less familiar with the processes will bring a new point of view and ask different questions that others may not have asked. These different sets of questions will allow you to analyze the processes from different angles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes the results of a Gemba walk will be immediately obvious, but even if there is no immediate action as a result of a particular walk, it is important to follow up with employees to share insights and communicate what the next steps are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before taking any action based on the observations of the Gemba walk, you should organize your thoughts and correctly analyze the situation. You can even invite some of the workers you’ve been working with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a meeting after each Gemba walk, it should include some participants from different departments, to have as many points of view as possible and thus have the ability to make the best decisions; a decision that really improves the business processes of your company. It is essential to tour the factory or sales center and gather detailed information on what needs to be improved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gemba Walk is an excellent way to bring your business closer to sustainability. Current times demand that companies adapt the way they are working. If you are thinking about implementing Gemba Walk in your organization, you should check out the Gemba Walk App<\/a>, which will help you define, execute, analyze and take further actions, in a very simple and complete way.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Gemba Walk is not<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Gemba Walk common questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How is Gemba Walk relevant to sustainable businesses? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tips to perform a successful Gemba Walk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Prepare the team<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Make a plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ask relevant questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Focus on the Gemba Walk process<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Take notes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Make questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Try to learn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Don’t suggest changes during the process<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Involve people from different areas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Follow-up with the employees involved<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Post-Gemba day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n